St. Lucia
Trip Report 2015
Chillin' in the Villa
(Winter Escape Part 2)
Chillin' in the Villa
(Winter Escape Part 2)
The wilds of Trouya & the Bois d'Orange
We broke out of the villa a couple of times for a wander down to the beach - we could just see one tip of it from our veranda, but we had to walk around via the road to avoid the need of a machete to get through the tangled jungle that was the most direct route. This gave us a chance to see some of the local houses as well. One smaller house had a massive manicured lawn that I know that I wouldn't want to mow. And speaking of mowing, twice during our stay we had people nearby mowing their whole lawn with a weed-whacker. Needless to say they took all day to do it. WTF? I guess labor is cheaper than buying a mower? It made no sense to me & the all day drone was mildly annoying . . . And I won't even mention the dogs barking in the valley . . .
Trouya Beach is a 'raw' sand beach with no services. It gets indirect waves from the standard current & it tended to collect seaweed & debris. A school group of 30 teenagers + teacher were learning beach stuff so it was a rather busy place that morning. A nice spot. On the walk back we took the photo below showing our villa's remote position on the hill.
In the 'other' direction from the road, we could walk to Windjammer Resort, 15 minutes away on foot. It is a condo resort with a collision of timeshare owners & standard package villa & room rentals. We went to check out the grounds & the restaurants. While waiting by the pool for a rain shower to dissipate, we remembered why we didn't like all-inclusives & the standard resort vacation. We were happy to trudge back up to our private villa away from the noise & hubbub.
Trouya Beach is a 'raw' sand beach with no services. It gets indirect waves from the standard current & it tended to collect seaweed & debris. A school group of 30 teenagers + teacher were learning beach stuff so it was a rather busy place that morning. A nice spot. On the walk back we took the photo below showing our villa's remote position on the hill.
In the 'other' direction from the road, we could walk to Windjammer Resort, 15 minutes away on foot. It is a condo resort with a collision of timeshare owners & standard package villa & room rentals. We went to check out the grounds & the restaurants. While waiting by the pool for a rain shower to dissipate, we remembered why we didn't like all-inclusives & the standard resort vacation. We were happy to trudge back up to our private villa away from the noise & hubbub.
Rodney Bay
Rodney Bay is the southernmost part of the larger community of Gros Islet, pronounced as in French as: grow-ill-A. At it's center is the marina in a large sheltered harbor separated from the mainland by a wide channel. It is very popular with the boating set because they can dingy from the yachts to shop or go to restaurants.
We were not impressed with the town. At the main crossroads were 2 mallish type structures - both with supermarkets & a hodgepodge of stores - mainly with really bad trinkets aimed at the mindless tourist trade. Like the food in the supermarkets, the combination of a small market with the necessity of importation makes everything a crazy price. The rest of downtown is mix of new buildings - banks, the casino, several restaurants - and old ones - decrepit bars wailing Reggae tunes from PAs. With the requisite locals lounging at street corners etc. This is not really a 'tourist pretty' town, if you know what I mean - it is a wannabe. And then there was Castries . . .
We sampled 3 restaurants in town:
Tapas on the Bay for lunch. My Trip Advisor review 4/5
La Terrasse for dinner. My Trip Advisor review 4/5
Jacques Waterfront Dining. My Trip Advisor review 4/5
All of the above were on the expensive side due to the island effect. All were good but Jacques tops my list for eateries in RB. We went to Jacques along with another couple - Carolyn & Robert from Texas - who were renting a villa on the tip of Trouya Point. We met them when they drove up our drive one day when we left the gate open. "Hi. How are you? " and "Who are you?" They were looking for next year's rental & this led to drinks at their villa a few days later & dinner later in the week. The picture with Martinique in the distance (below) was taken from their veranda. He is the moderator of the St Lucia UK Expats forum & he knew everybody.
One odd thing that happened while we were in Rodney Bay. An Apple iPhone cable & plug disappeared. Vanished. It was reputedly locked safely on the bedroom floor of our villa. Inside the grated secure area. And yet, it was gone when we returned. My wife is adamant that it was left there. No one could or did get in there to steal it. We suspect the birds. Or that crab pictured below that the maid found behind the bedroom door . . . ;)
We were not impressed with the town. At the main crossroads were 2 mallish type structures - both with supermarkets & a hodgepodge of stores - mainly with really bad trinkets aimed at the mindless tourist trade. Like the food in the supermarkets, the combination of a small market with the necessity of importation makes everything a crazy price. The rest of downtown is mix of new buildings - banks, the casino, several restaurants - and old ones - decrepit bars wailing Reggae tunes from PAs. With the requisite locals lounging at street corners etc. This is not really a 'tourist pretty' town, if you know what I mean - it is a wannabe. And then there was Castries . . .
We sampled 3 restaurants in town:
Tapas on the Bay for lunch. My Trip Advisor review 4/5
La Terrasse for dinner. My Trip Advisor review 4/5
Jacques Waterfront Dining. My Trip Advisor review 4/5
All of the above were on the expensive side due to the island effect. All were good but Jacques tops my list for eateries in RB. We went to Jacques along with another couple - Carolyn & Robert from Texas - who were renting a villa on the tip of Trouya Point. We met them when they drove up our drive one day when we left the gate open. "Hi. How are you? " and "Who are you?" They were looking for next year's rental & this led to drinks at their villa a few days later & dinner later in the week. The picture with Martinique in the distance (below) was taken from their veranda. He is the moderator of the St Lucia UK Expats forum & he knew everybody.
One odd thing that happened while we were in Rodney Bay. An Apple iPhone cable & plug disappeared. Vanished. It was reputedly locked safely on the bedroom floor of our villa. Inside the grated secure area. And yet, it was gone when we returned. My wife is adamant that it was left there. No one could or did get in there to steal it. We suspect the birds. Or that crab pictured below that the maid found behind the bedroom door . . . ;)
Chillin' in the Villa