Tropical loos in Hunte's Garden

January 22, 2020

When I shared the loo with a garden in October, I didn’t realise that this would become a thing. But it has, and here’s the post to prove it, and there’s another one to come too, but that’s for another day. Today’s Loo Series is from Hunte’s Garden in Barbados, and the garden was a special one, very special.

The garden itself is in an unusual sink-hole like gully and you’re invited to work your way down, around and through the garden before returning to the entry level again, where there’s yet more to discover. Hidden away on the entry level, along from one of the many seating areas, where the loos.

Rustic and simple, but entirely functional, and in keeping with the garden too.

a look into the most open aired loo in this series

And as is becoming customary, there was an opportunity for a picture in the mirror - I think the most tropical background so far, and probably to come.

And if I thought the loos were good looking, the view as you emerge back into the garden, well that was just sublime.

Just looking at this picture now, I’m back in the garden in my mind. I can hear the music which was playing throughout the garden, I can feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, though of course I’m wearing many more clothes than on our visit. This garden is one of, perhaps my all time top to visit garden, it’s one that I felt a complete emotional connection to, in a way that I’m not sure I have before.

I can’t wait to share the rest of the photos from our visit, and if you visit Barbados you must definitely go and visit for yourself.

Christmas trees in Bridgetown

January 4, 2020

We got braver for our second trip into Bridgetown, skipping the taxi and taking the local bus instead. If you’ve been to Barbados you’ll no doubt be familiar with the Reggae buses, which seem to have multiplied since our last visit. We used these regularly to head up to St Lawrence Gap and visit one of the many restaurants there, but they go all the way into Bridgetown, and for the same fare too.

That fare was 7 Barbados Dollars for the both of us, which is quite different to the forty US Dollars for a cab back from the port, which was our first trip to the capital - I’ve not shared that here yet, but will share more from our day on the Spirit of Discovery later in the month. The Reggae buses vary in age, decor and friendliness - while none are unfriendly as such, some are more welcoming and used to tourists. The one we flagged down for our Bridgetown trip, was friendly, newer than most and had the most ornate interior we saw.

So we lucked out. In many the windows are wide open and the breeze is welcome in the 30 degree heat, though in one I was convinced if the driver were to brake quickly I’d more than likely be out of the window. Thankfully there isn’t too much braking quickly, unless of course, a new far is spotted!

The buses turnaround in Bridgetown and the advice from our hotel was that we were there when everyone else got off. Not bad advice really, though we weren’t 100% sure as there was that stuttering of people getting off earlier as the traffic slowed. It’s true you can never get lost on Barbados, not just because it’s a small island (it’s just 21 miles long and 14 miles wide) but because the Bajans just won’t let you get lost.

Once off the bus we were heading towards the Mount Gay Rum Distillery, which we knew was on the sea front and further along from the port, and so we followed the crowd mostly and kept the sea to our left.

A wander through bridgetown without a map

Simple as that.

And along the way we saw some great buildings (see above), walked through the commercial centre heading into a department store briefly - it was just like a department store at home, and just like the stores at home, MOH coughed and spluttered through the cosmetic and perfume department on the ground floor.

In Independence Square we wandered around several of the Christmas trees on display - there were over a hundred 10ft trees set up by the Barbados Defence Force, with each tree representing a Commonwealth country. Given the heat, not even I was up for wandering around them all, which I know MOH was pleased by - and remember, we were also on our way to a rum tasting at the distillery, so other things might have been on my mind.

We did stop and admire some of them though, and notice their similarities and differences to each other, and to our decorations at home, which this year stayed firmly put away.

Looking more closely at the decorations on the Cameroon tree, the stars looked to be made out of cardboard tubes, squished into shape. The wooden ornament wouldn’t look out of place on our tree, and had we seen any decorations like these to buy, I’m pretty sure we’d have left with some.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE DECORATIONS ON THE CAMEROON TREE

I was intrigued by the figures on the Lesotho tree, which were large - though admittedly on a 10ft tree you can manage with large decorations. On closer inspection I realised they were Kings, several more than the three Wise Men in the nativity, but again, how many of our tree decorations are factually correct in numbers?

LOOKING AT THE DECORATIONS ON THE LESOTHO TREE

On even closer inspection I spotted a headless King, which while a shame, showed just how they were made. A two litre fizzy drink bottle painted and clothed in fabric. Who’d have thought such an everyday item would be given such a regal makeover?

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!