Virgin Gorda, May 2007

We are in the process of exploring the Caribbean, one island at a time. Since there are 7,000 islands, this might take a while. So far, we've done Mexico, St. John (U.S.Virgin Islands), St. Barts (French West Indies) and, most recently, Virgin Gorda (British Virgin Islands). On all our most recent trips we have done rental villas instead of hotels. We like the privacy and being able to shop locally and cook our own meals. We do go out to eat occasionally, but we do save a lot of money buying our own food. Plus it supports the local economy and we can rub elbows with the native people. We don't rush around to all the sights. We do one or two a day and come "home" and float in the pool or read.

Virgin Gorda is part of the British Virgin Islands. We flew into San Juan and took Air Sunshine (otherwise known as "Air Sometimes") to the island.



Our car rental and villa rental agents were waiting for us at the tiny airport and we were on our way to Open Deck, one of the Mahoe Bay Villas. We were driving on the "wrong" side of the road and the first time is always the most stressful, but Georg did great and we arrived at the villa in about 15 minutes. The rental agent showed us around and by 6:00 we were in the pool watching the sun go down.



Before the trip I had ordered a beginning supply of food to be delivered to the villa so that we wouldn't have to rush out for dinner, breakfast and lunch staples the first day. The villa had a huge gas grill and we barbequed steaks and baked potatoes for our first dinner on the island. We ate on the covered terrace next to the pool.

The next morning we had our first look at Mahoe Bay and the gorgeous white sand beach.





We wasted no time getting to the reason we came here in the first place: The Baths. They are an unusual geologic formation located on the southern end of the island which show evidence of the island's volcanic origins. Huge granite boulders lie in piles on the beach, forming scenic grottoes that are open to the sea. If you go early enough in the morning you have the entire place to yourself. Finding our way through the caves and grottoes in total silence was a spiritual experience as though the Lord himself had designed this monument to his awesome power.






One morning we drove out to Coppermine Point, where in the 1800's Cornish miners extracted ore and shipped it back to Wales. Rich veins of copper and other minerals are evident throughout the rocks on the point. This is a British National Park and it is against the law to take anything away from the site.





We began having problems with one of our cameras and decided we should take it to Tortola. There is a ferry that leaves from Spanish Town every few hours. Just as we arrived, the ferry had just left and we could see it in the distance. There were some guys on the dock, who, seeing us, ran toward the end of the dock shouting and waving their arms, to no avail. All we could do is head back to the car to try to kill a few hours and wait for the next one. No sooner had we loaded up the car and were ready to pull out, the guy from the dock came running up to our car saying we should hurry, the ferry was coming back for us. Where else in the world would that happen?!! As we boarded we did notice some not very happy looks from the other passengers.

Road Town on Tortola was filled with many shops that cater to tourists and Pussers, which is famous for it's rum.


Back at the villa, we noticed a profusion of fruit trees and decided to help ourselves to some fresh papaya for our breakfast the next morning. We found a long pole, probably placed there for that very purpose, and proceeded to knock down a couple of papaya from a very tall tree.

Virgin Gorda, like many of the Caribbean islands, is overrun with goats. They run in small herds alongside the road, balancing precariously on ledges with steep dropoffs. Other wildlife consisted mainly of lizards and gekkos and this very beautiful grasshopper, who planted him/herself permanently on our dining table outside.

One of our dining excusions took us to Little Dix Bay, founded by Lawrence Rockefeller and one of the most expensive resorts in the Caribbean. The setting was exquisite, but we wouldn't have traded it for our own little piece of paradise at Open Deck. Even though we weren't guests of the resort we were treated extremely well. We were seated at a front table with a view of the breathtaking bay ringed with perfect palms. Lunch was delicious. Really pricey, but delicious..

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Sunday came, a week had gone by so quickly: we had lost track of time and it was time to return to reality. Yet we were ready to go home and get back to work. When we got to the Northwest counter at the San Juan airport, on the spur of the moment, I asked if they needed anyone to volunteer their seats. Yes, they did need our seats. So, it looked like we were going to spend one more night on vacation. Northwest put us up at the San Juan Towers for the night and paid for our dinner. In exchange they gave us vouchers for a free flight anywhere in the U.S., Mexico or Caribbean. The next morning, back at the Delta counter (this time it was Delta, because Northwest had booked us on their flight into Detroit), the scene repeated itself. Unbelievably, they were overbooked again. Georg and I looked at each other and volunteered again. Once again, they took our seats and we found ourselves with a second set of vouchers for $400 each toward a future flight and lunch vouchers. We were starting to feel like Tom Hanks in "The Terminal." We decided to splurge on a day pass for the Delta lounge and made ourselves at home for the next five hours. The lounge had an internet connection, TV, comfortable couches and all the drinks and refreshments we wanted. When it came time for our next flight we offered our seats again, but this time they weren't needed and we were finally on our way home.

Now, with two free tickets in hand, the question is, where do we go next? We already have plans to go to Vieques, Puerto Rico with our close friends in August. I am considering St. Kitts, Grenada, Guadeloupe as possibilities. We are so blessed to have the opportunity to enjoy this beautiful world the Lord created. This photo is of the sunrise from our hotel window in San Juan.

It's January 15th! I want a beach, I want to feel the sand beneath my toes...
In a few months we will be in Virgin Gorda :
http://www.b-v-i.com/baths.htm

"The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach waiting for a gift from the sea." ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea, 1956

St. Barts: Looking back at our trip

We are home now and I still feel as though someone has me hooked up to a slow Valium drip. Back at the office I'm still on "island time". I wonder how long I can hang onto this. Permanently? Wouldn't that we nice.

Let's see, where did I leave off? Friday, we decided we should do some shopping in Gustavia to appease our friends back home, who probably hate us for being so lucky to be able to have such a wonderful vacation. Not finding any "My friends visited St. Barts and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" shops, we bought a ton of small bottles of Ligne St. Barts products and the famous vanilla rum. We did find the prices to be very high for everything, so we wouldn't be bringing back too much stuff. Dinner that evening was at the water's edge in Gustavia at Route des Boucaniers. We drank Caribes beer and had the Creole appetiser platter, while trying to get a glimpse into the mega-yacht in the harbor, Gallant Lady with our binoculars. It was the biggest yacht I have ever seen. Googled it and found out it is owned by Jim Moran, the first US Toyota importer. We saw only chefs and waitstaff milling around inside.

Saturday, our last day we decided to spend at St. Jean Beach. While we still looked semi-decent and unsweaty, we splurged on lunch at Eden Rock. I was delighted by the decor: all the tables were covered in red with red and yellow striped napkins. The brilliant turquoise of the ocean as a backdrop was breathtaking. The china was imaginative and enhanced the experience: perhaps lessening the blow of $120 for lunch, which included lobster salad (for me), pasta (for Georg), a drink for each of us and one dessert. Well, it's our last day (sigh). We left the car at Eden Rock valet parking and settled on the beach. It was a picture perfect day, as every day had been this week. There had been a few showers but they were very fast and furious and dried up as quickly as they came.

People watching and plane watching makes the time pass quickly and before we knew it, it was time to wrap it up and get back to the villa for dinner. We still had a lot in the fridge to finish up, and our meal consisted of a melange of cheeses, quiches, veggies, fruit and Nutella crepes, leaving only some juice, bread and eggs for breakfast. It took several hours to pack everything back into our suitcases and then we were able to relax and squeeze every last moment of enjoyment from the star-filled sky from the pool and hot tub. By now we were seriously discussing the possibility of returning next year.

In the morning, there was even time to swim again before we showered, dropped off our rental car, and got on the plane to St. Maarten. During the two hours we had before our flight to Atlanta, we took a cab to the Sunset Beach Bar on St. Maarten for Reggae music, drinks and a burger next to the airport. The flights were thankfully all on time and we made it to our door by 12:30am. We had come door-to-door in 15 hours. We certainly look as if we have been on vacation. Our dark brown tans, which looked de riguer on St. Barts, now looked ridiculously out of place back in Michigan where the temperature was still only 45 degrees.

We feel very grateful to have been able to make this journey. As always it has given Georg and I a chance to reconnect and enjoy each other and we intend to continue doing just that as long as we are able. Praise the Lord!

Only two days left to go! (St. Barts 2006) Part 3

Friday

Our vacation is winding down (we leave for home on Sunday). I don't feel sad because we have already enjoyed so much and feel so relaxed, that it feels much longer than the four days we have been here so far. We haven't tried to run ourselves ragged seeing and doing everything there is to see.

Today was a bit busier than our usual routine. We started out the day on St. Jean Beach, the busiest beach on the island. I didn't think I would like it, but I loved it! The water is crystal clear, a bright turquoise blue, with some motion but no crashing waves. We started out by having breakfast at the coolest beach bar ever, at the Tom Beach Hotel. It is all open to the beach with couches, pastel pillows and a bottle juggling Johnny Depp look-alike beach boy/bartender. The tiny St. Barts airport is adjacent to the beach and the planes fly soar right over your head. Every half hour or so we were treated to a plane taking off.

Our next destination is the harbor town of Gustavia. Gustavia is filled with upscale shopping and waterfront restaurants. We just happened to get here at the wrong time and almost all the shops were closed for midday siesta. It's a European custom, closing up between 1 and 3, and staying open until 7pm. Have I mentioned the driving? OH. MY. GOSH. Thank God for Georg, because there's no way I would drive here. There are hairpin turns that go straight up and many roads don't have enough room for two cars to pass one another. Yet people drive very fast and mopeds pass you every chance they get. We are lucky we have gotten no rain, so at least we don't have to worry about the roads being slippery to boot.

Our drive took us to Corrosol a village where the women were reputed to still wear old fashioned costumes and made crafts out of drive palm leaves. Perhaps because it was off season, but we didn't see much and didn't stay there long. We spent time at beautiful Flammands Beach and finally ended up back at St. Jean for the rest of the day until sunset. I could have floated in that water for the rest of my life. I took a stroll down the beach to check out some cottages at the far end. I struck up a conversation with a woman named Jacki with the cutest yorkshire terrier named "Bart". Suddenly I realized it was her dog's picture on my computer. I had downloaded it from the SBH Online website when I was researching the trip. Funny we should both happen to be here at the same time. She has been coming to St. Barts for 21 years. She showed me around her cottage, part of Ilets de la Plage resort and I was impressed. Although small, and no private pool or hot tub, they were right on the beach with a little front porch and shaded yard area. Perhaps next year...? I walked back to Georg who hadn't missed me at all. (He was too busy trying not to notice the topless babes.)

We ended the day back at the villa with a home cooked dinner of duck tournedos with rice and veggies, followed by a swim and a soak in the hot tub. We have had perfect weather every single day. We are blessed!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words (St. Barts 2006) Part 2

Wednesday

Today we spent the entire day at the villa, so there is absolutely nothing exciting to report, unless you count floating in the pool, soaking in the hot tub, reading, drinking ice cold beer and in general enjoying each other's company. I will post some photos instead.

Heaven on Earth (St. Barts 2006) Part 1

Sunday

The trip started out with a bang, literally. Up to this point everything had gone as smooth as silk. All three of our flights were on time. I had just signed the paperwork at the car rental agency, declining the comprehensive insurance offered. We had just gotten into our rental car, a brand spanking new Diahatsu Terios. When Georg took off the emergency brake the car suddenly lunged forward. We careened perilously close to a parked car and slammed into the rear of our villa rental agent’s vehicle with a sickening crunch. The amazing thing was, Paul, the rental agent, hopped cheerfully out of his car, barely looked at his own auto, bounded over to us and said in his cute French accent, “ Nothing happened, everything OK, don’t worry.” He ran back to his car and proceeded to lead us to our villa. It wasn’t until we parked at the villa, that we were able to take a good look at the damage, which was considerably more than “nothing” on our car. To be honest, the back of his car didn’t seem to be in worse shape than before. It seems dents and dings are the norm on this island of narrow roads, switchbacks and hair-raising inclines.

We tried to shake off what had just happened as Paul presented us with a tour of Villa Santal, on the hill overlooking Lorient Beach. In the distance we could see several islands, including St. Maarten from which we had just flown. The view took our breath away, as did the house. We entered through double doors which stood wide open and we could see straight through the house to the deck, the Jacuzzi and the water. Soft Reggae music wafted through the house. The interior was all white with bold blue accents, reminiscent of the colors of Greece. The high ceilings peaked in the typical “case” style of the Caribbean. The living room with white wicker furniture looked out upon the deck, the umbrella table, chairs, hammock and swimming pool. The entire wall was open to the outside. He led us into the comfortably air-conditioned master suite, one of two bedrooms on opposite sides of the house. In the bathroom were hibiscus and bougainvillea blossoms on the tub and on the decoratively folded towels by the sinks. Small bottles of expensive Ligne de St. Barth bath products framed each sink. From the bedroom we could see the brilliant turquoise water. One door led to a small garden with another umbrella table and gas grill, lounge chairs and access to the pool. The other door led out onto the main deck. Off the bedroom we could see a small office with a desk and fax machine. As we bade goodbye to Paul, we asked him if we should lock the house when we left it. His reply, “Oh no, we never lock anything on St. Barts – it is very safe.”

The fridge had been stocked with some items, including bottled water, beer and a large bowl of fruit, and we helped ourselves to some cold beverages as we discussed what to do next. We decided not to worry about the car situation that day. It was 5:00, we had been awake since four in the morning, we were tired and hungry and were not in good shape to make any decisions. With trepidation, we decided to venture out to find the nearest market, Oasis, for provisions.

The road leading to our house was extremely steep and in order to get out Georg had to gingerly back into the narrow driveway across from us. No way would I be driving on this trip, but I could navigate, and I carefully noted each landmark as we drove, so we could find our way back again. No major shopping was going to take place today, only the necessities for a light dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast and, of course, the famous vanilla rum I had read so much about. Most meals eaten out on the island culminated with a complimentary house-made shot of Rhum Vanille. I found out that it is mighty tasty with tropical fruit punch. Georg made me several that evening to perfect his technique, before he fell asleep watching French cable TV.

Monday

Refreshed and ready to face the new day, we awoke early to a pot of good St. Barth’s coffee and a dip in the pool. The sky was blue with puffy white clouds and I worked on my tan most of the morning, going back and forth from the pool to the hot tub when I wanted to get wet. At 9am the front doorbell rang (and it literally is a brass bell mounted to the doorframe). The villa owner, Michele had come by to adjust the water pump. He was extremely gracious with his French accent, telling us to make his home our home and if there was anything we needed we should feel free to call. A short time later the bell clanged again. It was Stephanie, our maid. She informed us (there was that cute French accent again) she would come by at 10 each morning, if that were all right with us. She would do any dishes, mop the floors, make the bed and change the towels. Georg was in heaven. We had a young French maid! Too bad she was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and not a short black skirt with an apron and fishnet stockings.

After she left we knew we had to face the music and drive to the car rental agency to let them know about the damage to the car. We figured we might as well get this unpleasantness over with. To our surprise, Yvette at Soleil Caribes was extremely sympathetic and understanding. She assured us she would do everything she could to minimize our liability. We had used our Platinum Visa card to reserve the car and there was a good possibility they would cover the expenses. We would get a phone card, call Visa and let her know the results. She kept insisting that they wanted visitors to have a good time and no bad experiences at all on St. Barts and as we bid adieu we kissed European-style – on both cheeks. Georg and I left shaking our heads in wonder at the hospitality and politeness of the French people on this island.

Across from the airport was the supermarket Match and we stopped by for a phone card and some staples for the week. Back at the villa, there was just enough time for a quick dip before we had to get ready for our dinner reservations at Wall House restaurant in Gustavia and the other side of the island. On the map, it seemed like it would take us awhile to get to Gustavia. In reality, it was only 10 minutes. There are two major hubs of activity on St. Barts. Gustavia is one, St. Jean is the other. They were both aglow with lights from the busy restaurants and shops. The ambiance was very much like St. Tropez, only more tropical. Gustavia has the harbor where some very large yachts come in. Our restaurant, Wall House was right on the waterfront and open air. We were seated at a table overlooking the water. I had read the tasting menu was a very good value and we opted for that, with Georg and I having different entrees to share. Tapenade with small toasted crostini to start, followed by watermelon gazpacho in a tiny demitasse cup, cold seafood roll, grouper for Georg and crispy chicken for Margaret, mango and lemon granita and a dessert trolley, from which one could pick any items you wanted. Georg had the crème brulee, of course, which our waiter flamed tableside, and Baba au Rhum, and I had chocolate tarte and floating island. As if that wasn’t all enough, after our meal they brought over a tray with glasses and a decanter of complimentary of Rhum Vanille. The rest of the evening was spent on our very romantic deck and in the hot tub gazing at the star-filled sky.

Tuesday

The day dawned bright, blue and clear with a few white puffy clouds. Much of the morning was spent just relaxing on the deck. I alternated between the pool and lounge chair, reading Memoirs of a Geisha. Georg adopted the hammock and spent much of his time reading about how to use his new video camera. We didn’t feel hungry for breakfast after last night’s ample repast and we decided we didn’t need breakfast. At about 11:00 we were on our way to Saline’s Beach. We made a short stop at the Ligne St. Barth store where the products are made and packaged, so I could purchase some of their sunscreen I had read so much about. We arrived at the parking lot for Saline and found it was a bit of a walk with our beach chairs, backpacks and umbrella. But what a view once we got there. The water was the most brilliant turquoise I have ever seen! The beach, framed as they were on both sides with green cliffs reminded us both so much of Kauai. It was very hot today and a bit breezy, which was a Godsend, but the umbrella wouldn’t stay put and we didn’t stay long. There was some brief, but mostly discreet topless nudity here at this and one other beach on the island.

We had intended to have lunch at a nearby restaurant called Tamarind. As we left the parking lot we picked up a young man who was hitchhiking. He spoke very broken English, but we were able to find out he was here for the day from St. Maartin. He went on his way once we got to the restaurant, which, we were to find out, had just closed after high season. It might have been an interesting experience. It was like someone’s backyard with an assortment of electric outdoor couches, futons, hammocks and benches arranged haphazardly around a huge Tamarind tree, hence the name. I had read there was a resident parrot that kept the patrons entertained. We ended up driving back to St. Jean and having lunch at Andy’s Hideaway, where the motto is “Warm beer, bad food and a view of the parking lot”. Not so. The Caribes beer was icy cold and our food was delicious. We had cod fritters as an appetizer, and Georg had jumbo shrimp in Creole sauce, while I had the duck salad with fois gras. Their specialty is flame grilled thin crust pizza, which we resolved to try sometime this week. The ambiance was comfortable, Caribbean colors and ceiling fans, open to the outside and a very friendly staff. I had read about Andy on the St. Barts forum online, where he himself often posts. He’s very tall and friendly with a British accent and chats up everyone who comes into his restaurant. Later that evening we actually returned to pick up some carry-out pizza to enjoy for dinner back at the villa. Thin crust, wood-oven grilled pizza is they speciality and we thought of our "pizza night" friends back home and wished they were enjoying it with us here on St. Barts.

More tomorrow...

Jess and Maggi in Rockefeller Center, Thanksgiving Weekend 2005

I love taking my 16 year old niece away for weekend hops. She is a talented performer and New York City is the perfect place to take her for inspiration. Our last stay was at the Essex House and I wanted this trip to be totally different, so I booked a room at the Chambers Hotel.

Each floor is "done" by a different artist. We did had fun stoppping the elevator at each of the 15 floors to check them out. It was a fun place in a funky, college dormroom sort of way. The desk was a large piece of glass on wooden sawhorses with a roll of drawing paper you could pull out and doodle on. Jessica was all over that immediately. The coffee table was a varnished log. There was a huge mirror resting on the floor next to the bed. The best feature was the awesome shower (it felt like you were standing under a waterfall) and the soap. It was just called "Sea" and made your skin feel so silky. I inquired at the desk and it is not available commercially, but can be obtained through the hotel. The location was convenient for many of the attractions we wanted to visit, i.e. Rockefeller Center, MOMA and Fifth Avenue.

Our first day we started at our favorite breakfast place: Le Pain Quotidien on 7th at 58th Street. Jessica wanted to check out purses on Canal Street, and we didn't want to waste time so we grabbed a cab. The rest of the time we mostly took the subway (fares were only $1 a ride last weekend.) We are getting the hang of the subway system, mostly due to the "kindness of strangers".

On Canal Street Jessica was thrilled to get her favorite Angel cologne at what she thought was a steal. I picked up a Kate Spade knock-off for $14 for a young friend back home. There are rows upon rows of shops many of which look like they have the same products. Later, her other favorite shops were H&M, Element and Quicksilver. As for me, I was in heaven at ABC Carpet and Home in the Union Square area. We stopped at the Michel Cluizel chocolate shop in the back of the store for the most decadent demitasse of hot chocolate ever!

It was Black Friday and I had never seen such crowds in my life. I recklessly braved the Times Square ToysRUs for a gift for my baby grandson. After that experience we needed sustenance and we collapsed in the serenity of the Takashimaya store on 5th Avenue for afternoon tea and refreshments.

Our evening entertainment was The Woman in White, the latest offering by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The acting was good, and kudos go to Maria Friedman, who has been performing despite surgery for breast cancer recently. The most fun was watching Count Fosco do his trick with the live white rat.

After the theater we felt peckish and stopped at Ellen's Stardust Diner for good old American food. I'd never been, and was a little worried it might be too gimicky, but we had a blast watching the truly talented waitstaff sing, dance and wait on tables at the same time. They really seemed to be having a great time and I left a huge, well-deserved tip.


We had been up since 4:00am Detroit time and crashed into bed at 1:00 in the morning. We woke up in time to get to MOMA by opening time at 10:30. We first had cappuchino and a light breakfast in their cafe, after which we meandered through the galleries.

Lunch that day was at the restaurant Fleur de Sel at 20th and 5th. We had a fabulous three course prix fixe lunch for $25. It was a nice respite to our busy schedule. Afterward, in a desperate attempt to walk off some calories, we stopped at some boutiques on our way back uptown. Our ultimate destination was Rockefeller Center, as we had tickets to the Top of the Rock for sunset. I had read that due to the timed tickets there was a much shorter wait time than at the Empire State Building. That did not prove to be true on the day of our visit, but the wait was not too much longer than 45 minutes.

The elevator up to the top is a kick, you can see through the glass ceiling to the top and there is a movie playing on it. The Swarovski crystal chandelier is beyond description! It was donated by Swarovski to the Rockefeller foundation. A multi-media show on the history of the observatory helps kill the time while you are waiting to go up. At the top, the view is marred somewhat by the protective glass panels. You don't quite get the effect that the ESB has, in my opinion. If you take the stairwell another floor up, it feels a little more real.

I wanted to expose Jessica to the ice rink at Rockefeller Plaza, so we went to the Rockefeller Cafe for dinner. We were blessed to be be seated directly at the window so we could watch the skaters. We lingered over dinner and couldn't resist getting out onto the ice. I hadn't skated in 20 years and gingerly edged my way along the railing, while Jess flew across the ice like a bird. The tree was up but wasn't lit yet: no matter, the music and colored spotlights made for a really fun night. We even saw a couple get engaged - he got on one knee right on the ice - and everyone applauded. Jessica proclaimed the ice skating her favorite part of our weekend.