Speightstown

The ubiquitous blue and yellow buses....

View from the bus... Walking into town...

The ride into Speightstown or "spikestown" as it is pronounced was like an amusement park ride...up and down hills, around corners but a very reasonable $1.50 Barbadian (about 75 cents) and got us there in about 35 minutes...thanks to Robert, retired optometrist and source of information in Bathsheba...

Lots of produce for sale along the street and we discovered another Jenn's health food store right by the bus depot - had a gran roll - delicious - like a veggie patty but even more substantial, flaky curried goodness. Checked out the Caribbean Art Gallery and also Arlington House museum which is interactive and where we had a kind guide - who has relatives in Etobicoke and has been to our fair city...in the summer...

Lo and behold discovered a vegan cafe I had not found in my internet research - Back to Eden - there was a sidewalk sign saying "Vegetarian Cafe" - enough said. Only open on weekdays but had an amazing selection and daily specials - everything from lentil burgers to spaghetti and hot dogs - no animal products. Lots of religious literature around so I wonder if they were Seventh Day Adventists... We bought a lentil burger - scrumptious and a bun, very dense with raisins in it....very tasty. I wish we had heard about it sooner - we could have had R.C. stop there on our way to the Sea U. Scratch that, they probably weren't open on a Saturday...

I will post more beach pictures and the trip to the bottom of the ocean on Atlantis subs....

Green Monkeys....

Well, this is not a green monkey..it's me on the beach at Bathsheba. Something nice to remind me after the shock I got going outside this morning...minus 15 or something...

Not monkeys yet, the native sheep which were grazing down at the corner of the road....

Ah yes, here are the monkeys..for the first two nights they showed up like clockwork around 5:20 ish....then on Monday, like the dark night in theatre...nothing....

One morning around 8 as I was sitting in the dining area I saw a whole parade of them...apparently there can be up to 15 in a group...this one included a mom and baby....however, I had not brought my camera....

They, like me, are a little shy...so they keep their distance. Sea Kat was saying the tourists enjoy them, however they can be a nuisance to agriculture - all those lovely bananas everywhere...

I am having a hard time getting motivated to work on the Archive - but I must do that today...I was checking out some of Alicia Silverstone's recipes in "The Kind Diet"....that will be my next acquisition. On Oprah's website she is doing a demo with Laura Linney, making a layered bean dip...yummm....I always liked Alicia - she reminds me of my beautiful niece Meredith.

May go and check out the Flying Bulgur event at the Young Centre on Sunday - time to go out and hear music again...also visit Joe Mama's. There is a Latin jazz concert at Humber on Wednesday night - always great musicianship.

Tomorrow I will blog about the rollercoaster bus ride to Speightstown and what I found there....

A Restaurant recommendation....in Cornwall

This is Matt and Rachel's place...they are the lovely couple (he is a surfer and chef) we met at the Sea U. Hmmm...the Surfing Chef...could that be a TV show? http://www.theview-restaurant.co.uk/home.htm

More Barbados....

Beautiful Tent Bay....

Yes, back in T.O. but thought I would share more photos of that great trip...

First a photo of "Sunday Lunch" at Atlantis - a lovely hotel and restaurant in Tent Bay, just down the hill from the Sea-U Guest House...

There were salads and rice and peas and "Cou-Cou" which I understand is cornmeal and okra..and of course the requisite rum punch....

By the way our dinners were delicious at the Sea U as well - and I particularly enjoyed the Sugar Cakes one night for dessert - coconut, spices and a sugar syrup I believe....

Bananas everywhere and coconuts...on the Monday evening at the Sea U, Sea Kat as he is known served up coconut water. Sea Kat used to have a surfing school and is a genial and integral part of the place...

Surfer dudes and the picnic area in Bathsheba....

Tomorrow monkeys and more beach photos and scenery....then Speightstown bus and the town itself.

Bathsheba and the Sea- U Guest House

This is the view.....

This is the interior of the room at Sea-U...lovely. Check out the mosquito net - a first...the teeny little devils here are stealth bombers - no warning buzz...

There are also again, very, very interested and endlessly hungry little finches....hard to resist their cute little selves...

This is the wonderful Sea U - my room is on the main floor with one of the doors open....

I watched the monkeys arrive in the trees below around 5:30 on Saturday night. ALL of the pictures taken on the trip across the country were erased by travelling companion which he felt very badly about...no worries as they say here.

The fabulous R.C., driver and tour guide took us up the West Coast or Gold Coast as it's known for pricey real estate, expensive restaurants...we're talking $500 meals people and $25,000/week places...some condos with their own yacht docks...how the other half lives...that being said...everything seems really close together, cheek by jowl if you will. We went through the sugar cane area in the North and through a mahoghany forest and coming out of that we were instructed to close our eyes and then open when instructed - down below the lovely, and largely untouched East Coast - complete with a long stretch of National Park - sans condos, sans hotels, sans people.

Last night we met some of our fellow guests from the U.S., a chef and surfer from England and his wife....the Americans had a surfer in their party too - Bathsheba is a popular surf spot with an area called the Soup Bowl. Dinner was rice with peanut sauce, plantains and "gran" burgers or is that grand? Yet another Banks beer. The resident ginger cat visited and chased a lizard up a tree...

Today a stroll down into Bathsheba to check it out and seeing people heading to church - at 7:30 a.m. in their Sunday finery and hearing singing coming from the open windows. There was also a group of cadets setting off on a march. Andromeda Gardens is just up the road - bought a lovely mug in the gift shop - will go back and check that out.

Sunday lunch is big here - kind of like brunch in T.O. I believe - likely a British tradition. Atlantis hotel was a lovely spot about 2 minutes walk downhill to Tent Bay - a place R.C. spent many holidays at as a child with his siblings - his mom would rent a cottage.

Thinking of taking the bus into Speightstown as it goes every second hour i.e. 10 a.m., 12 noon etc. I'm enjoying the cooling breezes sitting on the porch and yet another rum punch....

More to come, since we need to replace those photos....and I will post photos from the Atlantis sub and of the monkeys....

Beautiful Barbados...

After a 2 hour delay (found out when reaching Pearson) finally made it to Barbados - coming in over the island I could see the lovely turquoise water. We were picked up at the airport by one R. C. or Richard Daniel of Neptune Tours gave us the spiel and had a great sense of humour - his brother is a vegetarian. This boardwalk is across the street from the pink palace as I like to call it - or Santa Neta Apartments - operated by the lovely Sandie who has another property nearby called Rosebank - also pink...a charming place and very conveniently located. I would highly recommend staying here - there is even a "pet" bird - well, he does like the cereal and ginger cookie bits I gave him - I'll post a photo of him/her later Now ensconced in the Pink Palace, but off to the See-U and Bathsheba on the East Coast. The south coast has been great though - the Hastings has lots of restaurants and shops. R.C. pointed out Big John's (a fast food spot - that is very close and yummy roti) also the Ackee Tree - again yummy roti, had a lovely dinner at Aspara - Indian food...hmmmm....can you tell I like curry? I am in heaven as I loooove roti! Thank you again to the Vegan Caribbean blog - invaluable.... Also, the Tri-Mart grocery about 20 minutes walk away has good selection - great mangoes and soy milk, cereal, etc. etc. Also had a meal at Eve's Garden - an impromptu veg meal - peas and rice, steamed veggies and salad - yesterday was Errol Barrow day, a national holiday, Eve's fortunately was open as a few places were closed - he is the first prime minister of Barbados. Thank goodness we checked out Bridgetown on Wednesday then - ate lunch at Jenns' - a health food store and restaurant - beans and rice and greens and a mango smoothie. Shouldn't have tried to walk out to Mount Gay Rum in my Payless Shoes though....still have blisters today....though the rum and tour was worth it - it's great stuff - got some Extra Old. Got a cab back to Hastings which was more sensible although the bus ride in was fine too at $1.50 - we were told to take blue and yellow or yellow and blue buses - though the numerous red and white vans looked fine too. Something I have noticed Barbados drivers are very polite, honking to alert pedestrians on narrow sidewalks! As for the ocean and beaches - I am proud to say I have been in the Caribbean a couple of times - wave jumping and swimming a little at Accra/Rockley Beach - which has a nice little shopping mall across the street as well as vendors next to the beach - I got a red sundress there...and there was a man selling coconuts - but I missed him....wonder if he put de lime in de coconut as the old tunes goes....one last beach visit tomorrow morning as I understand the water and current is too rough for swimming on the East Coast. Quayside Mall or Centre perhaps has a nice little Best of Barbados store and a Barbados version of Starbucks....Caffe Italia as well as a nice little gourmet food store - where you can get chocolate, jams, snacks etc. There is also a convenience store in the mall. Closer to our place, next to Opa is the Dolce Gelato - I enjoyed rum/raisin and vanilla soy ice cream amidst the chirping of what I call the French alarm frogs - they sound like emergency vehicles in French films...

Ginger beer - Drabbie's - Scottish and sooo good. Between that and the excellent rum, I see how easy it could be to fall into the all inclusive trap. There are a few vacant properties in the area - upscale veg restaurant anyone? Veg B and B?

Today was also a ride on a sub - Atlantis subs, "under the sea, under the sea"....I will post more photos in the days that come....

Getting excited about vacation in Barbados

Two more days....I've been checking out veg friendly/veg restaurants in Barbados and along with happycow's website came across the helpful blog check it out: http://caribbeanvegan.wordpress.com/ - lots of helpful information - sounds like there will be no problem finding groceries and restaurants.... I did something mildly adventurous on Friday - I bought my first bikini in some 30 years! I was feeling brave at the time and the wonderful salesperson at Tryst on Queen was incredibly helpful - she encouraged me to go for it - said it looked better than the strapless one piece. It's brown and white polka dots - halter - very 40's/50's retro.

Farewell Ed and Teddy....

Sad news today, in the midst of so much sadness coming out of the catastrophic quake that hit the beleaguered country of Haiti. Blessings to all those who survived - help is on the way, prayers for those who perished.

Drumming great Ed Thigpen has passed away at the age of 79. Ed was best known for his six year stint with Oscar Peterson's trio - I'm sure Oscar among others will be there to welcome him.

And because I grew up with the great music of the 70's - we have lost soul singer par excellence, and sex symbol Teddy Pendergrass at age 59 due to colon cancer. I have been watching a You Tube clip from Soul Train - the fabulous Harold Melvin and the Blues Notes "If you don't know me by now"....

Thank you for your gifts gentlemen.

In a different vein, please check out http://www.waiterrant.net/ and the book - "Waiter Rant" - it's incredibly riveting and an education - you will hopefully never treat waitstaff with disdain again....not that I do - I am usually of the extra nice overtipping school.

R.J. Satchithananthan was the "Jazzology" taping guest - of course, trombone players always appreciated (not that I'm biased). R.J. bought his first trombone from my brother, Colin! Justin Sauson of Mohawk is on air tonight.

Thinking of going to check out Tequila Bookworm tonight at 9 and in the meantime - working on the archive and making chili.

I think the next time I'm going somewhere I might "luxe" out a bit - a little pampering. Although I haven't left for Barbados yet, I'm already thinking about a trip to New York in spring - it's lovely there then (well, it always is, really) yet, I remember how there were tulips and daffodils planted everywhere and trees were out in bloom -it's just that much further south.

Amazing cookies....

A little sticky to deal with but - really, really good. http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/10870

Rosanne at the Board

Posting is up on the Jazz FM website - I hope I got everything right. Here she is with Andy Pryde at the Humber studio...she is so vibrant! Tomorrow - Don Thompson and Reg Schwager at the Four Seasons Centre/Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre for a free concert....I am hoping to go to another PFW event - time to network and make more friends - if I do indeed have a New Year's resolution. I was down at the station today working on the Archive - it's good to get out of the house, however, I realize there are as many distractions down there as at home - except no whining cat. The walnut butter/oatmeal/chocolate chip cookies disappeared fast. I did get to enjoy some Phil Woods, Zoot Sims and Bill Cunliffe - thanks to Larry Green - wonderful afternoon drive host, whose kind tribute to Craig Magill prompted an online listener to donate to his memorial fund through the EJS......always welcome - www.yardbirdsuite.com The lovely Jen Sagar is at Harlem on Friday night...more to come....my mind is already in the Barbados....

A Visit to Humber

Many thanks to Rosanne Howell for showing off the fabulous Humber recording studio and a tour of the music department - fascinating! Blog posting to come this week on Jazz FM. Great to hear and see Chris Butcher, Todd Pentney and Justin Gray at Gate 403 - I wish there had been more bodies to appreciate the talent! Always a pleasure. Also fun to hear Brian Chahley and his band at the Rex. Please read Roger Levesque's wonderful article about Craig Magill in the Edmonton Journal.....http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=c7befc92-b526-42b4-8476-552662bfe86e I am hibernating a bit of late...and especially today...brrr...however as always - jazz at the Pilot this afternoon and at Dora Keogh's pub on the Danforth, the Rex tonight....etc. While many are looking forward to the return of "Lost" - I am anticipating "Chuck" tomorrow night...yes!

This is how I feel about the new year's possibilities - coincidentally my birth stone - thanks for the great report Nancy Fenn - get your own insights www.bemyguide.net.

My new favourite coffee shop in the neighbourhood is Jimmy's - cozy spot on Portland between King and Adelaide...great coffee and good vibe.

I had a lovely lunch with Rosanne Howell, one of our "Jazzology" graduates - more to follow on the Jazz FM blog....she was radiant!

Chris Butcher....Brian Chahley

Chris Butcher's trio tomorrow night at Gate 403 - the dinner hour...so come on down and nosh at this cozy Roncesvalles spot, enjoy the wonderful musicianship of Chris on trombone, and his equally delightful band members, Justin Gray on bass and Todd Pentney on piano. Seems like a nice way to avoid the cold or getting cabin fever. That same evening....Brian Chahley is back in town with a stellar group of American visitors at the Rex for the 9:30 show....encore Thursday night, same bat station, same bat channel.... Go Juniors! Get that gold medal! It's days like today, snowy and grey that make it nice to work from home...although I did need to venture over to Kensington for Ideal coffee, produce and raw "coconut cups" from Choco Sol - addictive - from the fabulous 4 Life - playing some great jazz today... Reading "This is Your Brain on Music" by Dan Levittan...food for thought...