#3 Dance tango

It had been many moons since I had danced. I realized exactly how long and thought: I cannot continue without dancing.


So, I went to a milonga in Aventura. It was a bit of the viejito lonely hearts club, but fun.

I was nervous I'd trip on my feet and stumble on the giros. Luckily, dancing tango is like riding a bike. You just hop back on.

Dancing brings so many emotions - joy, sadness, peace. And many memories of Buenos Aires, friends far away, tango buddies. In my head, I hear the voices of my last teachers -- Valencia y Dina y Luciana en Villa Malcolm.


I feel like I'm back in Buenos Aires. But the song ends, and I'm here in South Florida and want to be there.


Years ago, Enrique Santos Discepolo said tango is a sad feeling that is danced. Maybe instead of sad feeling: nostalgia, danced.

#6 Walk in Coral Gables

I love walks. They are so relaxing, even when it's hot and steamy.


I have three favorite walks in Coral Gables.


One: walking around the youth center, where almost always there's a pick-up basketball, softball practice, or soccer game going on. It's also the lazy, short walk.

And the trees along the street are amazing: huge and prehistoric.

Two: The walk to the Biltmore, the historic, elegant hotel that's millions overdue in rent.

I get to stroll through the lushly green neighborhood.

And there are always lizards scurrying from my path.

And finally, three: the extra long walk around the Coral Gables golf course.

Can you see the steam?

#50 Eat at Versailles & #55 Eat ropa vieja

Versailles is an institution on Calle Ocho - even if it feels kitschy and over the top with all the etched mirrors that line the walls.

Recent example: Gloria Estefan was here when she led the solidarity march in Miami for Las Damas de Blanco a few months ago. So I had to take my friend F. there on her recent visit.


And the food is good. I had the ropa vieja - another Cuban classic of shredded meat - with rice and beans and plantains. It was so tender.

There are a lot of stories of how ropa vieja - meaning old clothes - got its name. One reason is that the meat is so tender it can be shredded into a pile of rags.


A more romantic one: A very poor man has nothing to feed his family. So he grabs his old clothes, cooks them with his love and it becomes delicious meat stew. I like that one better.

# 76 Have a cortado

I love café cortado, or cortadito. It's the perfect combination of espresso with a bit of milk to cut the coffee. My friend F. says it's the Argentina in me. And there's a machine in my office. 

So I can have one for 75 cents every day.

I don't mind the paper cup. Again, a very easy one to cross off the list - again and again.