A day of worship

Today the property manager called by to inspect the house. Apparently a lot of work needs to be done but we hadn't noticed! He complains that the garden hasn't been weeded, the grass needs cutting and tools have been left out Poor Thomas is going to be in trouble by the sounds of things.

We have a leisurely breakfast as Keisha is picking us up at 11 to take us to St Nicholas Abbey for a day of worship (before you die of shock the Abbey is a rum plantation). We are here to worship the production of the best quality rum in Barbados.

Since Gem and Hank were last here they've set up a barrier at the entrance as too many people were going in without paying. Our entry fee includes - you guessed it - a complimentary glass of rum or fruit punch.

As we drive up to the old plantation house it's so beautiful and the atmosphere is calm, befitting for an Abbey. Firstly we look around the house and read the history of the family. Then we watch an old movie of how then plantation worked during the 1940s. It's funny and interesting - a great combination. We spot where we ate lunch at the Waterfront in Bridge Town.

We meet Simon Warren Jackson who is handing out samples of 8 and 12 year old rum produced right here at the Abbey. Mmmmm they are amazing much more like a cognac or a brandy than the usual rum.

Simon is so funny we can't stop laughing. He has a smooth Bajan accent with a slight American twang.

By the way he has a speech impediment and a limp which he tells us was the result of a car accident in which he almost died. He was in a comma for a long time He jokes "I can't blame the lamp post though".

We then wonder over to see the rum being made. It is pretty much an automated process these days. A million miles away from what we saw on the film.

Back to the house for our rum punch (fruit for mum). We sit in the garden and spot a fruit that we've never seen before. Simon tells us that it is a shaddock fruit much like a grapefruit. He also tells us that the grapefruit we have today is a cross between bitter orange and shaddock and was invented in Barbados. There's a bit of culture and history for you!

At the end of our visit Keisha is waiting to take us back to town. On the way she takes us to Cherry Tree Hill. The views are amazing. The vendors try to sell their stuff, but we're not having any of it - after all that stuff is for tourists and we're now adopted Bajans.

To Speightstown for lunch at the Fisherman's bar. We tell Keisha that we will take the bus back to town and she can pick us up later. The bar serves great local food - fried chicken, fish, rice and peas. We are stuffed at the end if it. God knows what all this good living is doing for our waistlines.

Once more we're on the reggae bus to town and the music is banging as always. Mum has a sneaky doze on the trip to town.

We decide to explore the Lime Grove mall. Mainly because I want to visit Louis Vuitton. After all there's no charge for window shopping. Hank sees a pair of flip flops (or slippers as they call them here). They are £400! So we decide that LV is a bit out of our price range. The other shops are nice but we don't buy anything today.

After our little mall excursion we end up at Surfside bar before Keisha picks us up to go back to the villa.

That night none of us want to eat. We're still stuffed from our bad lunch. We can find room for drinks though so Gem plays barmaid and we settle down
to a relaxing night. As we do the rain begins to pour outside but it's still hot, hot, hot.

Once again we fall asleep watching DVDs. Real light weights very one of us.

I'm starting to realize that I'm going home in a couple of days. I begin to feel very sad. I decide to come back to "Baybados" as Nathaniel calls it. That's it I'm going to come back in July and plan to be here for Kadooment.

Jax.