Barbados

A good excuse came up to return to the Caribbean - Lorna & Scott's wedding!  It was to be at Turtle Beach Resort, Dover, on the southwest coast near St Lawrence Gap.  The weather had been pretty awful for several weeks before we left and I had, at the risk of being seen as the doom-monger, been forecasting rain as is typical for the time of year and hurricane season.  However, despite some at the beginning and end, we had great days of sunshine with very little rain, and clear blue skies.

Jean, Lorna's big sister, Hannah, plus boyfriend Joe, and myself joined Lorna & Scott for the occasion, and we also took the opportunity to catch up with friends Brian & Josie while there.  Josie treated us all to a great dinner at their place, and we also discovered that daughter Katy's birthday was also to be on the 14th, Lorna & Scott's wedding day!
I remembered my way around enough to act as tour guide for a couple of island trips for the newcomers to sample some of what Barbados has to offer.  The weather was very kind throughout.

The boys managed a round at Barbados Golf Club, while the girls were pampered in the hotel spa.  Scott won the round by a decent margin and not too many balls were lost!  The crushed coral bunkers and rough took a little getting used to, made a bit worse by recent heavy rains.

Hannah and Joe joined Jean and myself for a tour of Sunbury Plantation House, dating from around 1660.  Although a lot of the contents have been replaced after it was gutted by a fire, it does give a flavour of life during the hey day of the sugar growing on the island.

We all savoured a night of unlimited cocktails and good food while watching the Bajan Roots & Rhythms Show at the Plantation Theatre in St Lawrence Gap.

The beach beckoned often and the waves were big at times when the unusual westerly breeze stiffened.

I also managed to share a few beers with my Bajan friend, Rawle, in between the back to back enjoyment, the first time I had seen him since our C&W Group Reunion there in 2008.