Shopping Day, and Back to the Beach to Play

This morning we visited the island's most compelling indie boutiques in Seminyak and Ubud. We were intrigued by all of the locally designed caftans and swimsuits, the vibrant ikat sarongs, and one-of-a-kind art, jewelry and handmade accessories. We each picked up some delicate handmade lace tops and dresses at Uluwatu. We enjoyed Magali Pascal for its sophisticated resort-chic clothing. We did more looking than buying in Jeng-gala, famous for their handcrafted ceramics and teak trays. We stopped by Hardy's Sanur, the island's version of a department store, to pick up souvenirs to bring back for friends and family, including sarongs, silver jewelry and woven bags. We ended our shopping trip at The Pantry. We picked up a few baguettes, specialty cheeses and wine to enjoy later back at our villa. And we did. That was our lunch today. Yum!

Here in Bali it is essential that you be able to go from the beach to a restaurant or shop with minimal effort. Our go-to look here, then, is a sun hat, sandals, and an easy dress or tunic that can be thrown over a swimsuit. I've posted a picture of my favorite buys of today. Too bad they will be so out of place when I go home, but this is what I plan to wear to dinner tonight.

We debated whether to take a swim in our pool this afternoon or to head back to Finn's Beach Club. The latter won out. While Bali is famous for its radical surf breaks (especially in Elewatu), we swam and snorkeled in the calmer, reef-filled waters at Finn's yesterday and loved it, so that seemed the perfect place to go this afternoon as well. This is in the town of Ungasan, which has all the trappings of a beachside spot on Mykonos--bar service, chaise lounges, music--without the over-the-top vibe and insane crowds. The open-air funicular you take to get down to the beach is particularly cool.

Now we're starting to think about dinner. Last night we had a fantastic time at La Lucciola, on the beach in Seminyak. It is a favorite see-and-be-seen spot. The sunset was electric, and the Italian food was spectacular. We both ordered the linguine with sun-dried tomatoes, basil and garlic. Their fresh-baked bread was a real treat in this land of rice.

Tonight we will try Café Marzano in Ubud, although we hear it is very hard to find. We have been told their thin-crust pizza is the best, and there are serene views of rice fields. Serene appeals to us.

Life is good in Bali.