Willemstad, Curaçao

We spent a very windy morning in the Retreat with a 2 pm arrival time into Willemstad, Curaçao.... Due to the high winds our arrival was delayed by an hour. We were meeting our good friends Aart and Ellen at the pier… Our friend, Ron Sellars, also joined us for the visit with Aart & Ellen. I walked to their house, as I normally do, and met the group at their condo.  I wanted to get some walking in as well as photos along the way around Willemstad. Since my last walk to Aart’s, there is a lot of new construction and renovations. Restaurants and buildings are being revitalized. They have been busy during the pandemic.  It is always a pleasure to visit Willemstad, an example of a well-preserved Dutch colonial trading settlement. We spent a great afternoon visiting with Aart and Ellen who always welcome us into their beautiful home. Aart drove us back to the ship… We looked around the Rif Fort and were able to get some night shots of Willemstad’s Punda area and the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge. Curaçao is a beautiful island, and we will miss our visits here …wishing both Aart and Ellen good health!  They join the Rotterdam on the day we go home to take the Transatlantic.