APRIL 2017 - OOOH, WE'RE GOING TO BARBADOS

Next stop: a 40 minute hop to Grantley Adams airport, just south of Bridgetown. Barbados - nearly 100 miles east of its much older, volcanic neighbours - is a coral island, pushed up between 600,000-700,000 years ago.  The coral is the reason for its much-vaunted pink sand beaches.  We're starting off on the eastern, Atlantic coast, where the waves crash and the undertow is tricksy, and it's much less touristy.  

First impressions on the way from the airport, the east (Atlantic) coast was certainly not as manicured and perfect as you might expect from the holiday brochures!

We popped into a supermarket for some provisions...

and unexpectedly encountered some familiar brands

and perhaps more obvious warnings given that sugar is the raison d'etre of the island

and onward to Bottom Beach, talcum-soft sand but fearsome waves

Our lunch spot was 1743 Codrington College, a theological establishment named for its founder, Christopher, son of a once-governor

before passing the first of the island's many parish churches (split, as it is, into 11 parishes)

And then our first sight of beautiful Bathsheba - and home for two nights,

the 'Little Sea See' apartment

with its gorgeous view from the patio

and two minutes down for a close-up of those rocks we'd seen earlier from afar, up the hill.

Next morning, we mooched the wild east coast, via another parish church (St Andrew's)

and some tropical gardens

Across the island, the west coast is where all of the cruises visit -  very different from the wild Atlantic east. Calm waters where turtles approach the shore to nest,

there are coral reefs and large hotels have commandeered the shore.  We found, however, another super spot for lunch

and stopped at the country's oldest church in the parish of St James

before crossing into the capital, Bridgetown

which last year celebrated 50 years of independence (30 November 1966).

Our next apartment, a mile or so south, along the coast, was in Hastings.  The garden opened onto a beach

on which we found this little chap (and​many others of his kind - larvae of the frangipani moth - the black 'tail' is the back end)

Next morning, past the Central Bank,

we stopped briefly (tricky to park for too long) of the capital's own Nelson's Column (which predates London's by 30 years),

the ecclesiastic-looking Parliament
 

and the UNESCO Heritage Site Garrison (next to what is now the race-course).  It was established in 1780 for forces stationed here until 1905 and now houses the country's Defence Force and National Armoury.

One of the national dishes, unsurprisingly, is fish - especially flying fish.  The bustling market smelled very tempting at lunchtime when we arrived

and the small, sharp filleting knives flashed as the fresh catch was prepared and bagged.  

We tried to patronise one of the 'fish-fry' cafes

but (despite being in a fish market within sight of women diligently filleting), the waitress claimed she had no flying fish fillets!  In exasperation, we quit the place, walked ten paces back to the 'filleter' and bought our own!  The cafe's loss and we had a most excellent lunch.

Having eaten, it was time to think about drinking, and (my having accidentally wandered into the bottling plant) secured ourselves a personal tour ofthe Four Square bottling plant

by the friendly site manager.  On the way out, we also passed this little chap enjoying his own, beetle lunch.  

Five nights in Barbados already over, last stop, St Lucia