Reflecting on my week #110

December 24, 2019

We’re home, and just about ready for Christmas. Which is just as well as today’s Christmas Eve. There’s a couple of parcels at the Post Office to collect, and some wrapping to do, but that’s it. We arrived home yesterday afternoon with all the usual holiday detritus - cases, dirty washing, some clean clothes, holiday souvenirs, duty free etc., the results of a food shop, my MIL and her Christmas luggage. To say the car was full is an understatement, but success in the Tetris-like puzzle meant that there was also room for three humans in the car too, though in reality my seat was never in doubt!

The flight home from Barbados was long (eight and a half hours) and while It was the same length as the outward flight, a little bumpier too. There’s something about homeward flights that make them appear longer, perhaps it’s the prospect of tidying up after a holiday, and the washing, rather than the anticipation of what’s to come, who knows?

FLOWERS IN THE FESTIVE RECEPTION AT OUR HOTEL IN BARBADOS

It was a much emptier flight back, which makes sense as over the past few days the arrivals in our hotel noticeably increased with people arriving to spend their Christmas in the sun. We’d opted to pay for seats of our choice on the way back, choosing an aisle seat each, which was a real treat as I usually end up with the ‘middle’ seat and therefore spent the flight in that panic over who has the “rights” to the “shared” armrest and avoiding overspilling onto a stranger. Turns out we didn’t really need to, but after a good flight out and really friendly and polite seat neighbours on the way out, we didn’t want to take the risk, especially with an overnight flight.

And so, just like that our nine night trip came to an end, marked of course with a final rum or two, and a lighter than on the way out there case to be checked in, who’d have thought? I knew that with some cosmetic duty free outward purchases, and some bottles from the Mount Gay rum distillery and only half a kilo of our luggage allowance to spare I’d need to be canny. Turns out I was cannier than needed as our case weighed in at a comparatively feather-like 19.5kg, some three kilograms lighter. Our hand luggage though, was much heavier, and we did that whole non-verbal pretence of “it’s not heavy at all” which could actually be one of those Very British Problems.

Unlike our previous visit to the island, we got out and about beyond the rum distillery and local Fish Fry, though we did those as well.

We met up with my mum and dad when their ship was in port at Bridgetown, visited the Mount Gay rum distillery (again) though this time arrived in Bridgetown by local bus and spent time at the fantastic Hunte’s Gardens and botanical Andromeda Gardens, taking many pictures in the process.

I’m sharing a few of these below, but expect to be sharing much more in January, along with my ritual “best posts” and look back of the year.

But before that, let me wish you a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year, and thank you for reading and supporting my blog this year, I very much appreciate your company in what, quite frankly, has at times been another bonkers year.

I suspect that (spoiler alert) 2020 will pretty much be the same!

* Many more photos to come!

Reflecting on my week #109

December 17, 2019

Travelling, and time differences, make for a long day. But it’s worth it, and despite knowing the temperatures we were heading for we weren’t really prepared for the moment we stepped off the plane.

It was like a lovely warm hug, as was the welcome at the hotel. Though it’s still strange to see Christmas decorations in the warm weather, and my brain is having quite a few “does not compute” moments.

The case obviously got packed, though not everything survived the final cull. I am claiming a packing win though as we were just half a kilo under the limit I was aiming for. There’s some debate as to the limit though, MOH randomly thinks 25kg, whereas I thought 23. We made both, whichever it was.

I messed up checking in (oops) leaving it too late to get seats together, or even in the same row. The seats allocated were also ‘middle’ seats and we boarded the plane full of trepidation of what awaited us. Turns out we had no cause for worry, as we sat with a lovely family who as we reached our seats asked if we’d mind terribly swapping to the aisle seats so each parent could sit with a child.

There were absolutely no complaints from us, on either the seat swap or row sharing and it made for a great start to our break. In fact it was one of the best flights we can remember in quite a while, even though I managed to spill chocolate from my ice cream, and later mango chutney from my coronation chicken sandwich down my top.

Just as well I had more than a capsule wardrobe in the case.

There will need to be some careful redistribution for our return journey though, as we know there’ll be more that needs to be in the case. I’d already thought about this and our hand luggage was relatively empty on the way out, which it won’t be for the journey home!

It’s been good to take some time to just chill and embrace the heat, which even for MOH who’s not a natural sun person, has meant views like the one below, and plenty of reading.

There’s been some rain, torrential downpours which disappear as quickly as they arrive. And let’s face it, the rain is warm and not comparable to rain at home.

There’s been a rum (or two), with a bottle of Mount Gay making it into our first shopping basket, along with other essentials for breakfasts. Just to be clear, the rum isn’t for breakfast! Or at least that’s not the plan.

We’re close to the Oistins Fish Fry and though tired on Friday we headed there for some flying fish, macaroni pie, plantains and rice and peas, which were just as good as we remembered them. We were back there again over the weekend for some fishcakes, which were as good as the bag says.

Yesterday we met up with my parents for lunch, as you do. Their trip overlapped with ours for the day, and we also had the chance to look around their ship, well obviously not theirs, but you know what I mean.

Then it was time for more rum punch, on the pool deck with carols from the local primary school - I’m starting to get the hang of this Christmas in the sunshine thing, though as MOH says I shouldn’t get too used to it.

Our evening ended with more cocktails in the bar, and then cheese on toast made in our kitchenette - because we’re classy like that!

I've seen that floor before...

December 10, 2019

We headed into the City on Friday evening for some steak at Blacklock. The steak - we had porterhouse, sirloin and Barnsley chop - shared between the four of us was great, and the pigs head on toast which we had beforehand was also good. With cocktails for a fiver - no surprises, mine was a negroni - there was only one other thing to check out.

And yes, I’m talking about the Ladies.

AND YES, I’VE SCUFFED MY PEWTER TRAINERS…

When I looked down, I saw a familiar flooring, and knowing my flooring I was pretty sure it was one I’d seen in a quinta in the Douro Valley. As it turns out, after checking the next day, it was a monochrome version of the flooring from the Quinta da Bomfim in Pinhao, which I’d spotted on our visit back in 2017. Never let it be said that I ever forget a good floor!

Looks like I’d dressed for the more monochrome version too, which isn’t the first time that I’ve found my outfit matches my surroundings.

The loos were all the individual sort with their own hand basin, and in this case an etched mirror which had a hint of vintage about it with the shape, the bevelled edge and the etched design. It gave me some challenges to photograph, you can’t see, but I’m on tiptoes here, which is why I’m sure I’m holding on.

an etched mirror in the ladies at Blacklock City

It was also pointed out to me at work on Friday that I’d matched my outfit to my hair. Something quite unintentional, but quite amusing once it had been pointed out. My brown top was edged with a coral colour around the neck, and my orange and pink necklace is very similar to the colour that’s currently in my hair - and which I’m having done again at the end of the year, aiming to be even more bold with the orange.

If I wear this outfit again - and let’s face it I probably will - I think it’s going to be one I’m just going to have to own!