You good?!
Welcome back to paradise. I hope your past week exceeded your expectations and the week ahead excites you! It's that time of the year when everyone seems to be just a little happier (or at least, a little less grumpy).
Same old with our weather. Warm, sometimes cloudy, sometimes not, occasional rain showers; little to talk about really!
Trying to follow along a conversation with Bajans who speak the local 'dialect' continues to confound me. As Sam says, many English words are truncated so they lose their familiarity. Bajans just want a more efficient way of speaking. So much for Google Translate's help in this instance.
My good friend Dave has been on my mind. He's the person who connected me with one of his work colleagues, Alex, who grew up in Barbados. She happened to be friends with the owners of Ocean Hollow (to whom she referred me), my first Bajan home. The journey in Barbados unfolded subsequently. Dave also saved me from myself when I was traveling in SE Asia in 2020, the same time COVID was gaining momentum. In mid-March (around the time Justin Trudeau was advising Canadians to return home), he strongly suggested I return to Canada. I heeded his advice just as all the airports were shutting down. He also introduced to his Masonic Lodge for which I'm grateful. He's been an amazing friend since we first met attending our EMBA classes in September 1993. 🙏
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| Hummingbird - one of the pair |
FYI - taking good hummingbird photos takes patience and anticipation. It's a work-in-progress for me!
Here's the second instalment of the learning
Bajan sayings - Part 2 sayings for your ongoing education. Part 1 was included in last week's post.
May the universe bring endless blessings and moments of magic 🦄 to you and your loved ones in the week ahead. 🙏
Travel Administration
Here's a travel buddy you should take with you wherever you go. The glue I had had hardened in the tube so also a good idea to periodically check in on your travel buddies to ensure they're good. My flip flops were in need of some TLC as they had stopped flopping.
Travel Update
I'm getting a geography lesson as I investigate traveling to/in Mongolia. It's an independent country with recent historical links to Russia. Inner Mongolia is part of China. The country is three times the size of France without the same degree of infrastructure. Approximately 3.2 million people are citizens. There are expansive areas of sheer wilderness including the Gobi Desert. And the last remaining people who ride reindeer are found in Mongolia. More to come in the weeks ahead.
Travel Maps
This week I ventured into the world of using taxis using the pickUP Barbados app. Lesson learned - taxis can be expensive!
Blessings
I started my week with my friend/neighbour Greg dropping by my place to leave this sorbet delight with me prior to his departing for work. I love mango. I am blessed to be in the midst of the most extraordinary friends! 🙏 Thank you to the universe!
Out and About Barbados
The following section incorporates my adventures throughout the week. Enjoy!
The marathon/1/2 marathon route went right pass my house on Sunday morning. I parked myself at roadside from about 6 am to 9 am to cheer on the runners/walkers as they passed by. The marathon started at 5 am to ensure most runners avoided the anticipated heat and UV rays (typically at 3 by 9 am; 6 by 10 am).
Two emissaries of the universe was also ensuring I avoided those damaging UV rays. The first emissary was a female police officer who was driving the route who cautioned me to put on sun block. The second emissary was a young woman who appeared on the opposite side of road beckoning me to cross the road to speak with her. She suggested that I might want to get out of the sun by crossing the road where there was shade.
BTW - Sam, the guy who informed about the marathon, missed most of the runners. He had mistakenly thought the race started at 6 am.
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| Runners approaching from the south |
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Runners returning from marathon
turnaround point |
New Cooking Experience
My curiosity led me to asking a fellow shopper why she was buying the funny looking banana. Welcome to the world of plantains. She helped me buy the plantains below along with sharing preparation instructions. When I mentioned my impending plantain cooking experience to Nicola at Wendy's she advised the only thing that I could get wrong in preparing plantains is forgetting to peel the plantains!
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| Plantains |
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| Fried delights - I used butter. |
Gautier's Quality Bakery - Return Visit
Like clockwork, I returned to Gautier's on Monday afternoon at 2 pm expecting to purchase my two loaves of sweet bread and be on my way. The universe had different plans in store for me. I was advised if I returned around 5 pm, I could have my sweet bread. I decided, instead of waiting, I'd take the bus to Massys (about a 30 minute ride) to use the ATM. While in transit, someone at Gautier's responded to my previous WhatsApp message advising my two loaves were going into the oven now and would be ready for me no later than 4:15 pm. I was back on the bus, arriving at the bakery around 4 pm. The loaves were physically being removed from the oven when I was there. One more stroll to find a bus to get home with my steaming hot loaves.
BTW - the music on buses gets louder as more people crowd onto the bus. Imagine how soothing that loud bass is as you stand in a crowded bus. I'm truly having the Bajan experience.
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| My sweet bread. So amazingly good! |
Christmas Decorations
This was the week I remembered to decorate my temporary home for Christmas. I brought two Christmas stockings with me to adorn my residence. Always good to have a backup stocking, you know!
A favourite Christmas memory is diving into the Christmas stockings that my mom had prepared for us when I was a child. A memory that has lasted a lifetime!
Welcome to Free Masonry in Barbados. There are twelve lodges (six blue lodges/six Scottish Rite lodges) that meet in this spectacular building located in St. George's Parish. had the gift of a personal tour by W. Bro Dave Dyall, building manager, who is retired from the military and from government service (was in charge of the prime minister's office maintenance). He is a past master of the Albion Lodge, the oldest lodge on the island, chartered in 1790. He also mentioned the lodge was the oldest lodge in the Western Hemisphere. I'm unsure the criteria used to determine oldest as I found lodges in North America with charter dates earlier that 1790. Go figure!
Sadly, a lodge visit is off the table. I forgot to bring a suit which is required to attend lodge meetings.
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| Temple grand entrance |
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| Temple from the rear |
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Amazing open space overlooking
St. George's Valley |
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| St. George's Valley |
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| St. George's Valley |
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| Conference Centre |
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| Architect's rendering of proposed temple |
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| Albion Lodge - Past Masters Roll |
Local Fauna
My new camera, which also doubles as my smartphone, has opened my eyes to an entire new world of photographic experiences. Indulge me as I share my latest photographic discoveries!
On the beach
Welcome to my new world of sand crabs! Simply amazing how much sand they can move in digging their burrows.
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| Always at the ready; half way in the burrow |
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| Smile for the camera |
Roadside
Please meet the two cows I've encountered grazing alongside the ABC Highway. I share this photo for sentimental reasons as these cows have been grazing in the same general area for the last five years. Welcome to Barbados' dichotomy.
Sea Glass Hunt Update
OMG! I've collected so much sea glass in the past week. 🙃 The sea has been somewhat rough which results in more glass being deposited on the beach. I've also noticed there seem to be fewer glass hunters on the beach. I'm openly hoping for more hunters which reduces the amount I need to collect. Remember, this is an addiction so ignoring perfectly good sea glass is an emotional challenge - hahaha!
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Ice cream container on left is what I picked for the
week. I've also added a seashell, some small tiles,
and more blue sea glass. |
Sunsets
The universe blessed us with fabulous sunsets throughout the week! A highlight in my day. I usually head down to the beach around 5 pm with sunset happening about 5:30 pm. Winter Solstice is almost here - Sunday, December 21, 2025 at 10:03 am EST.
December 7
December 8
December 9
December 10
December 11
December 12
December 13
Next Week
I'm planning to walking longer distances (about 10 km/6 mi) every second day in preparation for hiking in Nepal. The other highlight is getting my hair cut. Oh yeah, I'm also looking at options for my travel blog in 2026. Sam is also sharing books from his personal library so my knowledge of Barbados history is slowly expanding. Reading about the hardship experienced by the blacks in Barbados reinforces the gratitude for the life I've been blessed with!
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