Off to Grenada!

6/28 - 7/2

Our group of four hopped aboard the 7am ferry on Sunday to catch the nonstop Liat flight to Grenada. As we sailed out of Port Elizabeth, we waved goodbye to Camille (our wonderful sailboat where we had the most delightful week), and viewed the gorgeous scenery. Early morning is so peaceful and quiet!

Our flight was slightly late, but we made it to Grenada with most of the day to enjoy. Our hotel was fantastic – as always. Bel Air Plantation Resort in St. David’s. http://www.belairplantation.com/

We had one 2-bedroom villa for hubby and I, and my adult son; and a 1 bedroom villa for my friend. The villas at Bel Air are luxury all the way and include air conditioning throughout, huge bathrooms, a large spa tub and separate showers. The linens are top notch, and everything you could possibly need you have. The kitchens are fully stocked with all utensils, serving dishes, etc.

We spent four relaxing nights here enjoying the amenities. On Sunday, our arrival day, we were treated to live entertainment in the restaurant/bar, Water’s Edge. Very enjoyable. We also spent some time at the nearby La Sagesse Nature Center http://www.lasagesse.com/ enjoying the beach where we got married three years ago, and a wonderful lunch.

This time at Bel Air, we did cook two of our four nights. I provided Susan, the owner, a list of items that I would need and she shopped prior to our arrival and had the villa stocked with food. Something that was greatly appreciated!

Sunday night we had dinner at Water’s Edge. The food was very good, and it was nice to once again see the restaurant staff. We had a delicious meal and wonderful drinks!

Monday we went into St. Georges, doing our shopping at the public market for spices, gifts and jewelry. After we were done, we wandered through the tunnel and had lunch at BB’s Crabback. This was our first visit there, and it was excellent! So much so that hubby and I visited another time during our stay. I can’t say enough about the food and the experience – it was excellent! We used to always go to Nutmeg on our in town trips, but Nutmeg has closed down. We have absolutely found a better alternative! http://www.bbscrabback.com/upgrade_flash.htm

Tuesday we went on an island tour with tour guide and friend, Mandoo. If you are looking for a top notch guide, Mandoo is your man. http://www.grenadatours.com/ We have used him now every year for four years, and I can’t recommend him highly enough. Our lunch was at Belmont Estate and excellent! What a beautiful place. On our stop in the Grand Etang rainforest we were lucky enough to experience our old faithful monkey – Lover Boy. He is getting quite old and slowing down. He came right up to us, took a banana (or two or three), and made clear he wanted to be scratched and petted. Sweet monkey – wow. Seeing the moana monkeys is always a highlight for me! I’m wondering if next time we visit (2 years) we will see Lover Boy again. Sad thought…

Wednesday my son had to go home (we actually extended his stay by 2 days - he should have gone home on Monday), so hubby and I took him to the airport (very early). Once he got inside the gates, hubby and I went to the Grand Anse area thinking that we could catch an early breakfast at La Boulangerie. La Boulangerie is a bakery that has excellent food at very reasonable prices. Little did we know they did not open until 8:30am, and it was only 6:30am. OK, plan B… we would walk the beautiful beach and get some exercise to start our day. We were not the only ones out on the beach – lots of locals taking a nice morning walk or swim. At 8:30 we did end up making our way back to La Boulangerie for a nice breakfast. After breakfast, we took a bus (aka: crowded minivan with loud reggae music) into St. Georges. Once we got to the bus terminal – it just started to pour! We experienced the bus terminal, figured out which bus we needed to take us back to St. David’s after a few kind people answered our questions. This was our first time taking the bus out to Bel Air. The bus would stop at the road that goes to the hotel, from there it was about a one mile walk to our little villa. Let’s hope for no rain we thought!

Mother Nature was kind to us and by the time we got to our road, the weather had cleared making it a nice walk in to the resort. We visited with dogs, puppies, and goats (including 2 newly born white goats). Very peaceful walk!

The rest of our day was spent relaxing at the pool and enjoying Bel Air’s beautiful property. We had a game of H20 Uno in the pool, lunch outside and thoroughly enjoyed the day. This was our last day at Bel Air.

I can’t thank Susan and her staff at Bel Air enough for a wonderful stay. It is like visiting a good friend as opposed to staying at a resort.