Christmas in Grenada

Hi Everyone

 

Sorry we have gone a bit quiet, we have been super busy! We’re getting used to the yachtie way of living everyone has 2 names, their boat name and their actual names.  So if your rubbish at remembering people’s names then this is hard work! it’s the boat name that’s used mostly! ‘Hi, we’re Ocean Lady’  So we’re mixing with the likes of Spruce, Bluemoon, Secret Smile, Christina Pearl, Norna, True Blue, Maribel 2, Chalupa and the list of boat names go on! 

 

Since our last blog, we have moved away from Le Phare Bleu marina, and decided to go and explore some anchorages.  We spent a few lovely days in a quiet anchorage called St Davids.  It was a pretty anchorage, but not a lot to see when you go ashore.  We stayed there for a couple of days, had some very relaxing nights aboard the boat but Wednesday we made our way back to Prickly Bay to find a few long lost friends from our Atlantic crossing. 

 

We were delighted to be welcomed by ‘Spruce’ (aka Andy and Sue) and managed to find a space to anchor right by all the boats we met in the Cape Verde Islands.  Suddenly our social life seemed to be busy again (yeay!) we had a dinner invitation from Jan on Thursday (our friend living in Grenada introduced to us from Uncle Mike) and Spruce invited us over to their boat for a BBQ on Friday, Saturday was a big night for Christmas eve at the restaurant (De Big Fish). 

 

Our night with Jan was great, her house is just stunning.  She treated us to traditional rum punch overlooking the most incredible view we had ever seen from somebody’s house!  We were amazed, she overlooks Port Luis and St Georges.  A great evening, fantastic food, great company in a beautiful setting, thank you Jan!!!  We had a great night with Spruce, joined by Pete and Courtney from Norna who has just arrived in Prickly Bay after 25 days at sea. Excellent timing just in time for Christmas.

 

The View from Jan’s house

 

Our Christmas celebrations started on Christmas eve with a bit of a party at the restaurant ‘De Big Fish’.  We enjoyed a typical turkey dinner and a few festive drinks!  When getting back to Ocean Lady with 15 minutes to go until Xmas day, we put on our Christmas tunes and had a few more beers. 

Christmas eve at De Big Fish

 

Christmas morning we were welcomed with some heavy rain…boooo!!! But as always in the Caribbean it didn’t last long, and we set up our Christmas breakfast on deck.  Christmas pancakes and present opening! Yeay!  We had initially decided not to do presents, but Laura decided at the last minute this was a dumb idea and sent Stuart to the shopping mall.  The boy did well!!!  After some present opening, and calls home to family we set off to the beach.  What a great way to spend the day, on a beautiful beach, lots of food, great company and some frizbee in the sea after Christmas dinner.  We ended up in the Tiki bar where we enjoyed happy hour all night and free pizza kindly given to us by the festive owner.

Everyone just setting up the BBQ

 

Swim in the sea and a game of frizbee to help let Christmas dinner go down

 

Our next bit of socialising was pot luck dinner and open mike night (except it was afternoon).  Pot luck means you bring your own dish enough to feed 6 people, and that’s your ticket to the buffet, we baked a chocolate Christmas cake.  There were some great dishes made by everyone on the boats.  This was followed by Open Mic entertainment where everybody on the boats who could play a musical instrument got up and played a set.  The talent was amazing, Sue and Gavin showed off their talents on the saxophone and flute, while Pete and Courtney played the mandolin and banjo, they were brilliant.  There was a lot of great music and dancing!  Fantastic night had by all!!!we finished the night off at the Tiki bar to say goodbye to Ed and Alice who were crewing on ‘Christina Pearl’. 

Sue from ‘Spruce’ and Gavin from ‘Secret Smile’ play American Pie

 

Courtney and Pete off ‘Norna’ play the banjo and the mandolin

 

We have a local bus driver booked on Friday to take us to the rain forest and waterfalls and other hot spots of the island.  Then we head back to Le Phare Bleu marina on Saturday for some New Years Eve partying.  We plan to go to Hog Island on Sunday and then prepare to welcome back Alan with Margaret! YEAY!!!!

 

Happy New year to everyone at home, missing you all!

 

Laura and Stu

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