Aruba - One Happy Island

We arrived in Aruba on Monday morning. After a long flight, we were ready to get right to the beach. We checked into the hotel (Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino), threw on our bathing suits and sprinted to the sand.

                     

After hours of swimming and sun bathing, we headed up to our room to get ready for dinner. Our hotel room is very spacious and we have a great view.

Our first night on the island, we had reservations for Simply Fish. This is one of the restaurants at our hotel. It will come as no surprise that the restaurant serves a variety of fresh and local seafood. The setting is beautiful, as the tables are set up on the beach and you enjoy your meal with your toes in the sand and taking in the sunset over the ocean. You couldn't stage a more perfect sight.

We started with the jumbo shrimp cocktail.

I had the sauteed halibut for my main, with creamy spinach and coconut rice.

And Carmine had the sauteed striped bass with broccoli and mashed potatoes

We finished the night with the restaurant's specialty, a banana and coconut cake.

After a long day, we headed to bed to rest up for day 2. On Tuesday, we explored the island's offerings. Aruba is filled with lots of little shops and cute restaurants to stop at for lunch.

For dinner, we headed over to Madame Jeanette's. This is a cozy, local restaurant, with outdoor seating under ivy covered pergolas and tons of little lights. The portions here are large, so I suggest sharing to save room for dessert.

Carmine and I shared the crab cakes and a shrimp and lobster gratin for an appetizer.

For our mains, I had the Schnitzel-style pork tenderloin covered in sauteed onions. Carmine had the chicken cordon blue. 

The food was absolutely fantastic. I couldn't recommend it enough! 

We have had two wonderful days so far, and I am excited to see what the rest of the trip brings. The weather is perfect, the food is delicious, and I am here with Carmine - what more could a girl ask for!