Douglas got us checked into the hotel at the Costa Rica Tennis Club where Grettel is a member and then we were off to Roberto and Grettel’s house to reconnoiter before going to dinner. Roberto has a music room that he was proud to show us, with a super-high-end stereo system and what seemed like every album ever recorded. He’s a fantastic guitar player, too and demonstrated a couple of his prized guitars.
Jack and I were delighted to be in someone’s home for the first time in nearly a year, to sit on a sofa, listen to music and share favorite artists and tunes. It was a throwback to times gone by for both Jack and me, when most of our friends either played music or were serious listeners, when every gathering centered around sharing new discoveries and comparing old favorites. Roberto is full of that same enthusiasm and for that reason we felt an immediate kinship.
We’re so happy to have met Roberto and Arturo, two brothers who couldn’t be more different, one an artist and poet, one a musician. We connect so completely with both because Jack and I have both the art and music genes. It’s a joy to meet new family and discover we not only share our family history but our aesthetic souls as well.