Around The Island

On yet another rain-slashed August day, I spared a thought for those holidaymakers who had come to the forest and the seaside for their long-awaited summer break. The last ten days hasn’t bothered me, because my chest infection has kept me indoors anyway, but they can’t have had much fun.

Needless to say this was another day for scanning colour slides, this time from Barbados in May 2004. If nothing else they remind me of sunshine. This set of photographs was made a day or two before Sam was expected to reach the island, having rowed The Atlantic solo from the Canaries.

Unknown plant 5.04

Both Jackie and I think we ought to recognise this plant, but we don’t. Fortunately Mary Tang has identified it as frangipani.

Bougainevillea 5.04

Bougainvillea brightens every landscape.

Sunset 5.04 1Sunset 5.04 2Sunset 5.04 3

A golden sunset is almost a cliche. Not in Port St Charles.

Jessica, Louisa & friend 5.04

Jessica watches as Louisa shows her photographs to another member of the waiting group.

Sunbury bird 5.04

Birds like the Yellow breasted Sunbury,

Barbados bullfinch 5.04

and the Barbados Bullfinch, the only indigenous species, which is found nowhere else, take advantage of nature’s camouflage,

Barbados Land crab 5.04

as does the land crab.

Grackle 5.04 002

The grackle

Sanderling 5.04

and the sanderling don’t seem to need it.

Coconut cutting 5.04

This gentleman demonstrates the method of releasing milk from a coconut.

Caribbean Sea

Just before the expected arrival time even the previously bright blue Caribbean Sea darkened,

Rainbow 5.04

and a rainbow arced over Port St Charles.

I was regularly in touch with Radio Nottingham to deliver live updates from my mobile phone. That night, I opened our balcony doors so that listeners could hear the deafening waves crashing in from the Atlantic.

This evening we dined on barbecue pork ribs, savoury rice, and green beans. Jam tart and custard was to follow. Ian drank Heritage de Calvet cotes du Rhone 2014; Becky drank lime cordial; Jackie, sparkling water; and I, another glass of the pinot noir.

38 comments

  3. Wonderful island photographs Derrick – I love the look of Bougainvillea, tried to grow it here, no luck for me. Hope you start to feel better – what is going on?

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  6. I love these pix. Did you know that bougainvillea comes in many colors. I didn’t know that until I went to buy it for my yard!

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  7. Whenever I’m somewhere I don’t know the plants, I start asking people what they are and am often surprised how many people don’t know. The first time I saw bougainvillea, I asked a cab driver what it was and he said,”BOO-gan-vay.” Somehow I got it. Lovely stuff I saw was purple. So glad to know what frangipani looks like–congrats and grateful thanks to Mary for the ID.

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  12. Lovely sunset photos. The Frangipani is again quite common where we are. In the vegetation sense, Barbados is beginning to sound quite similar to Bangalore. We do prefer the local name given to Frangipani over here, they are called Temple Trees.

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