Barbados by Margot Justes

Welcome to Barbados, even the name sounds exotic. We docked at an industrial port, where nothing could be seen but containers, more containers and a few cruise ships; Celebrity among them, I missed the cold towels and drinks that Celebrity provides on hot and humid days as you re-board. The little touches are important. Celebrity even had employees hold up signs and guide the passengers of the area, so that they could head to town or board the appropriate tour bus. I followed the Celebrity signs to get to my destination. Great customer service, that little commodity has become increasingly scarce. I am a Celebrity convert.

I fell in love with Barbados and would definitely go back, it is one of the most vital islands I have visited, the people are lively, exuberant and friendly. The island is developed and tourists abound, but it is the local population that really makes one feel welcome. I always think of pirates when I think of Barbados, and even the name evokes mysterious sunken treasures, mischief and mayhem.

The first stop of the our tour was the Gun Hill Signal Station, the view of the island from above was picture perfect. The name says it all, the station watched as ships entered the area, guns poised. Now, it is a museum that houses military artifacts.

We paid a visit to the Sunbury Plantation House, the sugar plantation is over 300 years old and gives an excellent example of life in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Originally bought by an Irishman, who was one of the first residents of Barbados. The house filled with antiques that span centuries, along with many carriages provides a visual tour of life in Barbados that spans 300 years; well worth a visit.

Along with a full tour of the plantation, and the sumptuous gardens, we had an opportunity to sit in the garden and sample rum punch, and positively delicious fish cakes. A visit to Barbados must include a sampling of Rum; it is abundant. Not a big fan of spiced rum, but became a huge fan of the fishcakes.

After visiting the plantation, we stopped at Orchid World. I have never seen so many orchids in one place,  the stunning colors, one exotic bloom after another, from white to black and anything in between.  The garden was huge, the vegetation rich and luscious, but the orchids were truly sublime.

I would be remiss, if I did not share the rum punch recipe that was given to us.

Bajan Rum Punch

Ingredients

1 of Sour (Lime Juice)
2 of Sweet (Liquid sugar syrup or sugar)
3 of Strong (Rum)
4 of Weak (Ice and/or water)
2 Dashes of Angostura bitters
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Method
Place ice in glass, add rum, liquid sugar, lime, top with water and 2 dashes of bitters. Grate some nutmeg on the top and serve. For a Sunbury Style Rum Punch, add 2 measures of pineapple juice. You may use your preferred unit of measure.

To go with the rum punch,  next week a recipe for the fish cakes. They were positively yummy.

Cheers,
Margot  Justes
A Hotel in Paris
A Hotel in Bath
Hearts & Daggers
Hot Crimes Cool Chicks
www.mjustes.com

 

Dominica by Margot Justes

Dominica is luscious, mountains, water and wild vegetation beckon. The natural and undeveloped beauty is one reason for a visit, the others would be scuba diving, tubing and kayaking; the preferred choice of activity for most tourists.

 I tried snorkeling once, many years ago, and decided it’s not for me. In between gulping and swallowing the yucky salt and fishy water, closing my eyes and wandering off-let’s just say those were not my best moments. I firmly decided, a swimming pool will do just fine, and a glass bottom boat, if I wanted to visit with the fish.

The morning was spent looking through the many tents that were set up right outside the dock. Local arts and crafts, along with the usual tourist paraphernalia.  Dominica is not as wealthy as St Kitts, and there were few shops, mostly tents, whereas St Kitts is undergoing major growth and development, not so in Dominica.

The afternoon tour I booked, took us through the rain forest, it seemed parched, but it’s their dry season. I never imagined a bone dry rain forest. On the way back we walked along a path between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; on one side the usually calm sea, across the path the rolling powerful ocean waves, and in the middle gawking tourists. Our last stop was a two hundred year old church, simple yet colorful.

Our tour guide said that out of the twenty volcanoes in the Caribbean islands, thirteen of them are found on Dominica, maybe that is one of the reasons for the lack of development. However, there is reason to hope the economy will improve, according to our guide, Dominica is in the process of developing geo thermal energy to supply other islands, that should help the struggling economy.

After the tour, it was back to the ship, drained and exhausted, it was nice to sit, relax, and sip an espresso. It was only about 85; the temperature was a consistent 85F to 90F, but the extreme humidity just wiped me out. I went swimming after dinner, and was in bed by 10:30, sad but true.

Cheers,

Margot  Justes

A Hotel in Paris

A Hotel in Bath

Hearts & Daggers

Hot Crimes Cool Chicks

www.mjustes.com

St. Kitts by Margot Justes

 

 

I love to watch as we come into port, usually on deck ten where I walk, stop and continue on, this allows me to see all sides of the island. Beautiful way to start a morning. Coffee comes in handy, it’s always available makes the early morning doubly rewarding.

Booked an excursion that was an overview of St. Kitts, or saint Christopher, since this was once an English island, they drive on the wrong or right side of the road, depending on your point of view.

There are areas that are pristine and hardly populated, others are well developed boasting five star hotels.

The tropical flora and fauna is gorgeous, the flowers in full bloom. I actually saw a fan palm, beautiful spread out huge palm. I love palm trees, but have never seen a fan palm. It’s not hot, about 85F, but it’s incredibly humid and the sun is beating down, you simply wilt. I can’t imagine what  it’s like in the summer, and I don’t want to find out-this is perfect.

Went to see a batik factory, full of bright, vivid tropical colors. They use cotton, and I’m more used to seeing the African work, which uses linen and silk and much of the wax remains in the material, so it’s stiff.  In St. Kitts, the wax is removed and the material is soft and pliant.

I found a lovely water color print of Independence Square, drawn by a local artist. I try to buy something from every place I visit, one because they appeal to me, and it’s a lovely reminder of the visit.

Cheers,

Margot  Justes
A Hotel in Paris
A Hotel in Bath
Hearts & Daggers
Hot Crimes Cool Chicks
www.mjustes.com

Cruising the Caribbean by Margot Justes

The next two days were spent at sea, time to relax and do nothing, or immerse oneself in scheduled activities. Every evening a ‘compass’ is left on the bed outlining tomorrow’s agenda. It is always full. I love to walk, read and swim, and let’s not forget the non-stop meals, and snacks-hence the swimming and walking.

The day starts with coffee and the blog, and of course food. Breakfast was eaten in the dining room, less hectic and far more relaxing than the buffet at the Windjammer Café.

Spent the late morning in the solarium pool, floating in the ocean water-along with the salt, we got the waves too; pure heaven, warm and soothing.

Checked out the library, but didn’t stay long, along with the books, it was filled with cigar smoke. They do cigar tastings in the evenings, and the scent lingers long into the next day. There is shopping, stopped in the stores, and tasted a South African Amarula liqueur, made with marula fruit. It was delicious, brought home a bottle.

Before dinner, I stopped for an espresso and a snack, after all I did walk, and swim.  Tonight will be the first of two formal nights. I pack a dressy pair of black pants and a couple of sparkly tops, and I have black sandals that my granddaughter tells me are shiny. It works. I don’t lug many suitcases when I travel, one small expandable suitcase and a carry on, plus a large purse. It was nice to see everyone dress up, and I’ve come to the conclusion that most men look good in a tuxedo.

I’m not a meat eater, but ordered beef tenderloin, only because potatoes were on the menu. I’m Polish and love my potatoes, later I was told I could have potatoes every day. The dinners were exceptional, Royal Caribbean improved the quality of their food, and with feeding so many people, that is quite a feat.

Sorbet was a refreshing end to a delicious meal. I happen to like it, and I already consumed a yummy sweet with the espresso earlier in the day; a double chocolate espresso brownie. A decadent slice of heaven.

After dinner, I checked my e-mail and walked a bit on deck, the full moon shone on the water and reflected a soothing glow in the deep, almost pitch black sea. I love that time of day, I was alone on deck, and found the tranquility soothing. Sometimes you can see another cruise ship, or cargo ship in the distance.

You get into a routine of being pampered, and reality is far removed from everyday life. That is what vacation is all about, an escape, a glimpse of another life. Our first port of call is St. Kitts.  

 Cheers,

Margot  Justes
A Hotel in Paris
A Hotel in Bath
Hearts & Daggers
Hot Crimes Cool Chicks
www.mjustes.com

Vacation Day Two by Margot Justes

The morning was spent at the hotel restaurant, sitting outside in the sunny warmth, drinking coffee, writing my daily journal, and waiting for everyone to join me. I love mornings like that. After a buffet breakfast at the hotel that included everything from freshly squeezed orange juice, to an omelet station to plain Greek yogurt, and not bad restaurant coffee, the day was mine.

On my second day in Ft. Lauderdale, I found the Bonnet House, and wrote a blog about it. I love to walk, so taking a cab was not an option for me, I find pleasure in seeing as much as I can on foot, whenever possible.  All I can say it was an exhausting and exhilarating day, and the trek to find the Bonnet House was worth every blister.

After the visit I went back to the hotel to meet up with friends, who are gold members at the Hilton. Nothing went right for them from registration going forward, the staff apologized at every turn and were always ready with free vouchers; they were flowing at a rapid rate. The last mishap included a sixty dollar credit at the restaurant. Guess where we ate lunch? The management handled everything with aplomb, and abject apologies, and the ever ready free vouchers.

The hotel restaurant was located by the pool, a lovely place to sit and relax. I do not have a Hilton membership, but everything went according to plan, that included a beautiful room, with a view of the water, so there were no free vouchers for me. I do however intend to join the club.

Diet not going too well, after a solid breakfast, we had to use the sixty dollar voucher, after all, we were checking out the next morning for our cruise. A Margherita Pizza seemed like a good idea for lunch, filled with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, it was delicious. The rest of the late afternoon was spent with friends. We fell in love with the Casablanca Café and we went back there again for dinner. We did not go hungry.  

I know we should have tried something new, and usually that is what happens-but you have to realize-the eggplant was simply amazing and not to be missed. I would go back there again just for the Moroccan eggplant. We saw a small fender bender on the A1A, no one was hurt and people involved were chatting amicably. The roar of the cars is amazing on that road, it seems to be non-stop.

After dinner, the walk along the shore was a delight, blisters and all; the area is stunning, we had a full moon and the reflection in the water was mesmerizing.

Cheers,

Margot  Justes

A Hotel in Paris

A Hotel in Bath

www.mjustes.com

 

Day One by Margot Justes

For the first time, I decided to keep a daily log of my vacation, and I would like to share it with you.

The morning arrival at the airport was uneventful, as was the flight to Ft. Lauderdale, just the way I like it.

The Hilton Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort is lovely, the room had a view of the ocean, and the hotel is hidden and a bit away from the hubbub and incredible loud environment along the A1A. Talk about vibe-the ground shook from the all the people drinking, enjoying themselves and the cars roaring up and down the street.

I will I say, I have never seen so many beautiful cars on parade; Lotus, Aston Martin, Ferrari, to name just a few. The revved engines purred like wild kittens. I have retained an affinity for sports cars, in my youth I used follow formula one races.

We decided to eat at Café Casablanca. I had a Moroccan sampler, how can one go to Café Casablanca and not order a Moroccan dish. I also had a traditional gratinee French onion soup. It was almost as good as the ones I used to have in Paris many years ago, in the old market place known as Les Halles; it no longer exists.  

My Moroccan dish had the best ever roasted eggplant with lots of garlic; nice chunks of eggplant and garlic. I love eggplant and garlic. The vampires stayed away, there was so much of it. Positively yummy. Hummus, tabouleh salad served with warm pita completed the meal. The hummus was rich with olive oil and a tad spicy.

The restaurant is situated across street from the water, and dimly lit, so even the atmosphere was pure magic. I highly recommend it. Did I forget to mention we sat outside? We did, and the view was fantastic.

A short stroll back to the hotel in the evening along the shore was delightful. We decided to sit by the Jacuzzi and dunk our feet, too tired to change. I helped my friend down the stoop, she didn’t want to get wet. Alas, I didn’t have a firm grip on her hands, she missed the step and flopped in the water. No worries about getting wet. Much too late for that.

At first we weren’t sure whether to laugh or not, but that lasted for about a second, after making sure she wasn’t hurt, we burst out laughing.  The water was warm and the bubbles soothed my aching feet. Not a bad day-not at all. In fact it was perfect.

Cheers,
Margot  Justes
A Hotel in Paris
A Hotel in Bath
Hearts & Daggers
Hot Crimes Cool Chicks
www.mjustes.com

 

Bonnet House by Margot Justes

I always assumed that Ft. Lauderdale, Florida was all sun and fun, mega yachts on its many waterways, and sports cars that rev up the A1A; the beautiful motorway along the shore. It’s a place to get away from winter, but I found out there is more. There is the Bonnet House.

I found it, but not without getting lost first. Wrong Way Rodal struck again.  I even had a map, but didn’t bother looking at the legend. It was close to the restaurant where we had dinner the night before. So I walked toward the Casablanca Cafe, and walked, and walked, and no Bonnet House. Well, I walked in exactly the opposite direction. The concierge said to turn right, and I sometimes have a problem with left and right, and I turned left, because it was so close to the restaurant. Well, it was not.

It is not an easy place to find, but well worth any effort.  Bonnet House is pure magic. According to our tour guide,  it was so called because there were alligators in the inlets, along with water lilies, and when the gators surfaced, they seemed to wear the lily, and it looked like a bonnet.

The property was originally purchased by the Birch family and later through marriage, American artist Frederic Clay Bartlett, enjoyed spending winters in what was pristine, ocean front property in Ft. Lauderdale . The Birch-Bartlett union brought with it art and philanthropy.

Frederic Bartlett was a successful artist, and in high demand. The house reflects an eclectic taste in art, furniture,  right down to the design of the home. He possessed another talent, his undeniable appreciation of the new art movement in Europe.

Impressionism was in full swing and Post-Impressionism was lurking in the forefront, and he collected what we now consider the masters of that period, Seurat, Gauguin, Matisse, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Renoir, Picasso to name just a few.

Our guide told us Frederic Bartlett offered his collection to the Metropolitan  Museum of Art in New York, and they turned him down. Fortunately for us in the Chicago land area, the Art Institute  did accept his gift.    

Now, whenever I visit my old friends, I’ll thank Mr. Bartlett for his incredible generosity.

If you’re in the Ft. Lauderdale area, do not miss the Bonnet House, it is well worth a visit.

Cheers,

Margot  Justes

A Hotel in Paris

A Hotel in Bath

Hearts & Daggers

Hot Crimes Cool Chicks

www.mjustes.com