Roses are red….

 And many other colors, of course.

Yesterday, we packed overnight bags and headed East with our first stop at a rose farm.  Apparently Ecuador has been in the top three countries supplying roses to the world and just recently clawed its way back up to first place. The roses they grow here have crazy long stems, typically three feet or so, and last for 4 to 5 weeks after they are cut. This farm was exporting about 70% of their roses to Russia (oligarchs must buy bunches and bunches and bunches of them).  But global economies being what they are, the sanctions took all of that away. I don’t actually know what such long stem roses cost in the States ( no fault of Michael’s necessarily - we just haven’t been in the States) but at the source here they are $0.30 each and the ‘irregulars’ are cheaper still.

There were some other stops at a local market, for a local lunch (four courses and fresh juice for $8), and in a town that focuses on leather items (who makes purses without that little hook on a strap inside that makes it easy for you to fish out your keys?). But mostly we were really lucky with the weather as the forecast called for 98% chance of thundershowers all afternoon and we had barely a misting here or there.

Late afternoon we arrived at the Hacienda Pinsaqui. It was rebuilt after the 1868 earthquake and turned into a hotel about 30 years ago.  It is big and timbered and stately with horses roaming the grounds. The rooms are massive two room suites - ours with a high claw footed tub that I was sure would result in an injury. But no central heat and it was cold inside.  There was a little space heater that we turned on when we went out for welcome drinks and dinner. Then we returned to find a fire in the fireplace. Nice.  And then when we crawled into the comfy bed we found, to our delight,…..hot water bottles in little fabric cases that were clearly sent from heaven. We slept like babies. (The babies that sleep well not the colicky crying kind). So, note to self: buy hot water bottles before the next brutal Florida cold snap.