Murrrrddaaaa! She Wrote!

Well, Saturday is here and another lazy couple of days have passed - although we did manage to get to Oistins for the fish fry last night.

As the locals might say - 'Murrrrdddaaaa!'.

Loud sounds, dodgy dancing but great grilled fish. Haven't been for years. I know the party goes on late into the night but we left early (lazing all day takes its toll). Still, it was fun, and it's really cheap - BDS$10 for 3 beers is about £1 each. Fish platter with 5 sides for BDS$30. No wonder people dance!

So, today we went to the local farmers' market to have a mosey - which turned into a wine-tasting session (I bought a small bottle of dunks-flavour wine). Dunks are a sort of cherry-shaped fruit, but yellow. I've never tried one, but can tell you they make decent wine.
Since the market is held outside Art Splash, we ventured inside for a take-out coffee - they serve really great coffee, smoothies, wraps, fruit etc. so I highly recommend a trip any day. The market is on Saturdays and Wednesdays and it's a place to get bread, fruit and veggies, plus locally-made jewellery, soap and a whole lot of other goodies.

We had an appointment at the sea today so tried Dover Beach. It was a great beach but today only part of it was safe for swimming, so we went down to that part.
I can recommend 'Johnny Cools' for their beach bed hire (ask for Ken, who is also wifi guru and life coach) and food ....and the happy hour between 12 and 1pm, when their decent rum punches are 2 for BDS$15. So, 5 rum punches later, I find the day so much more relaxing than it was!

I might have to take things easier this evening because we are dining at lovely 'Champers' and I need to be well-behaved there. So - a small siesta may be required.

More later,
BKB xxx

Slow, Slow, Quick Quick, Slow!

Ok, so we had a very lazy day down on the beach yesterday, the highlight of which was the rum punch and roti lunch, the dips in the sea and the peace and quiet when the cruise people dashed off to get back on board. They arrive with matching towels and spend very little money (rarely get sun beds or food) - which is a shame because the local economy needs to keep the small businesses going.

Another highlight was Colin - my new friend.

Colin

He worked so hard on his little house, under one of our sun beds. Isn't he amazing? Carrying the sand on one claw and pushing it away....I literally watched him all day.

Had a great dinner at Shakers....complete with 4, yes 4, different cocktails. Lovely evening, good food and good service. Bajan B was commended for ordering a manly drink (rum sour, if you're interested).

So, today Bajan B needed to see some of the island and we headed up the West Coast (which would be described as going down the island, even though it's north!). Some beautiful views of the sea, lots of building work and lots of English people. Called into Speightstown for a cuppa and everyone in the cafe was English. Some loud, some posh, and all ordering variations on an English breakfast! We had a little walk round and carried on north to North Point.

Wow, this has changed so much since I last saw it. Big restaurant and a lovely place for lunch. I had mahi mahi (again - what can I say, addicted!) with a veg risotto.

We then ended up giving a local school dinner lady a lift back to Speightstown - who spent some of the journey telling us not to give people lifts (having complained that 2 cars or tourists had refused to even speak to her). So, we at least felt we'd done a good deed. We treated ourselves to a lemonade at the little cafe at Earthworks and the cooling breeze was very welcome - today was a very hot day.

So - a lazy night with beer and a takeaway is the order of the day....it's a holiday and we can slob out if we like!

More whenever!

BKB xxx

On the Other Side of Lucid

Pleased to report that the breakfast at Bistro Monet was great. I tried a piece of their fried chicken and it was delicious. Colonel Saunders really needs to up his game!

Supermarket and bank chores done, it was time to hit the beach and become lazy bums - which I'm proud to say we did perfectly. I confess I had a sleep on the beach - fortunately it was very quiet today so I don't care if I snored!

The water was lovely, the sky overcast at times and then lovely - perfect for the first day (although I do have red bits!).

It has been so quiet on the beach that nobody has tried to sell us anything - no Rastas bearing a briefcase full of jewellery, no boat trips or jet skis. I did miss it a bit, but it's only day one so it might change.

Rush Hour on Carlisle Bay

Back from the beach and met up with a UK friend who flew in today - to be known as BimJ. So Bajan B, BimJ and I had a great Bajan dinner at Just Grillin'. My first taste of dolphin of the holiday and I so love it.

We noticed a new place in Christchurch today; a building painted dark blue and a sign simply saying 'Lucid'. I had to check with a local to find out what sort of place it was. It looks like a 'gentlemens' club' . I mean, I have driven past Spearmint Rhino in Birmingham a few times - which is the limit of my experience of such places.

The local lady laughed a lot! Apparently it's a slots place with a party room (!) but only open weekends. Sounds rather dodgy. Bajan B then pointed out that , if we were giving directions to where we are, we could say we were on the other side of Lucid. I love it! Sums me up and will very likely be the title of my autobiography, should I write one.

So, I am now the other side of 2 large G&Ts and a great rum punch, and still the other side of lucid - sounds like a good place to be!
Watching a film then bed - see you tomorrow.

BKB xxx

Early Morning - with Rain!

Well - I'm here on the island at last and finally relaxing.

In my head I'm relaxed as soon as I arrive but, as usual, it will take a few days for the body to catch up (or slow down?...whatever!). I find myself awake at 5am, lying in bed and listening to the Caribbean sea......and the rain!

When we arrived last night we were told it has been really hot and no rain for a few weeks - now it looks like I brought a piece of the North West of England with me. It actually makes the world feel refreshed, so there is a lovely cooling breeze on the balcony as I type.

The rain stopped and there is blue sky emerging, along with the morning sun - so no worries on that front. The usual collection of joggers and power walkers are out on the boardwalk already. I have to say that I have concerns about some of them and I am thinking to invent a handy defibrillator attachment for the FitBit and iPhone. Of course, it would have to have a loud voice programmed in to shout stuff like ,
"Charging to 360....stand clear....shocking'"
so that anyone coming across an out-of-condition foreigner in running gear, thrashing about on the boardwalk, will know to stand back.

I say it all in jest, but it wouldn't surprise me if someone somewhere wasn't already working on my idea.You have to be in awe of technology that lets a person (ie. me) logging on as easy as pie to the net and chatting to the World at large, whilst watching the waves on an island thousands of miles from home. Mind boggling!

Ok - need a second cup of peppermint tea and, since we skipped dinner last night, I am feeling peckish. I've heard that Bistro Monet are doing daily breakfasts for Bds$10 from 7.30 am - so that might be a plan.

Otherwise, bank, supermarket and chilling are the order of the day.
Off to put the kettle on,

BKBx

It's nearly that time again!

Another year older..... no wiser, no richer.....but about to head out to my beloved BIM for a couple of weeks of sunshine and rum. I would have said 'in equal measure' but then I would never be sober.

Or able to walk.

This year I will have a different travel pal - Bajan B - who has never been to the island,so we'll be exploring. Probably quite good for me because I can get a bit set in my ways. Anyway, sun bed and lolling about will still feature strongly.

I'm also going to be meeting up with a friend that I actually first met in Barbados, although she lives in the UK. Haven't seen her in a while so really looking forward to catching up. I've suggested a night eating out at Shakers Restaurant. I went last year and really enjoyed it. They had great, simple food, fab cocktails and some lovely wines. So, a great idea for a reunion, methinks!

I am now at the pre-holiday stage where I start making lists (that I tend not to read but serves the purpose of stopping things going round in my head). I'm also writing lists of what I have to do for work - and that list is longer than the time I have left before the trip, so that's a bit depressing. However I have come up with a solution.

I'm going to buy 3 tickets for the Lottery, so when I win I won't have to come back! Friends will have to be dispatched over to bring my two dogs to me, and I will need to find a house with lots of spare rooms for all my mates to come and stay. If it's a big enough win, my private jet will be ferrying everyone backwards and forwards. See - I'm daydreaming already and I haven't even packed!

Right - the blog is up and running, so that's something that doesn't need to go on a list!

Oooh - getting excited now!

Back soon,

BKB xxx

Bye Bye Bim!

I hate this...last full day on the beach, last evening sit on the balcony watching the sea, last chat up for BH from the mad policeman, last meal at Tapas (oh, frozen lime mohitos - yours are the best!).

The day was made a little more bearable by...
3 rum punches - from Lobster Alive - officially the best on the island and at least 40% proof. Wowzer!
2 mohitos (1 regular, because I messed up the order - oopsie! So we just had to order a proper one)
1 bottle of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc - always a fab choice.

Tomorrow we are taking another private boat trip, seeing the turtles and some of the other beaches....and today we actually packed. I live in hope of a knight in shining armour heading me off at the airport and whisking me away to his chattel house by the sea. However, having just checked in on-line and recieved my boarding card, I think I am doomed to in-flight meals and flight socks by tomorrow evening!

I am always sad at this time and never take for granted that I will return to this wonderful place. Yet I hope in my heart that I will will soon be planning trip 21. What is interesting is that BH, on her first trip, feels just the same and has the Barbados bug. I feel a bit guilty that I have passed this on to her - but I guess we are both glad to have seen this blessed isle and to know that it is here waiting for us to return. Bring on the grey skies of home if you must - my heart is turquoise waves and shell pink sand.

With love,
BKB xxxxx

Another 3 Days Go By!

Hi Folks - due to intermittent WI-fi, my blog now needs to catch up on at least the last 3 days - apologies. For those of you who thought I was lying in a Bajan gutter with a rum punch overdose, shame on you!

So - main event to report is that I FINALLY SWAM WITH THE TURTLES! It has only taken me 20 trips to the island to develop the courage!!!! I have a mortal fear - not of the water, not of the turtles, but of getting my ample arse back into the boat from the water! So, it took a fair bit of encouragement and a lot of hauling from the boat's captain, and from our beach buddy Terry, but I made it in and out of the water twice - once at the ship wreck and once with the turtles. So - if you are on the island, call into Lobster Alive, find Terry the guy who manages the sunbeds and tell him you want a trip on the boat named 'Bliss'.
Bliss comes equipped with Mae West buoyancy aids, snorkels, masks...and rum punch. So we looked the part and were suitably relaxed !
I have to say that the turtles were far prettier than us - amazing creatures. Very difficult to photograph in the bright sunshine, so the best snap I have is...

Well, we have charted the 'Bliss' for a couple of hours tomorrow to run up the coast, and we shall be taking our bottle of champagne on board too. Ah - celebrate life, folks!

We have seen some sea life right where we swim in the sea. There have been a couple of huge starfish come in close to the shore, and then yesterday, the smallest fish I have ever seen - black and yellow stripes. It kept doing laps round me and then wanted to be in my armpit! I feel like I found Nemo!

Needless to say, we have attracted male attention at the beach. It starts as we park the car and everyone runs to come and make suggestions about how we can park better. A particular favourite was the rasta who thought we were headstrong for refusing his advice and about a minute later, offered to massage my foot with his saliva! I told him it was gross and he should get a better line! Next time I'll ask him to stand behind the car when I reverse, so I know I parked ok when I hear him scream!
Bajan H has attracted non other than the local police man, who patrols the beach in his squad car. Even he now pulls up beside us and says, 'Hi, police harassment here'. At one point he said he'd given up on her, but he tells lies. It's funny how he drives in with the under cover cops in the car....subtle!
One local, who is an engineer on the cruise ships and currently on 2 and 1/2 month's leave, approached  us to say he thought we had a flat tyre. He stayed with us for the afternoon - lovely guy - and I'm afraid he chatted me up a bit. I loved the look on his face when I told him my age (20 years his senior) but most of all I loved that he carried on chatting me up afterwards! Oh Lord, this island kills me!
We decided the flat tyre was just a line to start talking to us, since the tyre looked ok, but the following day our valet parking adviser (rasta man again) declared it was flat - so we called the hire company. Imagine our surprise when we looked later and the car had disappeared! BH wondered if we should worry - I just thought, well, small island, we'll find it somewhere! Anywho - it was returned with extra air in the soft tyre, so we didn't have to fess up to losing an entire car.

I have to confess that I am a member of 'Rock Choir' in the UK and was very happy that the 5 ladies on the beach next to us were fellow Rockies from the Bromley area.....and most of them upper altos like me! Small world. They had met each other through RockChoir - so it just goes to show what a sociable activity Rock Choir is. I'm hoping to see them in Birmingham next month at the 'Big Sing'. Reminds me - must learn my parts!!!!

Places we have eaten this week......Tapas (love this place - especially the lime mohitos!). Just Grillin' at Hastings - grilled dolphin, the best!
A new place we tried was 'Shakers'. It's a little off the beaten track, on Browne's Gap - find Bubba's bar and go up the road along side Bubba's 'til you find 'Chicken Galore'. Take a left there and Shakers is just behind Chicken Galore on the right. Great grilled food (grilled shrimp for me, bbq ribs for BH). Cocktails, and a fine wine list, and brilliant service - I will be back!

Another place worth a look is the Hastings Farmers Market - Wednesday and Saturday morning, at Art Splash. Local crafts people and farmers (veggies look great). On Wednesday there was a french guy selling bread and biscuits ( he trained as a chef at La Gavroche, no less). We bought some lovely biscuits and took take away coffees from the cafe there (open from 7 every morning, except Sundays). How British - morning coffee on the beach!
We have using the local supermarket/pharmacy shop a fair bit - and we had a frenzied lip gloss and nail varnish buying trip yesterday. So - I currently have nails the colour of the ocean with added silver sparkles!

Today I was taken for lunch to a lovely restaurant 'The Lobster Pot' at Little Good Harbour. It is literally on the beach and so pretty - and the food is good too.

So - just sipping a G&T on the balcony before heading off for dinner.
Looking forward to tomorrow, 'til then, much love,
BKBxx