Today is #MarketFriday initiated by @dswigle (Denise! That is me!) Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. One of my favorite places to be. These are from a short and sweet trip to the Caribbean, where one of my favortie ports was on the itinerary. It was a short getaway cruise, visiting a few diffeent places. Sit back and enjoy the warmth. Of the people, the places and the food, which you will have to imagine for this post. Some like it hot!

I hope you will join us as we share the different markets from all over the world. I have always and forever loved traveling and I find it simply fascinating to go to the markets. Who doesn't love to see what they are selling? There is always a curiosity attached to foreign ingredients, different produce or any product sold. So, yes! I would love to see yours! So don't forget to take photos wherever you happen to be shopping - whether it be the grocery, art galleries, wherever money is exchanged for a service or for merchandise. Don't forget to use the hashtag #Marketfriday and @dswigle.

Please leave the link to your post on here so it can easily be found by others. They will all be in one place!! Thank you! ❤

Some time ago, on one #MarketFriday, we checked out a couple of different cruise ships, deciding which we liked better, large ships or smaller, more intimate ships. If you missed it, no worries, I am going to check out a new line of ships and I will do another. Today we will take a moment and compare a couple of the wonderful islands that we stopped in their ports. They are all so beautiful, it is hard to not love them all.

This is on the island of St. Maarten. We are on the French side and the catamaran is a lovely way to see the entire island. The French side is the much quieter side and preferred if you want to be away from the tourists. The Dutch side is highly populated and has the vast majority of the bars and shopping.

St. Martin's famous Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side of St. Maarten

I could almost t.o.u.c.h. it.

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Barely clears the fence. This is the fence people hang on to - legs flying in the air. Some get blown off! — at Princess Juliana International Airport, St Maarten

A stop on the US Virgin Islands is always a pleasure. Oh, the allure of the ocean is more than I can bear. Beauty - as far as your eyes will take you - St. Kitts US British Islands

The beauty and charm are found in this place called 99 steps, which incidentally is 103. It leads right up to Bluebeard's Castle. Inhale the beauty. This is in beautiful Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas which is also in the US Virgin Islands.

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Oh, the charming views continue to delight these eyes. Take a moment to nhale her beauty. So very enchanting — St. Kitts, British Virgin Islands

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Oh, she is beautiful. I really love the charm of this city. Look how the reflection of the cobblestone streets take possession of the city at night. They just seem to breathe new life into the old blue pavers that are characteristic of this beautiful old city. These pictures were taken before the devastation of the Hurricane Irma, a category 5 hurricane. They are still trying to fit the piece together again.

She was so beautiful, with her blended cultures and historical buildings. The towers have the most incredible views. Raíces - or Roots Fountain was sculpted by Spanish artist Luis Sanguino. The bronze fountain celebrates Puerto Rico’s rich culture of Amerindian, African, and Spanish peoples.

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— Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

So much to do, so much to see. I didn't want to inundate you with pictures, I have thousands of them, but, just a tiny sample so that maybe someday we can go to some different ones.

And the ship slowly makes it way back to the port and I walk out onto the balcony as the sun welcomes me back home again with New York City waving me in.

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Au Revoir, my beautiful vacation.
Until I cruise again.

Well, thank you, as always for coming along with me to my #MarketFriday adventure. I hope that you had one too. I look forward to reading them! Don't forget to peruse the other Markets that are linked below! They are from all over the world and I must say, quite interesting in so many ways. Enjoy!!

A longer YouTube video of the Princess Juliana St Maarten Airport where planes fly just above your head! Sadly, but, not so sadly, they have stopped the 747’s from coming in anymore as the risk is too great. You can go to YouTube to see them fly overhead, which was pretty cool, but these crazies held on to the fence for dear life, some with their feet blowing behind them. The scariest was when I watched a woman get blown across the street to the beach. It not longer seemed so fun to them. Thankfully, the big planes no longer land there, but, I got to see the very last one that was allowed to land.

Let the sun shine in on your life
So the joy may touch your soul

Fridays are all about the #MarketFriday Challenge! Looking to take part in it? Here is how:

How to Participate:

1. Go to the market! Any market will do! Food, Clothing, Plant or Animal, if you wish. You can go to the zoo or an art auction. Anywhere or anything that you pay money for a service. I once went to a nail salon.
2. Take pictures! Be creative (or not)
3. Tell us a little bit about the market, what brought you here?
4. Post the picture(s)
5. Don’t forget to hashtag it! #MarketFriday by @dswigle
6. Drop the link to your post here so I can easily find them

It is always interesting to see the different markets around the globe! C’mon! Show me your market shots! I eagerly await them!

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And just like that, this post is done. I hope you enjoyed your visit! As always, I want to thank you for taking the time to visit #MarketFriday!! Thank you for supporting the challenge! Have a most fabulous day! Cheers!!

Flowers. Always. There must always be flowers to color my world.

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I love to share and be shared with! I am intrigued by different cultures. It is exciting and yes! I would love to see yours! Don't forget to take photos wherever you happen to be shopping - whether it be the grocery store, the local marketplace or even an art gallery, a kite festival! Wherever money is exchanged for a service or for merchandise. Be different if you wish! It does not have to be a traditional market! We will love it! I promise you! Don't forget to use the hashtag #MarketFriday and @dswigle.

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Thank you for visiting my post 💖 Because of you, I come back to post again and again, I am encouraged by you, for the time you take to visit, comment or even upvote. For all of these reasons, I am eternally grateful. Don't ever forget what a wonderful world we live in, people. Let's hold hands around the globe and make this earth really spin. Some days, it is not as easy to see, how wonderful it really is. Kindness counts. Wherever you go, whatever you do.

I always post this poem down at the bottom of my posts. It is one that has become so near and dear to my heart. I only post the most famous part of it, but, wanted to post it in its entirety today.

they set my aunts house on fire
i cried the way women on tv do
folding at the middle
like a five pound note.
i called the boy who use to love me
tried to ‘okay’ my voice
i said hello
he said warsan, what’s wrong, what’s happened?

i’ve been praying,
and these are what my prayers look like;
dear god
i come from two countries
one is thirsty
the other is on fire
both need water.

later that night
i held an atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered,
"where does it hurt?"
it answered,

"everywhere"
"everywhere"
"everywhere"

warsan shire