There are beaches, and there are beaches. And then there’s Antigua, which has a beach for every day of the year. My husband Francis and I spent 11 days in Antigua at the end of December, so while we didn’t have enough time to see all 365 bits of coastline, we managed to make it to a few. Of course, that meant we had to first leave “our” beach, the one that was just steps away from our apartment at Runaway Bay. It practically took an act of God just to get us to put shoes on, so heavenly was our home base. Let’s start there.
We stayed at the Barrymore Apartments, seven nights in Unit 7A – upstairs, with a full Caribbean Sea view – and then the last three nights downstairs with a side view of the water. Many hours were intentionally frittered away just staring off into the horizon as the skies changed color and the water lapped against the shore. These deck-view shots will explain why.
When we weren’t staring off into the distance, our short-range view was on the birds and lizards that came to visit and eat the bread crumbs and Cheerios that we set out for them. Although a common species, I really like the boat-tailed grackles, because they’re shamelessly entertaining. Here’s a place to find a sampling of their many calls, if you’re interested. And here’s what they look like prancing around our deck and shaking their tail feathers.
Some of our other guests…
And wherever we go, there is ALWAYS a visiting kitty.
For food, a trip to the First Choice grocery store a couple of miles up the road kept us well stocked for the duration of our trip. I became a quick fan of Wadadli, the local beer and also the name given to Antigua by its original Indian inhabitants.
Then, just steps away from our apartment, one of the best Italian restaurants I’ve ever had the pleasure of dining at, La Bussola, served as our destination on our first and last evenings. These guys had both the food and the service dialed like nobody’s business. (Just a note on the dress I’m wearing in the photo below: my next-door neighbor bought the same one! Isn’t that funny/weird? I guess that’s what happens when you find your fashion at Fred Meyer.) And finally, the picture of our apartment’s microwave is for all of you industrial design fans out there. Observe their clever use of Comic Sans font.
Finally, I’ll wrap this week’s post with a shot of our apartment building, taken from the water. No tropical trip is complete without a waterproof camera, and Francis swears by this one: Nikon Coolpix AW100. It’s not expensive, either. Notice that there’s only one person on the beach (me) — it was like that quite a lot of the time we were there. Quiet spots can still be found! The beaches of the world are not all overrun.
Join me for my next post on Antigua, when we actually LEAVE THE APARTMENT.
Have you spent any time in the Caribbean? Tell us your favorite Caribbean scene. Or queen. Either works. Just remember, no more love on the run.
Runaway Bay – what a wonderful name! It looks idyllic, can’t wait to read your next post, Laura!
I spent a week in the Caribbean on a cruise, years ago (1993, I think) – on business, can you believe! I was PR director for a pharmaceutical retail group that had a biannual conference for all its pharmacists. My job was to look after the trade press journalists that accompanied us to report on the conference. Best memory: glass-bottomed boat trip, drinking rum cocktails (and yet I still managed to remember it!) The next conference I went to with them after that was in Hong Kong. Well, it was a hard job, but someone had to do it….
Wow, I’ve always dreamed of having a job that had work trips like that!! Lucky duck!
Mmmm…looks fab! Jim and I went to Puerto Vallarta in December only because we found a hot deal we couldn’t pass up. Much more crowded but still, ah, the afternoon margaritas, the gorgeous sunsets, the huge iguanas and the humpback whales. Oh the whales. Maybe next year, it’ll be the Caribbean.
Any getaway to fun and sun is a good thing, no matter where! Glad you guys were able to do that. How/where did you find the hot deal — internet search?
Soooo pretty! Yay for Antigua and Fred Meyer fashion, not to mention visiting kitties. I actually had a Fred Meyer withdrawal stage when we moved to Charlotte and I had to start going to Target. I’ve never taken a warm weather winter get away, but I did work two winters in Florida and loved every minute of it. Coming back to Seattle must have been quite the shock!
Two winters in Florida?? Nice!! I always find that when I’m in places like that — sunny, warm, tropical — I think, “Wow, people really live like this all the time,” and then I wonder why we don’t! So yes, Seattle was a bit of a downer.
The gecko & the cat both have a similar lazy glazed look in their eyes (guess you get that on Island time), only the cat is obviously imploring Francis “take me home with you” (except it must not know Seattle)! Beautiful pics, gonna look up the waterproof camera, been meaning to get one! Sigh, thanks for sharing!!
I totally wanted to bring the cat home! It was a stray, the one kitten left from a litter that was still coming around (and its black-cat mama was spotted from time to time).
Oh Laura, absolutely gorgeous (both you and the scenery)! The two of you look so relaxed and that should be what a vacation is truly all about. By the way, you didn’t mention, how was it getting there?
Thanks so much for sharing and I’m looking forward to reading/seeing more :)))
Oh my God, you’re right, I didn’t mention the trip down, which was not uneventful, unfortunately. An older (70-ish) woman was looking and sounding quite disoriented, and “problematic,” to me as we all boarded the plane in Miami. Francis quipped, “I hope she’s not sitting next to us,” and then I said, “I hope she doesn’t ground the plane.” Sure enough, an hour into the flight, she had a panic attack and the pilot decided to turn around and take her back to Miami. We landed heavy as we hadn’t burned enough fuel off yet, so there were fire trucks lined up along the runway as we came in. Luckily, the crew didn’t need to be changed, and we didn’t damage the landing gear, so we were back in the air within two hours. But that poor woman should not have been traveling alone!
oh my gosh! What a beautiful place. Thanks for sharing Laura – all apartments should have a kitty. I loved that.
The caretaker wasn’t too happy when I showed him a photo of the kitty sleeping in our apartment, though! I hope he doesn’t chase it off. Poor little thing was so happy to have a soft, quiet place to sleep (I mean on the chair, not dissing Francis’s belly… ha!).
Just gorgeous, wow. Love the pics, including the wildlife. Really enjoyed this, Laura, and am looking forward to more! 🙂
Thanks, Chris! I surprise myself sometimes with how fascinated I can be by a bird or a lizard. I can watch them for ages. Part of that “do nothing” talent that some of us have. 😛
My dad just went there and loved it. I can now see why!
He did?! Why didn’t he take you???!!!! LOL!
Laura, thank you for this beautiful post! For a few moments, I was there! I love the Caribbean, though it’s been awhile since I visited. I spent my honeymoon in St. Thomas and St. John and made dive trips to the Caymans and San Salvador. I also did a photo shoot in Punta Cana, DR. But I’ve always wanted to go to Antigua. Maybe now’s the time to plan a trip! Love the photo of the two of you, by the way. You look so happy! Looking forward to Part Two! x Laura
Okay, I am not kidding when I tell you that I had JUST been thinking about you and Liz and then within minutes, your comment showed up!! I was thinking about volunteering trips to Africa because a friend from Africa had posted a piece that really gives them/the volunteers a bad rap and I was thinking about how to respond to it.
You’ve been to some great places! I haven’t been to any of the ones you listed, but I will say that I’ve heard Antigua gets pretty high marks from the ‘experienced Caribbean traveler.’ So yes, go!
Thanks for your comment and kind words, Laura. Be well and I hope your year is off to a great start.
Runaway Bay sounds like the perfect name to runaway from every day life.
Great pictures! I’m so jealous of those beaches and sunrise/sunsets. There’s something about water that makes my mind wander and think about an assortment of things.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Denise, I’m with you, just put me near some water, and I’m happy. I’ve never been a fan of “land-locked!” Sorry to make you jealous (but I had fun, and that’s what counts, isn’t it? HA!) and thanks for stopping by.
Laura, the view from that deck is so gorgeous. They wouldn’t have been able to dislodge me when the week was up. I would have feigned inability to understand what the staff were saying, or possibly a broken leg… anything to stay there and keep lookin’ at that!
And I also feel so badly for that poor woman with the panic attack. My aunt has not been able to see her family in another city for that very reason, too anxious to fly alone, no one to fly with. But glad you landed safely!
Ha, feigning inability to understand would be pure comic gold, considering everyone speaks English! And yes, that poor woman, I hated the idea of leaving her alone back in Miami, too! I wonder who she called, if she went home or to the hospital, if she ever made it to Antigua…
Thanks for this lovely post on Antigua. I always love reading bloggers views on the island. I especially loved the reference to the comic sans font as I am a trained industrial designer. What a coincidence ! I now work on marketing the island through http://bestantigua.com
I can’t and wont wait to read the next part !
Glad you enjoyed it, Calvin! And let me know if you’re ever hiring. 😉
Will keep that in mind 🙂 thanks.