2012: A Year in Review Part II

Notre Dame, Montreal

 And the year in review continues...

July

July was a whirlwind kicked off by a slightly less successful honeymoon to Breezes Curacao...which had stopped being a Breezes resort a few weeks before we arrived, but failed to truly clarify that. (See my fruitless attempt for rumination here). But hey, it’s the Caribbean and we’ve been on more ridiculous trips together, so we had a great time. And I only got sunburned once.  

Of course, burn or no burn I came home to a new boss, but that is another story...

August

To continue with the run of nearly 30 weekends of booked activities, we went camping two weekends back to back, NYC, and then to a wedding. At a campground. Well actually, I should say a Maine wedding, but not the Martha Stewart variety. More the logger camp variety. After being un-invited to the rehearsal dinner and left to dogsit with my parents, we made our own fun and I got to marvel at how fat my ex-boyfriend had gotten...and how much taller my wife is than him :)  

September

I turned 27 in September and in honor of this late 20’s milestone, I actually got to spend time in Canada when it wasn't far side of the moon cold. I love Montreal and we've been as a couple several times, hotwire hotel hopping our way through every neighborhood of the gorgeous old city. We spent the long weekend with the McGill froshers and their parents, explored the Mile End neighborhood and the distant side of Mont Royal, ate true Montrealler bagels, and had afternoon tea in Birk’s Cafe.  Birk’s sits in the middle of a lovely baroque jewelry store often described as the “Tiffany’s of Canada”. In contrast to my times in Tiffany’s 5th Ave, Birk’s was quiet, refined, and the salespeople did not stalk you excessively.  Combined with a beautiful afternoon tea spread and excellent service, it was a perfect birthday event.

Antwerp, Central Square

October

I studied abroad in Amsterdam six years ago this January. It was a life-changing experience that brought me to myself, this career, and this lifestyle. I was unbelievably excited to return and even more so to show April every nook and cranny of a city that clings still to my heart. But I was anxious - anxious to see something I treasured as a memory as a living, breathing, changing organism. More so, I found so much of myself there, I was afraid to look again after several years of relatively settled being.

Going back was like having never been gone. I knew every street and canal, my grocery vocabulary was sufficiently impressive for my easily impressed wife, the rhythm of the city came back as if I had only been gone for the weekend. I still loved everything, beautiful and dingy.

We also spent a day in Antwerp, further insuring my belief that Belgium may be one of the nicest places on earth.

November

I am thankful for my wife, family, and friends, civil rights, the State of Massachusetts / the City of Boston, weekend brunch, BBC 4 documentaries on youtube, Top Gear, amazon prime shipping, and my electronic kettle. If you could see this thing, you'd understand.

December

Orlando, FL, Curacao, NYC, Montreal, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Minnesota: it’s been quite the trip both literally and figuratively and as I peek semi-anxiously over the edge into 2013, I do hope to have a few minutes to rest...but I guess I’ll do that when I’m older.

Red Light District at Rest

An Open Letter to Breezes Resorts

To Whom it May Concern,

I was incredibly excited to spend my honeymoon at Breezes Curacao (Breezes Resort, Spa & Casino - Curacao , Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd. 8, Willemstad, Curacao, Netherland, Antillies). I had previously traveled to the Dutch Caribbean and looking forward to exploring a new island in this region. I am well-traveled and have lived abroad, so I had researched my options thoroughly before settling on Breezes Curacao. The Breezes website promised a perfect experience for our first week together as a married couple. 

A few weeks before our wedding, I received a call notifying me of a change in management at the Breezes Curacao resort with reassurance that all services and accommodations would continue at the high level originally offered. After this change, the resort website was updated extensively and we were even more excited for our trip. 

Upon our arrival in Curacao, the Breezes desk (with a haphazardly placed new sign declaring itself now the “Princess Beach Resort") could not find my reservation or key. At the resort, the front desk scrambled to find my reservation and room key, which had been paid in full upon booking. Our oceanfront room offered a lovely view of the palm trees and mold in the bathroom, a shower that didn’t drain, and outdated, worn linens and furniture.  A short walk around the resort discouraged me from requesting a room change as I was worried we would end up in even less desirable accommodations. 

Of course I realize the best thing to do in such a situation is to speak to a manager and I would have been happy to do that, if there seemed to be any managers present at Breezes Curacao. Beyond a total lack of managers or supervisors, we experienced a total lack of service. While other tables were offered and delivered drinks at meals, I had to go out of my way to get someone to even speak to us and then I was faced with disgruntlement and sometimes blatant rudeness. A request for a banana at breakfast – which they regularly had out at lunch – was flatly denied.  At the boat station, four men stood by chatting while we pulled the kayak out of the water, returned it to its rightful location, and hung up our own life vests. 

With a rundown, uncomfortable room and a general feeling we were being often and willfully ignored by all Breezes staff members, we were determined to make the best of our honeymoon which we had been so looking forward to.  The beach area and pool were pleasant and the weather was perfect.  However the buffet food was poor quality and ‘snack shacks’ were either not serving or serving at such a monumentally slow rate whenever we tried to frequent them that we were faced with several instances (including the first few hours of our visit) where we could not find any food to eat. Good food and drink can make a world a difference in an otherwise less than perfect situation, but the majority of food available barely rivaled that of a university cafeteria. 

My wife and I made the best of our time at Breezes Curacao and enjoyed ourselves regardless of our disappointing situation.  However I would not consider any Breezes resort in the future and I would be hard-pressed to even suggest it to my many friends getting married in near future.  What I will say about Breezes as a company is now up to you.  Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

MRS