We left St. Lucia on Thursday the 19th of January and headed over to Barbados, a short 45 minute flight away. Karen and Dennis had left the day before because there was not any availability on our flight.
Whereas St. Lucia was full of mountains and valleys, Barbados was very different in that it was flat. Barbados is known for its beautiful beaches, and we found it was a lot easier to get around because of better roads and less hills to maneuver around. Here is a picture from our plane coming in for landing...
We arrived at our villa after taking a couple of wrong turns and going down a terrible road that is very much under construction. Our villa was very pleasantly situated. It was all on one level and all of the bedrooms had their own bath which was nice. Something we absolutely loved about this home was the open air concept. From the dining room both the east and west walls opened up completely to let in fresh air. In the living area one wall opened up as well so we had a lot of fresh air coming in throughout the day. The home was situated on the east coast of the island which is the windward side so we always had a little breeze coming through. The pool was just off the dining room over a little bridge and was very nice. The yard was huge with lots of beautiful trees and flowers. We all just really loved this little villa!
Here are a few pictures and a video courtesy of Karen....
After getting settled in we went to a little restaurant right close to the villa. It was called 'Dis Ole House'. We had a really nice dinner there that night sitting outside on the veranda. Toward the end of our meal the entertainment came in and it was a lady with a beautiful singing voice with a man as her backup/guitarist.
We loved listening to the beautiful ballads with her lovely voice and I kind of wish we could have stayed a little longer just to listen to her.
I had the pork ribs and Rick had the curry.
We also had pumpkin soup as well as a salad.
Friday we woke up to our THIRTY FOURTH anniversary!
We took a little 10 minute walk down to the beach right close by our villa then came back to make bacon and eggs for breakfast. While Brad and Ruth and Karen and Dennis took off on a ride we spent a little time in the pool and then got ready for the day. We then drove over to Bridgetown to buy some souvenirs. I found a bell right off but it took Rick a little longer to find his hat. I was not impressed too much by Bridgetown and was happy to finish up with that place.
We had made reservations at a beachside grill called Blakey's, but the direct way to get there was filled with a traffic jam. We would not have made it in time had we not skipped the GPS and just winged it by going through the residential part of town. We got there just in time.
While our food was good (burgers, chicken skewers and salad) it was super expensive but the view was gorgeous as the sun set on our thirty third year of marriage!
I love that I married this amazing man! We have had such a good life together. Rick has brought me so much happiness, loyalty, provision, peace, protection, comfort, adventure and LOVE!
Our marriage has been such a blessing all of these years.
We have built a wonderful life together. When arriving in Barbados we wanted to get a stamp in our passports and so we had to go to a special desk to do that (they didn't do it at passport control).
While I was there the woman at the desk asked if there was a special reason that we decided to come to Barbados. I told her we were celebrating our 34th anniversary. She asked, "What would you say is the secret to your long marriage?" I didn't even have to think about my response and immediately said, "It's because our relationship has three people in it. Me, my husband, and God".
This is so true.
Rick and I have spoken of this many times. We both feel that our marriage is strong because the Savior is an integral part of it. We depend upon him in decision making, we follow his teachings, we attend the temple regularly, and we serve where when and where we are called. It is a three way relationship and I wouldn't have it any other way.
He is the reason for our happiness!
Anniversary dinner eats!
The next morning we got up bright and early to drive to the Bridgetown docks to catch our Catamaran for the day. Brad and Ruth and Karen and Dennis decided to come along, and I am glad that they did. They didn't do any swimming or snorkeling so I am sure it was a long day for them but I hope they enjoyed it.
The water was absolutely gorgeous to look at and was really fun to snorkel in. We only went a short ways before our first snorkel. I had barely had time to put my sunscreen on and we were there. This stop was really fun because we got to see THREE spotted eagle rays and a couple of turtles. I have not seen this big of eagle rays ever and so it was just exciting to hang around watching them. This snorkel time seemed quite short because before we knew it we were being called back to the ship.
Our next stop was over a sunken ship from the 1800's. It was quite a swim to get over to it. Maybe a couple hundred feet or so. The coral was not as vibrant as other places we have been, but there were a lot of fish to see. Just as I was finishing up something stung me on my arm. Holy cow! It hurt really bad and I kept rubbing it to see if I could make it go away. As soon as I got back on board the boat I asked the first mate about it and he said it was "sea lice". I have never heard of such a thing. He asked if I had touched anything, and I hadn't, but I had seen others touching stuff. He told me that if something gets touched then it sets off the sea lice. Well, anyhow I came back from snorkeling with five blisters underneath my upper arm. It kept stinging for quite a while, and then by the end of the day there was no trace of the blisters.
Strange things can happen when your in the ocean!
After the second snorkel stop we headed up toward the north part of the island. The captain put up the sails and we just coasted on the water. It was such a beautiful day, and the views were gorgeous! After a while we got to have a nice lunch of chicken/fish, baked macaroni, green salad, and potato salad. It was very yummy!
The day was warm, and so by the end of the day most of us got a little sunburned....some even a lot sunburned but for me it was just a wonderful day on the water!
That night we got home to a home cooked meal by Elenor. She came highly recommended by the maid of the home (Naomi). She did all of the shopping and cooked for most of the day while we were out on the water.
She made us fish, pork, shrimp, vegetables, rice, potato salad, and chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert. We were glad to come back to the villa for a home cooked meal! It was quite delicious, and we even had enough for Sunday leftovers.
The next day was Sunday and after getting lost trying to find the chapel (and barely missing the sacrament)😒 we finally found it. Both Sacrament Meeting and Relief Society were so good. I was really glad to have been there that day!
After church we made our way back to have some lunch and some down time. Later in the day Rick came into the room laughing because he found this note on the door...
Karen is adorable. She does not want to miss out on anything!
We wanted to drive over to visit the St. George's Parish Church, one of the oldest on the island, so we invited Dennis and Karen to come along. We always enjoyed having them ride along with us when they did. Karen is full of stories and keeps the conversation going.
Here is the chapel. It was built in 1784 after the first one built on the site was destroyed in a 1780 hurricane. There are cemetery gravesites on either side of these hedges.
This beautifully painted altarpiece was the focal point of the church. I loved reading all of the memorials on the walls from loved ones of those who had died.
After getting back to the villa, Rick and I did some binge watching of 'The Chosen'. We stayed awake really late.
The next morning we got up early, ready to hit the day. While Rick was taking his Sunday nap the day before, I had made a list of things for us to do our last couple of days on the island, so we had a lot we wanted to do!
After breakfast we drove just a short way over to Sunbury Plantation. It is a beautiful 1600's plantation estate with antiques and gardens.
I loved this 270 year old Mahogany dining table...service for twenty eight!
This is actual armor. It is so interesting to see how little the people were back then. Even the ladies dresses and gloves were so tiny.
Our next stop was over to a place called Earthworks, a pottery shop. We were able to go in and watch people making the pottery, and we got to learn all about how it is made. I loved it and thought it was very interesting!
These steps going up to the building were decorated with all kids of pottery. Very eclectic and fun!
While there we brought home a small plate to display in our basement travel room, as well as a bowl to put on my kitchen counter. The bowl will be perfect fit for my kitchen with the colors of blue and yellow! Sorry...no picture of those.
Next we went over to Folk Marine Reserve area to do a little snorkeling.
While we were out Rick found an eel. Not sure what kind it was but it was brown and yellow.
The coral was shockingly dead for being a marine reserve but there was still quite a bit of fish life out there. After a bit I decided to swim back (a long swim...we were a ways out) to lay on the beach and read. Rick stayed out and found three lion fish, a puffer and a sea snake which was fun because you don't see those very often!
For dinner we found a nice little beach-side restaurant and got to watch the sun go down. It was very beautiful and the food delish!
Tuesday was our last full day on the island. We wanted to make the most of it so after breakfast we drove over to the St. Nicholas Abbey, an old plantation home from the 1600's. It is on the North of the island and in a very beautiful area. We got to watch an old home movie taken in the 1930's by the owner of the plantation who resided in England but came over to Barbados with his family to check on the plantation. The footage from this old camera was really cool to see the family's trip over on an ocean liner and then the video of the working sugar cane plantation and its grounds. The house looks very much the same today and is filled with antiquities.
This mahogany tree was huge! It would be such a fun climbing tree for the kiddos! It is about 250 years old (they take a long time to grow) and has been on the plantation since its early days.
After the video we got on an old steam train (unfortunately with a whole group of cruise passengers) and took a ten minute ride through a mahogany forest up to an overlook. We got to see the Atlantic Ocean from way up high. It was a beautiful view.
There was a fellow there who had a pet monkey. The monkey didn't want to be photographed but the peddler did. We bought a fresh coconut from him, and it was so yummy!
After our little stop we climbed back aboard the train to get back to tour the house.
After visiting the Abbey we wanted to get over to the Wildlife park. We got to see some monkeys, turtles, and chickens getting fed. I didn't like it that much because it smelled bad and everything was so dirty. I didn't want to touch anything. I hung around until shortly after the feeding, and then I told Rick that I wanted to go back to the car. Did I mention that my foot was hurting? Yeah. He stayed a while longer while I made my way back to the car.
We finished our day back at the villa going for a swim in the pool and relaxing in the last little bit of sunshine before going inside to pack.
We enjoyed a nice dinner out with the whole group at a restaurant called L'Azure at The Crane Hotel.
It was just about to get dark, and the restaurant was high on a cliff over the Atlantic. The view was spectacular so we had to get a quick shot! Those waves were HUGE!
Last hurrah of the trip! We had a pleasant dinner with all of the group:)
Our two week trip to the Caribbean was marvelous! The weather, the beauty, the company, our lodging, the food...everything was top notch, and we were so grateful to be able to spend such a nice time with Brad, Ruth, Dennis and Karen. It was a trip that we will not forget!!
