Yoga en casa

Yesterday I responded to a flyer advertising a free yoga class in the building where we are renting a condo in Miami Beach. I was surprised to see a dozen residents gathered there for a practice with Lovey, a longtime experienced teacher who led us through a soothing and mindful practice. About half the class was older women and one older man, the rest much younger. One athletic-looking young man clearly had a well-established yoga practice. It was fun to practice behind him and watch his well-toned body move gracefully through the poses.

Near the end of the class, she offered some advanced poses for those who chose to participate, about half of the class, plus a few minutes for us to add any poses we chose. Several people chose to add a headstand. Lovey's soothing voice guided us into a meditative savasana to end the class. I was pleased to discover this group where I could meet a few people in the building, especially those interested in praticing yoga.

Tour guides

Alex and I just spent four days escorting youngest daughter Jessica and her husband Neil around the beach when they journeyed here from the south Oregon coast. We were thrilled to be able to show them the sights and to see things we would never have sought out on our own.

The first day we walked around South Beach, window-shopping and people-watching on Lincoln Road, Ocean Drive, and the promenade. We had lunch at Wolfie's (now Jerry's Deli) on Collins and then hit the beach for a lazy afternoon. The beach was a little too cold, but we consoled ourselves in the heated swimming pool. After dinner we saw Gran Torino at Lincoln Road.

We drove out to the Miccosukee Indian Reservation, about an hour west of the beach, where Heather had been a teacher in the tribal school. One of her former students now runs the airboat ride business there. We admired the gorgeously pieced colorful skirts in the gift shop, stitched by the talented Miccosukee women. A short ride through the Everglades on an airboat showed us half a dozen alligators and huge elegant birds, among them herons and egrets. We took the long way east on 8th Street which becomes Calle Ocho in the Cuban barrio. Lunch at Versailles was a festive immersion into the Cuban community. We located a picturesque fabrica de cigarros where Alex and Neil purchased some cigars made from tobacco originating in Cuba. We found the Mexican restaurant where my Spanish teacher Liliana had taken me for lunch, Taquieras El Mexicano on 5th Ave. and Calle Ocho, near the Brickell financial district. We wandered through the glamourous downtown area with dozens of new and architecturally interesting skyscrapers, including the ballet center and the Arsht Center for the performing arts.

We broke our fast on Saturday morning at a restaurant on Ocean Drive, watching the parade of beautiful people and a dog show devoted to dachsunds (!) The afternoon was a perfect beach day with warm sun and cloudless sky. Bird and Neil amassed an impressive collection of shells that Bird will incorporate into her art. Saturday night, they went out on their own to South Beach.

On Sunday, we drove out to Key Biscayne, a short drive, no more than 1/2 hour, but an amazing show of natural beauty. When a recent hurricane ripped up the non-native pines populating the island, the locals took the opportunity to replant with all native species. The result is an amazing display of arborial profusion. We spent time walking on the beach and hiking through the forest, also climbing to the top of the lighthouse for a spectacular view of the ocean, bay, and city. Lunch was at the Jaguar ceviche spoon bar in Coconut Grove, where we had Ecuadorian and Peruvian ceviche (they're different!) and finished it off with frozen yoghurt from Coco Walk. Bird and Neil spent the last night exploring on their own.

They were both charmed by the city, its diverse population and culture, the animated street life, the lush vegetation, and of course the ocean.

Under the Miami sun

We are in the middle of our third week in Miami Beach, finding our way around la playa and the busy, noisy, complex, diverse, and totally fascinating city. It seems that no one here speaks English. Mostly you hear Spanish, but there are plenty of other languages in the air as well -- German, French, Italian, Hebrew, Yiddish. I met a big group on the bus last week who were speaking Danish. It's a favorite destination for todo el mundo. Maybe it's just that the English speakers don't talk so much.


I spent last week in an immersion class to brush up on the Spanish I learned 20 years ago. A lot came rushing back and now I'm enjoying classes in grammar, literature, and conversation. I feel so much more comfortable now, able to chat with people in stores, restaurants, the streets, the gym, the laundry. It's all fun and festive here, especially when the sun shines, about 90% of the time. When the temperature drops to 58 degrees, everyone exclaims, Hace mucho frio. If only they knew what Massachusetts feels like right now...



Our friends Heather and Stephen, our neighbors in Pittsfield, are showing us around and helping us feel at home. Stephen and Alex play golf together, and Heather has introduced me to the Dance de la Soul group. It's an intense modern dance class twice a week that feels like a party. I stumbled around for a while and now am beginning to get in step, at least part of the time. Another favorite class is the anti-gravity yoga using a hammock hanging from the ceiling as a prop. Sometimes you're standing in it, suspended from it, or swinging in it. It feels like flying and the savasana at the end encased in the cocoon of the hammock is muy delicioso.



We're surrounded here by all things Latin -- the food, the music, the dancing, the language. Miami is south of the border, right here in los Estados Unidos. In spite of the language and cultural barriers, people here are friendly and bright, eager to welcome you and help you find your way.