Monday, June 6, 2011

Vintage Swim: Balconies of Old San Juan

During the few opportunities I've had to sign in on Twitter, you asked where was I. Summer stay-cation! It was definitely tough to stay away from the blog-o-sphere. Then again, on the island where I spent most of my time, there was only one cafe in town that had wifi, so I guess I wouldn't have had have much of a choice. Let me tell you, I missed you guys and I'm happy to be back.

I would say that it were by accident that I ended up in Old San Juan but nothing happens by accident, right? A big mishap when traveling from Isla de Vieques back home, lead to an extended stay in Old San Juan Puerto Rico...then I fell in love.
 photography  by so does estella

The colonial architecture of Old San Juan blew me away. And since you can't really call anything that is colonial, vintage, we're going with Antique on this post title. On the trip I met amazing people, I realized that my Spanish verb conjugations need some serious brushing up and I imagined having a cup of coffee with fresh bread on a village balcony every morning during New York's guaranteed-to-be-brutal-again Winter. It might happen.




You know where I'm going with this...if you had to choose just one, which would you go with? As I pose the question, I'm trying to guess which one's I think you all will pick based on what I know of your personalities. :) For me, it's a toss up between #1 and #2. You know the girl has a weakness for  the teal! (Oh and for a bonus #1 has a view of Castillo de San Cristóbal, the Spanish Fort.)


20 comments:

Jack said...

I think #4 looks like it could be a nice place to spend a winter.

Eva @ Four Leaf Clover said...

Wow, what a nice place! Do you mean what's my favorite photo? I can't really choose! I love love love 2-5 the most.. hah! Quite a lot. There's just something about colored buildings and old balconies that I absolutely love. Why can't all buildings have their own special and beautiful touch?

And Kathleen said...

Gorgeous! I'm thinking #4 is a place I could daydream about calling home.

I'm glad you're back! xx!
Kathleen

Sana said...

@jack i can see that. #4, likely pick for a DC boy!

@eva 2-5 haha. i actually like #5 too. It's got a beautiful quality, even with the rust. My in-laws recently converted stables into a game room. The roof is perfectly rusted, you would love it. But there is talk of paint, oh no!

@kathleen i wouldn't have thought! :) you and florida came to mind today. Lots of J& K to catch up on. See you soon!

Eva @ Four Leaf Clover said...

Okay, hah.. I'd probably wash off as much rust as possible. I like old, but clean. I love the photo, though! ;)

Maddy said...

What an incredible staycation! Are you Puerto Rican by any chance? I'm Dominican, but I've never been to Old San Juan or Puerto Rico for that matter. Definitely want to visit someday...i hear it's beautiful! #3 calls my attention. The view form the top balcony must be real sweet. Also, #6 is intriguing. Not as much sunlight as some of the others, but I bet the mystique of living in a hidden alley makes up for it :)

Bruce Barone said...

Love the colors!!!!

Sana said...

@eva hahaha. i can't contain my laughter. i guess it's just me who has a thing for rust. :)

@maddy i didn't know that you were dominican. i've had so much fun in dr. always great experiences there. i'm actually not puerto rican but even here in new york people walk up to me and start speaking spanish :) the yellow in #3 reminds me of cape may. i've seen a lot of the subtle yellow there.

@bruce thanks, after seeing your garden i knew you'd like it!

wishful nals said...

so gorgeous. love the colors!

Sandy a la Mode said...

these pics are soo beautiful! love all the color!

Sherry Fauscett said...

I love the architecture! We are looking for an old Colonial home in Merida Mexico. It is our new adventure. I love your products on your website too! I look forward to following you.

Sana said...

@nals thank you for finding me! i followed you back and saw your piece on making pate in france. loved it!

@sandy oh, thanks! it's easy to get decent photos when the subject is this awesome. ;)

@sherry isn't the architecture something? as is the architecture of your b&b on isla mujures mexico. i was pleasantly surprised by the balinese infulence. maybe it's from the 17th century? i don't know much about merida but i'm off to do some research! thank you!

Sherry Fauscett said...

The Balinese influence of Magi Azul comes from my years of scouring Indonesia for treasures for a retail gallery we owned several years ago. We imported from Indonesia, India, Brazil and Mexico.

Some Korean Website Highjacker said...

gosh Sana, i can see why you fell in love. the architecture, color palette and cobblestone streets appeal to me in every way! i'd call this a serendipitous happenstance, i'd want to extend it till forever. so beautiful and looks completely serene.

as much as i adore the teal and what the potential view would be i really am diggin' the paned glass in no.4 plus it's marble/stone? balcony leads me to a magical place in my mind. mmm, hmmm, like it a ton. thanks for sharing the goodness lades. ♥

Erin @ Slipcover Your Life said...

I was just there in April! How freakin awesome is Old San Juan?!? I loved going in and taking a siesta every afternoon with a mojito!

Anonymous said...

OMG, what a beautiful place! I love the colonial vibe, so pretty!


Camila F.

Jo said...

These photos are gorgeous!!
What a tough decision....hmmm...I think the fact that #1 has the view of Castillo de San Cristobal might just win it for me. It's all about the view!

Anonymous said...

@erin hey you! siesta=the good life ;)

@camila welcome! Isn't the colonial vibe with a punch of color great?! thanks for joing us

@jo thank you my friend. And it's such a lovely view! I've had my share of city views (aka the wall of the building next door) so I can definitely appreciate it!

Vintage is for Lovers said...

How incredibly beautiful!!!! I love #1, as well. But the architecture is amazing and the balconies are like the icing on the cake! {still can't get over that donut icing} xo Samantha

Margarita Bloom said...

I love these photos and the colors and architecture are just amazing!! My favs would be #1, #3 or #4!