which are unknown to those of us living in nontropical environments . This foodie was introduced to the mamey , an orange-fleshed fruit that is technically a berry but resembles a small melon . Also of note was the moringa tree which is used in herbal medicine in addition to culinary uses . But the most interesting fact I learned was that banana plants only bear fruit once . Who knew ?
My last stop offered a quiet place to reflect on my journey . The Ancient Spanish Monastery originates to 1133 AD in Sacramenia , Spain . Fast forward to 1925 when newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst purchased the monastery and shipped it piece by piece in hay-lined wooden crates to
Brooklyn . In an odd series of events , an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease led the shipment to be quarantined . After the pieces were jumbled in an effort to burn the hay and a change to Hearst ’ s financial circumstances , the building lay in ruins in a warehouse until it was reassembled in North Miami Beach in 1964 .
Now this ancient monastery is once again home to a church named the Church of St . Bernard de Clairvaux , after the building ’ s original namesake . Visitors will find the cloisters serene and the gardens a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of Miami .
PHOTOGRAPHY : CHARITY BETH LONG
EASTERN HOME & TRAVEL 21