Cuppa Connections
Cuppa Connections
Exploring the Beauty of Diversity and Community in Aruba
Are you ready to embark on a journey to sun-drenched Aruba? Today, we pull up a chair for an intimate conversation with Anna Lombardi, a Venezuelan-born businesswoman who's made Aruba her home and created a vibrant lifestyle infused with her multicultural identity. With a deep love for tourism and a zest for life, Anna has established a quaint family-run restaurant and beach apartments that are a reflection of her family's diverse backgrounds. Immerse yourself in her stories, from her move from Venezuela to the charm of Aruba, and unravel the richness of her balanced life that seamlessly blends work, family, and personal joy.
Take a glimpse into the unique world of Savaneta, a delightful Aruban community that Anna cherishes. With a compelling blend of locals and tourists, Savaneta is brimming with activities from snorkeling to kayaking, promises to satisfy the adventure-seeker in you. Get a taste of the local culture through Anna's lens - a culture that radiates friendliness and warmth. Our conversation with Anna is not just about her life in Aruba or her ventures, it's a reminder of the beauty of diversity, the strength of community, and the profound joy of savoring life's simple pleasures. Prepare to be inspired by Anna Lombardi's captivating story that embodies the spirit of Aruba, the 'one happy island'.
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Hey guys, welcome to Couple Connections. I'm Portia and we're here coming to you from our virtual cafe Better with a Couple Coffee. We are savoring relationships with coffee lovers around the world and sharing their experiences that have been better with a Couple Coffee. I wanted to show you a second part of episode 9 in episode 10. This episode is about a lovely woman and her family, anna Lombardi. She is in Aruba and she's here to talk to you about Anate, her beach apartments, her restaurant, the community of Savanetta and Aruba. So welcome, anna, thank you again.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for that, because it's nice to talk with friends. You are also very special for us. Oh, thank you. And this is exactly what we love being here and working here, right? You know wonderful people. They are also sensitive about what we are, you know, and what we like, and it's been nice to see you again. It's really nice.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Well, I have to tell you guys, something just happened. Anna and I were just chatting away, thinking that I was recording everything, and sure enough, I was not recording anything. So what Anna was telling me is that she and her family have only been in Aruba for seven years. I thought she was there for longer because she and her family, they are originally, I guess, from Venezuela. But, anna, you were saying that you're part Italian. Juan Carlos was born in Colombia. Your mother, your father have various backgrounds. All of that combined, you just feel like you're worldly. You're 100% Venezuelan, as you said, but I think identity is important.
Speaker 2:I mean, I feel like understanding your origin, your roots. It's very important because it gives you identity, it gives you who you are, but at the end of the story it should not be a limitation or it should not define you. I mean, it's just a gift that you will use to communicate and to have stories to share, but at the end, I mean, I don't feel that I'm different than you.
Speaker 1:I know that's exactly how I felt when I first met you. When you sat down that first dinner and you were just talking to us about your family, about everything. Really, I just felt like I knew you forever, but we were no different.
Speaker 2:I was talking with my daughter this morning because she was she was sharing about difference and groups at school and I say I mean it's much easier if you try to focus in what we have in common and not in what we are different, it will be much easier. Everything we have, less troubles. I agree with that.
Speaker 1:So tell us what idea in your head made you and your husband, since you said you weren't thinking you were going to be in Aruba for more than a couple of years. Then, all of a sudden, here we go seven years, yes we are definitely staying longer now.
Speaker 2:My husband said that he will stay here forever. That's what he's saying and I mean I will respect that and I will be with him. I will stay too Well.
Speaker 1:looking at Aruba, it's not called one happy island for no reason. Yeah, it's not really a sacrifice being here. How did it come about that you created a restaurant? You turned your living room into a restaurant, right, well?
Speaker 2:honestly, juan Carlos and I, we have been working with tourism all our life. I mean, I start working when I was 19 and I'm 47, almost 48, so I have almost 30 years of experience working in tourism. No wonder, and I love it. I love it. It's really my passion. But of course I did different works in airlines and in other hotels. But at the end of the story, all the experience we put together with the site, we want to have something really small, you know, and the Airbnb option was perfect for us and having this little restaurant that was maybe an accident because it was not in our plans it's perfect and we don't want to grew more than this because this is the only way we can manage it like it is like part of our daily life and we can make new friends. And we only have 12 places at the restaurant, you know that, so we can have a dinner with them, with you, and talk with all the group that is with us.
Speaker 2:Right If we get 100. It won't be like that.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:We would never have the opportunity to talk to you. So the way we are managing this is the way we like it's not only like a product, it's real. This is our life and you are in our home and this is how we want to keep it and this is how we like it. I mean, at this moment I don't want to do anything if I don't enjoy it.
Speaker 1:I get it. We're at that age, you know I'm about to turn 52. I'm at that age where life is too short and you do want to just enjoy it now. Yes, everything that you do.
Speaker 2:I like to work, I work hard, I work from early morning till evening, yes, but I want to have the possibility to stop and talk to you, like today, and then, if I, if we want to go to the beach we are going once a week on Sunday we decide not to work because we need time for us and the family. So it's like we need to make that balance. You know, if it doesn't make sense, as you said, maybe it's this age. You know, when I was 25, I was in a completely different rhythm and it's okay, it was the moment for that. But at this point, this is the rhythm I won and I am enjoying it and it's going good.
Speaker 1:Oh, it is so okay, you have the restaurant. It is so intimate, quaint. Then you have speaking about the Airbnb. Is pronounced Anate?
Speaker 2:Yes, Anate is the Spanish way to say the name Ana and the letter T. The reason because if that's the name is because my mom's name is Ana Teresa, I am Ana Maria and my daughter and my sister is Ana Carolina. So my father always have to create names to make it easier and Ana Teresa was too long, ana Maria was too long or Ana Carolina was too long, so the easier way was Ana M or Ana M and a C and a C for my daughter and my sister and for my mom On a tape for your mom. Yes, that's a reason.
Speaker 2:Oh it's like Anna and the letter T and a P. Yeah, we have those two apartments. We are planning to build two more. They're really the end of the project. It's four apartments and the little restaurant.
Speaker 1:Well, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Ok, so let me set this up for people. I know you can, but I just have to give them a visual for my experience. Ok, so, guys, when I walked into the restaurant, there's a restaurant in the house to the right and then there's a little gate where you can open it and you walk down a pathway and it's so beautiful because, juan Carlos, he has this artwork to the left and it's all colorful. And you're just walking down this pathway and then, all of a sudden, there is a pool in the back. It's very intimate. That's where there are two apartments. They're lofts. You have downstairs where there's a kitchen, and then you have upstairs. That's where you sleep. So where would the other two go? Right beside there.
Speaker 2:No, we will move a little bit what the restaurant is right now. We will make the two apartments and the restaurant will be a little bit where our house is right now. And, yeah, we will make that maybe the restaurant and a little bit more professional, maybe the kitchen. We will make it a little bit more. You know a better kitchen and you know a very installation. This is more or less the idea, but it will be always a little restaurant and we will keep for sure the workshop of Juan Carlos. Juan Carlos needs to have the play for the art and all you know the mess he does all the time.
Speaker 1:Well, I had the privilege of visiting Juan Carlos's second home, I guess you could say. And he's an artist, he takes that very seriously. He does some beautiful work. There's a lot of wood carvings, correct, and he turns it into pieces of art small, large, it doesn't matter. From what I remember him saying that he had a very, very large piece of art that went for what? Yes, several thousand dollars. It's incredible.
Speaker 2:No, I mean he's doing good, but I think it's also the same point because he loves to do it. I mean he loves to do what he's doing with the wood. He's passionate of wood and work with wood and painted, and then they are applying colors. I mean, he is not a really good one with routines, so the idea of this kind of pieces that he's creating is perfect for him because each one is completely different. You know the shape and then the colors, the size. It's customized for each person, so it's never the same for him. It's always creating something new, something new. So it's good for him. And yes, he makes big pieces or small pieces, but honestly, not because he's my husband, but he put the same love for a little one or a big one, you know, and he's doing good, but he's happy now painting a piece to go to Washington DC. We have a few in Colorado and they have been all like you, you know guests. That becomes friends and then they want to have the piece at home.
Speaker 1:Yes, this is why I wanted to share you with our guests, because of what you provide for us, and I can only imagine that you provide for the community as well, because I just have to say that we, as guests, we're so lucky.
Speaker 1:You're in Sabaneta, but the smaller community within Sabaneta, and it's just a small piece of beach area or ocean area, that stretch that's right in front of your apartments, but there's a road and you have another set of apartments and it's quite original because the majority of the island, especially where tourists are, you don't have that cliff, it's just another scenery where you have this cliff and you see this beautiful sea of green and blues and especially when the sun rises and the sun sets. We as guests are privileged for that little area. But then you have the best of both worlds. You have the apartments that are in front, to the left, you have Maurice set of apartments and then you have your apartments in the back, in the second street, but, as I mentioned, your apartments in your restaurant. That's the glue, because you don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to. You have the entertainment there, you have food there.
Speaker 2:You have the food right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it depends what you're looking for, but definitely people that comes to this area of Aruba is really. It's sensitive, you know. It has the sense of being quiet and more local and more human contact. If not, you will paint another concept. Aruba has a lot to offer and also the other side of Aruba is different. It's completely different. But just being here is so nice and then when you meet people here in the same table and you feel that others are in the same mood of you, it's so nice.
Speaker 2:I had people that at the beginning you said you're going to share a table and they said, oh, okay, you know, very apprehensive, yeah, a little bit timid, but after half an hour you see they're sharing plates, you know, like just a couple. I said, okay, you know, not too long ago I had a group also. They were all completely different couples and they were not leaving and not leaving and it was almost midnight and I was sleepy, you know. But I said, okay, they're having fun, and at the end one of them said, oh, thank you so much. Now it becomes like best friends forever and we have been together all life and we just met and so this is exactly what we should be always. I mean, we should just be making things easier. Why we have to be so different? If we have the opportunity to talk with any human being for a few minutes, we will find things in common, absolutely. We just need to have the opportunity. Leave ourselves the opportunity to prove that.
Speaker 1:That's what your restaurant does. But let me ask you this when you were creating this, did you have any idea what your restaurant does for guests and the community as a whole? Did you have a clue of what experiences that you could offer people?
Speaker 2:Yes, I think so. I think we could have an idea, because it was when we were looking for ourselves too. But then there is an addition of things that just happened, you know, like, for example, with the sign we don't want to have social media because it's so small and it's personal, it's just for the neighborhood. That's a concept, you know, it was just a decision. Maybe because we are lazy, we don't know how to do it. It's complicated. This is not our part. We decided, okay, let's wait, do not do anything. And one day I'd receive a call and people said do you have a place for tonight? Yes, of course, can you send me the location? I said, but why do you need the location? Are you in the neighborhood? No, we are not in the neighborhood.
Speaker 2:I said how did you get my number? Oh, because it's in Google Maps. I said but how is it in Google Maps? So it was a guest like you that create the profile in Google Maps. And then we have to learn how to request Google Maps. You know we are the owners. Please let us administrate the page. We have to learn about it. I mean, we never planned that to happen, and now we are not only receiving from the neighborhood because it's in Google Maps. We don't have a menu, but it's not necessary because people just show the pictures and then people call and say I want the picture that I saw that it was this that was getting we need. We did not plan that bar, that just happened. It's part of the dynamic.
Speaker 1:Yeah, speaking of that menu, that is true, guys, they didn't have a menu. I remember when I went in there I made a reservation for dinner on. I said what do you want, what would you like to have? And I mentioned that we wanted something light. You gave us a few examples. Oh gosh, it was a aioli sauce with the Venezuelan chips. Oh yes, we had that. And then we had some stuff, sweet peppers with quinoa and mushrooms, and then we had, we had a salad with that, a simple salad then we had, was it mahi mahi?
Speaker 2:We like to cook mahi mahi, we love to cook barracuda and we also rest snapper. It was delicious. Well, now you have to come back and we have to talk to you. When are you coming back?
Speaker 1:Well, we wanted to come back for New Year's Eve, but I doubt if we're going to do that, it'll be next year sometime, not quite sure. But this time we want to stay at your place because, oh my gosh, thank you so much.
Speaker 1:We will love to come here, we will make sure you have a great experience. See, guys, this is what I'm talking about. This is exactly the experience that you want to have wherever you go. But if you were looking for some place quieter in that side of Aruba, this is exactly what I was talking about in the previous episodes. So tell us about the community of Savaneta.
Speaker 2:This neighborhood, olmanglealto, the beach, it's very particular. I mean, it's different. It's a very nice mix of locals and tourists. Not thinking about locals, it's what we're thinking about the visitors, right, but here in this neighborhood, these visitors and guests are like together, as you said. You know, maria Luisa comes and eat with us, she brings the guests and we go and stay at the beach. It's really like, let's say, maybe like a huge hotel, but just a split in different urban views or houses. So everybody's like with everybody. You know, you walk on the street and you start talking with the guests that is in the house next to you. So I won't say that it's for locals, but this neighborhood is very particular. Locals and tourists, we are like all together.
Speaker 2:You know, aruba is also a very particular place because locals are very open and friendly and there is an important community, people like me that we are living here, working here, making a life here, but we are not from here, right, you know, and it's very common to you know these people from back in my neighborhood there is people from Holland, people from Costa Rica, people from Argentina or from Miami, arubians, of course, from Canada, and they are all in the same block. It's so diverse. This is diverse not only about the tourists that are coming, but also people that live here is so a very diverse population. So thinking that Aruba is a very small country with only 150,000 people maybe, and it's so diverse, it's a very interesting place. It is.
Speaker 1:I love the quieter neighborhoods Savaneta, San Nicolas. But, if people wanted to venture out a little bit. Would you recommend something for people to do while they're staying with you?
Speaker 2:Well, this place is famous for the snorkeling, you know, because it's very quiet, because you can really relax, it's not a lot of traffic.
Speaker 2:I mean you can do snorkeling, dive, kayaking, but I mean it's less active than other places in the island like restaurants or places to dance or drink. It's less honestly, but Aruba is so small that you just can stay here and one day you want to just do a lot of activity and action and think you go out 10 minutes drive, 15 minutes drive and you will be in a completely different experience. And this is part of the charm of Aruba Everything is really close, right? I mean you can do one extreme of the island to the other extreme of the island in less than one hour. So if you can drive the whole country in less than one hour, I think the decision is if you stay here in this area, you will be more quiet, relaxed, less drastic, but it doesn't mean that you will spend the whole vacation in this area necessary, right right, rajenstad is the capital, and that's no more than say 20, 30 minutes up the one.
Speaker 1:Oh, less, less, 15, yes, less. And it's where you have all of the hotels, the casino.
Speaker 2:No well, the hotel of the casino is not in the capital, it's at least in Palm Beach or Eagle Beach. Right there is 20 minutes, 25 minutes.
Speaker 1:Gotcha, if you wanted to go out, you could scoot up there, do some parasailing, do some other snorkeling, things like that. But that's the beauty of the whole island. You can easily go to the other side of the island where the rough seas are, and you can go ATVing and you can go horseback riding over there. But when you want to come back down to your quiet place and you don't hear the nightlife, that's where your area is perfect, for I mean when you can just walk on the beach, you know, after the sunset, and it's nice because this beach it's very visited during the day.
Speaker 2:So when you wake up in the morning and you go walk into the beach, you will see kayaking people doing snorkeling, car sparking the ATV, but then at the end of the day, after the sunset, everything is so quiet, no one else, because everybody went back to the hotels or whatever, and it's like this is my beach, this is my place.
Speaker 1:You know, yeah, yeah, I'll never forget when I first went to Aruba and stated an Airbnb Klaus and Vonda, I have to introduce you to them. They're just lovely people too. They live in Savanetta and they have an Airbnb as well and they were explaining to me that the locals, they tend to come and experience the beaches on the weekend, then the tourists have it on the weekdays, but and that's what I noticed when I was there so that street, that street is packed for a certain amount of time on the weekend, saturday and Sunday it is packed.
Speaker 2:Party people doing barbecue. But it's also nice because it's such a local ambience. I mean it's just locals doing their dinner, but then also after the sunset you see people. They leave.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's very, very quiet. Oh yes, this is so special. I can't thank you enough for talking about what you and Juan Carlos have created. When I've come there, I've learned some a few words Papi, amido, and you guys have taught myself and Kate Dushi, dushi, dushi, that's like sweetie.
Speaker 2:Uh-huh. Well, dushi can mean yeah, dushi can mean so. So a lot of things, sweet darling pretty.
Speaker 1:But you know what? It's never grotesque. The guy says that to you, like my friend, renato love saying dushi, because it was just a terms of endearing. Yeah, it's like saying honey, it's something sweet, yeah, it's very friendly. And that's what I want people to also understand, especially women. You know, when we travel, I want women to understand that it's such a safe island. People are very, very respectful of you, your space, and they're very warm and inviting. I want people to get a better understanding of that because Aruba, as wonderful as it is, has had some press back a few years ago that it was not very nice. When I went there for the first time, I was in neighborhoods, in Airbnbs. I felt the safest that I've ever felt when traveling. Oh, that's good, that's good.
Speaker 2:Me too. I'm from here and I feel safe here.
Speaker 1:I'm glad you said that it's just down to earth people. That's the energy and experience that I think more tourists should experience in Aruba. It's that easy laid back field, great community, great experiences, very safe for us. I agree with you. Well, my friend, I know that is such a pleasure, it has been such a wonderful pleasure, looking forward to see you again.
Speaker 2:I will prepare a nice welcome drink, some of the food and we will go on a incredible dinner. Thank you, as soon as possible.
Speaker 1:Okay, give one, carlos, my love. Tell Maria, say hello, I will, I will. I will Thank you, it's a pleasure.
Speaker 2:I'm very happy to be alive and please come back soon. I will Looking forward, okay, ciao, ciao, ciao, my dear bye-bye, bye.
Speaker 1:I'm Portia White and I hope you've enjoyed today's conversation. I'd like to give a special thanks to our sponsor, betterwithacouplecoffeecom. If you like what you heard, please rate and review our podcast and join us again soon at Couple Connections.