"LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL"

We’ve been friends with Dave and Rosemary for years.

Always compatible, always laughing.

But living together 24-7 for almost two weeks?

On a 42 foot sail boat? What were we thinking?

Well. Here’s how the good times rolled out with Dave and Rose in St. Lucia.

We started out right with a ‘Welcome aboard!’ drink.

Just one - we swear.

Next day we did a little provisioning in Vieux Fort.

The blog photographer calls this picture ‘Shopping Daze’.

Dazed maybe, but not confused.
We knew for sure that we wanted some of that fine Coconut Cream Liqueur.


After shopping and checking out the town,

we enjoyed a late lunch at the Old Plantation Yard.

The two captains had diet-friendly Pitons for dessert.

Rosie and Dave wanted to experience the cruising life as lived on Beach House,

so next day it was over to the beach to scrub the dinghy bottom.

Rosie and I kept a close eye on the worker bees, offering advice as needed.

They were …… amused.

Rosemary did some snorkeling off the beach and found a friend.

And Rose is a star herself, bringing goodies galore from Toronto

– chocolate, cashews, fresh herbs, cheese spreads, Bailey’s, excellent coffee,

and <drum roll please> rack of lamb.

Geoff barbied ......

...... while Rosie and I prepped the rest of the meal.

And then Dave thanked Rose as only a husband should.

Good food with good friends with laughs on the side.

Who could ask for anything more?

The north shore of Rodney Bay

is Pigeon Island National Park,

a great place for some serious sightseeing

among the fort ruins.

And the Jambe de Bois café is the perfect place

to end a hot morning of exploring.

Castries is the capital of St. Lucia and our next stop for some more good times.

A little sightseeing, a little shopping and a lunch at the Balcony Restaurant

with its extensive menu.

Lunch was delicious, the drinks were cold and the view of the local square

showed off the Independence Day bunting.

You’ve met Ken and Diane on this blog before.

They’re Canadian cruisers and have built a home here on St. Lucia.

They had guests at the same time Dave and Rose were with us on Beach House. The whole group spent a day touring together and another day taking Beach House from Vieux Fort to Soufriere, just north of the Pitons, on the west coast of St. Lucia.

These photos prove what a shy, retiring group we weren't.

And meet Biset. He was our driver on tour day

and joined us on Beach House for the sail up the west coast.

Biset brought the coconuts and yes - it's his machete.

The coconut water turned our rum punch into ambrosia.

But it wasn’t fun and games all the time.

There’s work to be done on a crusing boat.

And Dave and Rose were much more than guests

– they were mighty fine crew.

We’ve been to St. Lucia several times now.

It’s a beautiful island with something for everyone.

But enjoying the sights through the eyes of good friends?

Perfection.

Cheers Dave and Rosie!

We’re looking forward to more good times during your next visit.

"FUN, FUN, FUN"

We’re pretty sure our favourite beach boy had fun on his visit to Grenada.

If he had half as much fun as Grandma and Grandpa, it’s all good.

But back to the beginning of this story.

Jake arrives.

Grandma's happy.

Someone said a few days later, “I can see the family resemblance. You have the same teeth.” Well, well. And the same cool sunglasses, too.

We wanted to keep Jake busy during his visit, but even more importantly, to give him some time to relax. As they say in the islands, “Time for limin’.”

Jake took to life on Beach House with ease. Just sitting and watching the neighbourhood is a valid pastime.

And the secret to escaping the hot, sticky weather?

Just a step away.

On Saturday morning, we waited at Nimrod’s for the local bus to St. George’s for a brief city walkabout.

And that evening, we went to Da Big Fish for dinner ......

...... and to enjoy the Doc Adams Blues Band.

While Grandma and Grandpa danced to Doc's easy listening music ......

...... Jake enjoyed the evening in his own quiet way.

We played Euchre with friends several times, sometimes on Beach House ......

...... and sometimes up at Clarke's Court Bay Marina.

This is Joe giving Jake some pool pointers.

Kim and Joe own Spice Kayaking. They take groups from the cruise ships on a little kayaking jaunt from Clarke’s Court Bay Marina round to Hog Island for drinks and lunch.

Guess who decided to give it a go.

There's a first time for everything.

At Hog Island that day, Jake talked music and bands with a couple of guys from one of the cruise ships.

Grandma listened in, not recognizing any groups they mentioned. Dying Fetus is a group?

We had Kim and Joe over to Beach House for dinner one evening, and Jake took the car to the dock to pick them up.

Here he’s concentrating on landing the dinghy at our stern ladder. Good job, Jake!

Facebook makes it easy to keep up with friends and family. We think Jake rather enjoyed asking them what the weather was like ‘way up north’ in Canada.

He stretched out to enjoy some comedy shows with us ......

...... and watched a movie or two.

But when you come to Grenada, ya gotta get out there and see some of this glorious island. Yes. A tour day.

Jake may not have enjoyed the rum tasting stop ……

...... or the photo-op views ......

...... but when he sensed the possibility of food?

Now we're talkin'!

A little snack for Jake while Michael Williams, our favourite guide, tells us about the special spiced rum at Mark’s Rum Shop.

At the next stop, Annandale Falls, Jake found a friend.

Monkeys make everybody smile.

Jake spent some quiet time at the falls and elected not to jump into the pool.

But Grandpa turned into quite a hambone.

Petite Anse Hotel, our lunch stop, has a large selection of coffee-table books for your viewing pleasure. Check out what Jake found to read.

The view at Petite Anse on the north coast of Grenada is spectacular.

Even impressed a 16-year-old.

Back on Beach House, it was time for Jake to finish his reading assignment.

The book report would be written on the plane ride home.

And all too soon, it was time to head to the airport for Jake’s return flight.

We love you, Jake!!! And all your new friends in Grenada say hello!!!