South Beach was still hopping on a Monday morning but not as wild as Sunday night. WE bought a pocket guide to maim with architecture with walking tours of various neighborhoods (including Coconut Grove) at the Art Deco Welcome Center on Ocean Drive, which was the same price as a ticket on the South Beach walking tour (which we missed anyway…the one tour a day starts at 10;30 and is the same price as the audio tour.) And off we went on a very windy somewhat cloudy day to admire all the cool Art Deco hotels and city buildings (police department, post office etc.) I could not place at all the hotel I stayed at in 9th grade with my Grandma Betty but then again, that was in 1973, before there was a “south beach.” Nor could I remember which highrise  my other grandmother lived in. I found the description of the Jewish Walking Tour interesting — ” the rise and decline of the Jewish population in Miami Beach.” As the woman at the info desk explained succinctly:  “Cubans.”

We all got a kick out of my namesake hotel, The Betsy, which had a small classy lobby that reminded me of Panama in its old world airiness. One of the coolest buildings turned out to be the Wolfsonian Museum on Washington Street, which houses what looked like a very interesting design museum with an Art nouveau collection among others. Lunch was Haitian food at the Tap Tap Room, a colorful place full of bold Haitian murals. Excellent  “pork chunks” and beans and rice that reminded me of food in Peru.

Tonight we had a superb dinner at Sugarcane near the Wynwood neighborhood. Creative small plates, tuna tartar on a long rice cracker; goat cheese croquettes; five spice Asian spare ribs: lamb kofka with a smear of whipped yoghurt, a delicious dessert of soft French toast with apple compote. Fun dramatic interior and very attentive service. As promised, Miami has a verve and dynamic that reminds us of a lively Latin American city.

We explored Little Havana today, strolling along Calle Ocho past shops selling cigars, guayabera shirts, Cuban coffee out of storefront windows and fresh mangos and coconuts. Also enjoyed the monuments to various Cuban American dignitaries, which our British friends found interesting since they recently visited Cuba, which has different heros. We had delicious Cuban iced coffee, Presidente beer and Cuban sandwiches at a outdoor high top table at El Pub and picked up some Cuban pastries at Nuevo Siglo supermercado.

Also enjoyed a visit to the gorgeous home of Myra’s brother in posh Coral Gables, a five minute drive from our sweet little place in Coconut Grove. can’t get enough of the flora and fauna here, the giant twisted other worldly fiscus trees, the Spanish moss dripping down over our heads, the orange, red, purple and pink bourganvilla blossoms.

Greetings from paradise, a spacious bungalow tucked into the tropical jungle of Coconut Grove where we are sitting beside our small backyard pool lined with towering palm trees. The colors alone are lifting my Iowa spirits – blue sky, sun shining yellow onto the green palms, pink and orange bougainvillea spilling over the burnt red tiles of the front deck of our amazing Airbnb (4057 Malaga Avenue).

After an awful drive here on I 95 from the Fort Lauderdale airport (a crash left traffic at a standstill for an hour), the lush overgrown jungle-like roads of Coconut Grove were very welcome. Even better, Francine and Russ soon arrived, fresh off the plane from London. And then our “surprise” visitors, Myra  (from Connecticut) and daughter Emma (from Philly) knocked on our door. They are staying with Myra’s  brother in nearby Coral Gables.

After drinks and appetizers by the pool (bought at a nearby IGA that is the fanciest IGA I’ve been to, called Milam’s) we had a fantastic dinner at a small Venezuelan restaurant Cardon y el Tirano, hidden in a strip mall at the western edge of Little Havana on Calle Ocho (SW 8th avenue). We shared little nibbles and plates of things I’ve never had before. Yucca balls, crispy pork dumplings, slices of salt-cured steak served with crispy tostones and burnt hard llanero. The desserts were crazy; one had avocado “rocks” (bits of frozen avocado) dotting a smear of Nutella with balls of sweet chocolate truffles. Meanwhile, “Anthony and cleopatra” was playing on a nearby screen, adding a touch of camp to the place.