Last day in paradise

Happy Sunday everyone! As I'm writing this blog, I am in awe at how fast our 16 days in Barbados have gone by. In the blink of an eye, this long awaited vacation will soon be a thing of the past and we will bring home lots of wonderful new memories to cherish.

This time around, we didn't venture much outside the St-Lawrence Gap other than going out for dinner on the West coast twice. Each day brought a kind of laziness that we wanted to savour...it was a relaxing time away and we feel recharged, ready to return to our normal daily life with Cooper & Spicy. They also had a great vacation at Camp Talemaker. Like us humans, good to get away and good to go home. Everyone will return to their routine....I bet they can't wait for their daily 3 pm dehydrated chicken treat! While on vacation, Cooper got his massive coat thinned out by Darlah. She did a daily session and probably filled a whole pillow case with hair. It will not be noticeable to the naked eye but we will feel the difference in the thickness. It should make Russell's grooming job easier. It's a good job done and we thank Darlah for it. 

We met some very nice people at our hotel. We had some very good chats with one couple from the UK and one from Liechtenstein. We always find it interesting to hear about how the other half lives.

Russell and I enjoyed our daily walks on the beach. We will both return home with a nice glow from the sun. We got a good dose of Vitamin D, that's for sure 🌞We ate well, had quite a bit of fish, drank lots of water during the day and enjoyed some good wine at night. Of course, a trip to Barbados wouldn't be complete without a few servings of coconut ice cream 😋Last but not least, each night brought a different sunset sky. We never get tired of watching those, each is so unique.

Yesterday morning, we witnessed the rescue of a Hawksbill turtle who got stuck under a huge rock on our beach. It was amazing to watch it all unfold. The turtle crawled away to the sea, safe and sound.

This is it. It's now 2:30 pm, we had a good morning at the beach and pool side. At lunch, we enjoyed the sounds of the Steel Band for the last time during this trip. Time for a little siesta. Tonight, we're eating at our hotel, a complimentary dinner from management. Nice!

Tomorrow morning, we will get up early, as usual, and get ready to go home. Our flight for Toronto is a 3 pm so we plan to get to the airport in good time. Russell completed the ArriveCan documents for both of us. His got approved, mine was flagged...."Please speak with the Canada Border Services Officer on entry to Canada". I expected this....my travel passport is under my married name and my vaccine passport is under my maiden name (a Quebec thing). No worries, I have my birth and marriage certificates ready to prove who I am.

We pick up the Coop and the Spice girl first thing Tuesday morning for the drive back to Montreal. We can't wait to see them. We can already feel their kisses on our faces 💖

I leave you with a few photos that we took during one of our walks to the Gap. Have a great week everyone and I will write again next Sunday!

Seems that the COVID pandemic has brought on
an increase in the Bajan cock population. This
fellow is a stunner.

Yet another fine fellow strutting his stuff!

When in BIM, why not get on board and relax!?

Roadside fine dining at Daddy's - table for two
please!

View of our hotel - SPBC in pink as seen from 
the 7th floor of the O2 hotel next door.

Always time for a good read on the beach.

A selfie for good measure.

Easter in Barbados

Happy Easter everyone! 

Here we are, already one full week in beautiful Barbados. It was a good one although not without a few challenges in the first few days...well more like 5 days. The Barbados Water Authority underwent some major water work when we arrived which left our block of rooms with very little water....then no water at all for 48 hours. We found ourselves showering and sleeping in another room for two nights. Then we took the plunge and decided that water was more important than the view LOL! So, on Thursday, we moved from our beloved room 309 to room 126, equally nice and with a stunning view of the beach.  We couldn't be closer to the beach if we wanted to, literally steps away. After years of requesting room 309, we may now have found another favorite room. Sometimes things happen for a reason!

Our last trip to Barbados was in 2019. Not much has changed since. Most of the staff at the hotel is the same and they all welcomed us back with open arms. The food is as delicious and the beach is pristine. The waves though are stronger than ever and wonderful for the surfers. It's fun watching.

On Tuesday, we tried a new restaurant, Tides,  in Holetown on the West coast. Wow, what an amazing experience. Five stars all the way, from start to finish, could rival any top restaurant in Montreal or Toronto. The food was exceptional, the service was attentive and there was live music....Arturo Tappin, a jazz saxophonist from Barbados, based in New York City. I include a photo of our appetizer, a tuna tartare on a bed of sea weed. Delicious and so pretty looking!

We've been getting up as early as at home, around 6 am. We've been enjoying our morning coffee on our terrasse, watching the waves. The weather has been sunny, hot, the odd sprinkle, can't complain.

The island is taking the pandemic seriously. Masks continue to be mandatory for all staff members. Guests wear a mask when entering a store, bar or restaurant. Sanitary stations are everywhere. At Tides on Tuesday, we had to show proof of vaccination and they did a temperature check. Our hotel is not at full capacity so no crowds whatsoever. It's all good.

Last but not least, a little update on our pooches. They are doing well and enjoying their vacation. We miss them terribly and not a day goes by that we don't talk about them. 

That's my blog for today. It's now 7:20 am....time for a yogourt then we will go for our morning walk. Today being Easter, the hotel will be be having its famous "Pie Lunch"....macaroni pie, chicken pot pie, steak pie, you name it, it's all about pies, with the wonderful sounds of a Steel Band ! We made reservations for 12:30. It will be lovely and yummy!

Have a wonderful Easter and a great week!

Cooper and Spicy wish everyone Happy Easter!

Sunset from Apsara Restaurant in the Gap!

Sunset at Tides Restaurant in Holetown.

Delicious tuna tartare at Tides.

Catching a wave on Dover Beach at Southern
Palms Beach Club, as seen from our terrasse

Dover Beach is one of about 5 hot spots
for surfing, the waves are amazing this year.

Right on time, daily AC 966 arriving from Toronto.

Sunday Vibes from Barbados

Hello from beautiful Barbados! Here we are, after months and months of waiting for this trip. Well worth the wait!

We arrived yesterday. We had a wonderful flight, on time and no issues with clearing COVID protocols and such. We touched down at 1:28 pm and were in a cab, en route for our hotel, 20 minutes later. Couldn't have asked for a smoother transit. 

Upon arriving at our hotel, we were greeted with open arms. It was truly nice to see some familiar faces from our last trip in 2019. There was a lovely fruit basket waiting for us in our kitchen. This morning, I made a yummy fruit salad for the next few days. 

Once we checked in, we unpacked then went to the bar for a refreshing drink. We opted for an early dinner and called it a night at 8:30 pm. We woke up at 6 this morning, feeling refreshed. The only thing missing was the morning lickings from Cooper and Spicy 💖We hear they are doing well and having a good time. We do miss them!

We had a leisurely coffee on our balcony while watching the waves. They have been quite strong in the past few days...red flag on the beach! We then set out for a walk to the Gap's convenience store to buy a few staples. When we got back, we hit the beach for a couple of hours....part shade, part sun. Can't go crazy on the first day! Russell walked the length of the beach twice (2.5 km)....good for him. I did nothing....total laziness on my first day 😂

The Barbados Steel Band was on today at our hotel, every Sunday at lunch time. A wonderful way to really kick off our vacation! 

That's about it for today. Time to shower, get ready for tonight's outing. Have a great week everyone!

Many favorite familiar tunes from this timeless
Steel Band.

Ocean views, large powerful waves, a Red Flag 
day, swimmers beware!

Sunset views from our balcony last night!

Mega construction project at Square One as 
seen on our take off.

The Russian Antonov 124 grounded on the 
tarmac at Pearson.

Hello April!

Happy Sunday everyone! We're not having the warmest start to this brand new month but it doesn't matter. Yesterday though was beautiful so I got some yard work done...mostly picking up tree debris from the front and back yards. A good start to the outdoor Spring cleaning. Our grass is still mucky although the cooler nights have helped keep things on the drier side. Each time our pooches go out, we have to clean their paws...well Russell does. Bless his heart 💗He has a system....a bucket with soapy water to dunk each paw, a bucket to rinse then he towels off. Easy peasy. Cooper tends to sink more in the grass and he loves to scratch. Let dogs be dogs we say.

All is good with us. We continue to get ready for our trip. Although we are not packed, we pretty much know what we will bring. Everything's been tried on to make sure it still fits 😂No worries there. I found myself a lovely pair of wedge sandals at Brown Shoes. After having worn flats for over two years, I wasn't sure how I would feel with a wedge heel. I was pleasantly surprised. They will be quite stylish for the evening. I also found Russell's favorite after shave balm, Issey Miyake. It's been a while since he's used any after shave products.....this one has a wonderful light fragrance. So, I think we're almost ready. Just need a negative PCR test and we'll be good to go 😏

It's a quiet Sunday. Coop & Spicy are napping with their daddy. I just finished washing more doggie blankets and the Spice girl's cave bed cover. After the blog, I will watch a couple of episodes of Tiny Pretty Things, a Netflix series I discovered last week. I quite like it, only one season. 

I leave you with a few random photos of our doggies as well as a beautiful shot of Lac St-Louis, taken by Russell during one of our walks last week. Have a great week everyone! 

Beautiful sky reflected on some thin ice on Lac
St Louis, Chateauguay on the horizon 7 miles
away.

Cooper is fascinated with TV, here he
is catching up on some FoodTV.

Serving up crumbs of dehydrated chicken in the 
snuffle matts...another new routine in the morning

Spicy, my ever present trainer/spotter
while I work out.

A few "sit pretty paws up" for a treat.

Cooper is truly a happy dog, just look at that
beaming smile.