posted from Mt Hartman Bay, Grenada
We had been moving pretty quickly from Antigua to St. Lucia and decided to take a break. We did a little tourist stuff including hiking up to Fort Rodney that guards the north side of Rodney Bay. While walking through the park we came upon some locals doing a photo shoot to promote Carinval. As you would expect the outfits were pretty impressive. Unfortunately we would be long gone before Carnival.
Our Rocna anchor grabs. Maybe we should call it a Rock-na.
Carnival costumes
Fort Rodney remains. Overlooking Rodney Bay
We had been looking for a spot to celebrate our anniversary and – although a bit late – found it in St Lucia. We left the boat on a mooring in the lagoon and spend three nights at the Fond Doux Holiday Plantation. Fond Deux is nestled in the rain forest just south of Soufriere. It is one of the oldest working plantations in the Caribbean. The plantation is owned and operated by Lyton and Eroline Lamontagne. While it is still a working cocoa plantation, most of their business comes from tours, a restaurant, and guest cottages.
Cocoa pod on tree (left), broken open (right)
Dried cocoa beans get polished by pushing them around in a paste. This is just a small demonstration – usually the pot would be much fuller
The cottages are a mix of purpose-built cabins on the hillside and old homes that have been moved from some of the local towns and rebuilt on the plantation.
The owners have spread beautiful flowering plants and fruit trees around the grounds. The flowers make it feel like a tropical paradise and the fruit trees ensure that there is always something good to eat nearby. And of course where there are flowers and fruit, there are also birds.
Flowers and fruit around the plantation and in the restaurant and patio areas
The frog was outside the cottage – the lizard was inside.
We spent a lot of time walking around the gardens or just reading on our cabin’s porch.
The cabin next to ours – both look the same
The staff used flowers to leave messages on the bed
One afternoon we climbed up the ridge on the back of the grounds. The top of the ridge is just east of the Petite Piton – a spectacular view.
Keeping fit. Fitness center and path to ridge overlooking the Petite Piton
Getting high. Blue spot in left picture is guy getting coconuts. Right is Petite Piton
Next: Tobago Cays
The Adventures of Little Rosie 