I made friends! Actually, I met them on the plane ride down here in March, but last week was the 1st opportunity I had to meet them out in a social situation since Julio and I have been so busy remodeling the house. We met at Xandari for breakfast. Xandari is a beautiful resort in Alajuela situated on 40 acres of manicured tropical gardens and trails with rivers and waterfalls. It is only about 20 minutes from the airport…or our house!

Julio and I...or rather Popeye and Olive Oil at Xandari Resort

Julio and I…or rather Popeye and Olive Oil at Xandari Resort

Xandari has nice villas, a spa, a pool, a restaurant, etc., but the coolest aspect to me is the art and the landscape. The owners are a husband and wife team. The husband is an architect and the wife is an artist – You can see his design and her art dot the landscape inside and out. And there is something you have to understand about a well thought out, well maintained tropical landscape – it is like paradise. The plants are artfully chosen not only for their beauty, but for what creatures they attract – butterflies, hummingbirds, beautiful birds! So you get to walk through a beautiful tropical landscape while butterflies and hummingbirds flutter and buzz around your head – it’s magical.

We were really lucky because the weather was absolutely gorgeous the day that we went. The air was clear and sun was bright, making the view of the Central Valley all that more special. I snapped quite a few photos while we were there. Here are a few, including photos from their prize winning orchid gardens. Just click on any of the photo thumbnails to open up the slideshow.