Dec 2011 St Lucia to Antigua

Long time no blog, I know.

So here's some back blogging.

When the guests finally left us in St Lucia we took a few days to relax and indulge in some retail therapy. With some lucky timing we were there for the end of the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) so although we hadn't just crossed the Atlantic we still got to join in some of the festivities.

Fire Limbo Dancer at an ARC party

Ready to start some two-man-sailing, we set sail for Martinique...time for some French food!

Once again a Dolphin Escort

After a long hot search we finally located the illusive "La Cave a Vins". My oh my was it worth the search! It really is just a hole in the wall. You know, one of those places you always hear about people

finding; off the tourist roads, nothing to note from the street, and even when you walk in the 'reception area' really does just look like a cave...

Pokey entrance to the Wine Cave - Literally a cave like space walled with wine

124 rue Victor-Hugo 97200 Fort-de-France Tel 05 96 70 33 02 lacaveavins@wanadoo.fr

There you go, now we can always find it again.

They are not simply a restaurant but a wine cellar/merchant, The wine menu is more akin to a novel and your server is no mere waitress but a sommelier.

We were shown to a table on a balcony that overlooked the courtyard. Again, all quaint and difficult to tell whether you are actually inside or

out given the size where three tables full the balcony and another five or so the courtyard.

And then the food

Having chosen the wine through a process of elimination (white, red or rose? red. ok thats two thirds of the novel we no longer need to read...etc but of course once the wine is chosen the menu can be read simply for pleasure) we moved on to the food menu. *sigh* lets just say 3 hours later we floated out of the Cave having appre

ciatively dined our way through several courses of foie gras; duck breast; salads and of course desserts. Not a good day for our feathered friends but never was their sacrifice more appreciated. After months of fresh Grenadan food (no complaints!) our palates welcomed the rich, creamy, saucy inspiration the French call Food.

Sailing Martinique to Dominica

Having stocked up on French bread, cheese, wine, sausages and pate we bid Caribbean France Au Revoir and sail onward to the other end of the Caribbean experience, the undeveloped jungle paradise that is Dominica.

The fish fare of Dominica

No more French cuisine but who would complain when sitting in an open wooden restaurant, surrounded by jungle, overlooking the half-built dingy dock which linked you to your bed on a yacht set in a starlit bay, all while sipping a Caribbean cocktail and nibbling fresh seafood?

Due to our limited time on the island we could not book a dive but went snorkeling in the reserve instead. wowsa! Dominica deserves its reputation for sea life. Shivering and blue we had to be dragged out of the water and away from the literal walls of sealife! In the area we snorkeled it was a cliff face below the waterline, with each kick downwards opening up a new world of colour.

Christmas Antigua Style

We made it to Antigua in time for Christmas, just. So with no time for planning we did what most do - Nelson's Dockyard for daytime champagne (ok, Spumante) and live music. After which we zigzagged our way across the harbour in our dingy only to discover that a boat we know was drifting free of its mooring. So Christmas day rescue it was with me jumping onto the bow to attach a tow line and the Captain towing the 54ft sailyacht with our dingy. Having very securely attached them to the nearest available bouy our Christmas good deed was done.

Antiguan New Year - espresso martinis: The Beginning

What follows Christmas but New Year.

By then we had met a crew of Kiwis delivering a yacht from the Med to Kiwiland and another boatload of Italians stuck in Antigua while fixing the damage on their 104ft 100ton yacht from their eventful crossing of the Atlantic. The evening started with espresso martinis and ended with tiaras, pink top hats, fireworks and live music