New Finds

I was feeling a little sting about missing summer's official kick-start, Memorial Day weekend, and I'm not sure whether I consciously went looking for ways to make last weekend special, or if I just stumbled upon them, but either way I'm happy to report that last weekend has officially been dubbed the Weekend of New Discoveries in Barbados.

First on the list, Saturday morning breakfast. When the urge hits, it's a great treat to ditch the pots, pans, and Pam, and head out for an extended brunch. Unfortunately, the number of breakfast places (any at all, let alone good ones) in Barbados are few and far between.  Every once in a while we'll treat ourselves to the buffet at the Hilton, but that's definitely more about the scenery, ambiance, and "we're on vacation" feeling than the food quality. Plus, they stop serving breakfast at what always seems so early for a Saturday morning (I really want to say they stop serving breakfast at 10...but I have a feeling it's 11). Then I recalled a friend's Facebook photos of a rather yummy looking breakfast at a hotel I've heard very little about - Silver Point. But were they still serving? It was a few minutes before 11...."Well, we normally serve breakfast until 11:30, but if you show up later, we'll still serve you." Bingo.

Good thing they were flexible with their cut-off time, because the place is not easy to find, even for a native Bajan. Set on the South coast in residential Silver Sands, we weaved up one gravel lane and down another--dead end, dead end, herd of sheep, cliff, dead end--until one phone call and several further trial and errors landed us at the little gem that is Silver Point.

Oversized, brilliant orange clay pots against bright white terracotta floors led past what I suspect (if the hotel's exterior and decor are any indication) are very well-appointed rooms to an open-air, two story restaurant. Breakfasts by the sea are such pleasantly splendid mornings, and I have delightful memories of past meals, as evidenced here:

Capri

and here...

St. Thomas

For just $20BDS ($10US), I indulged in two eggs (poached, for my very first time- I like!), the best sausage I've had on the island, toast, and tea! I love when restaurants serve you the pot of tea so you can extend your time over two or three cups, and Silver Point did not disappoint. Beautiful and delicious way to spend a morning, at half the price of the Hilton! No, you don't get all-you-can-eat, but who needs an endless supply of rubbery scrambled eggs and soggy bacon, anyway?

Another cuppa!

After breakfast, we continued our ongoing quest for window boxes. Phil remembered there was a gardening store a bit in the country he'd heard of, so off we went. Another great surprise!  Before long we arrived at The Garden Market, a veritable oasis of color and lush plant life amidst cane fields and former plantation homes. Not only did we find the window boxes we were looking for (a steal at $10!), but the garden also happened to stock the cat food that the rest of the island had run out of (Lola was not sad to see her dog-chow dinners go), and the cashier was so utterly pleasant I determined she canceled out more than a few scowling faces of Barbadian service. So many pluses!

The Garden Market

With more adventures to be had, Sunday saw Phil and me up in a helicopter--another first!--thanks to his brother Paul and his business, Horizon Helicopters. Standing in as tourists for marketing photos, Paul flew us from the airport over to Foul Bay, where a photographer was waiting on the cliff to shoot our approach. We circled around for about 20 minutes of what I found to be a surprisingly calm flight. Everything just seemed so peaceful from the air!

Captain Archer and Myself

It's exciting and inspiring to know that there are still so many experiences and places on this relatively tiny island that I have yet to discover. Guests usually provide the impetus to explore off the South coast strip, so I'm excited to welcome Rob and Shannon on Friday and see what we find!