12 September 2014

Saba-Anguilla-Kitty Wrap Up; or Au Revoir, Mes Points-Coeur

From one extreme...
...to the other











My DH and I have started returning again and again to Anguilla because each time we visit, we think it cannot get any better, and then inevitably the island surprises us by surpassing our expectations.  This year the only difference is that we added on two nights at the beginning to explore Saba, an island that is the perfect complement to Anguilla.  It's difficult to imagine two other islands, so close to each other, that could be more polar opposites.
Just a random shot from the road. You really can't escape the views.
Saba was gorgeous, and though we saw it almost exclusively under heavy cloud cover and rain, we really liked what we experienced.  This tiny Dutch island is very friendly, very progressive in its attitude toward the environment and animal welfare, and full of stunning vistas practically every time you turn around. We'd love to go back and spend a bit more time there, including replicating our stay Queen's Garden Resort, complete with our private hot tub with a view.
Such a shabby thing...
As much as we enjoyed Saba, however, there is no denying that Anguilla was the main attraction for our trip, so it was with great excitement that we turned northward for a little island hopping, via St. Maarten.  It was the first time we'd arrived in Anguilla without a very full day of travel behind us, and we loved that.  We provisioned at Best Buy and settled in to Caribella like it was our second home, with energy to spare.
Sunset seen from our balcony at Caribella
For the next two weeks, we spent most of our time revisiting old favorites and discovering new ones.  We pretty much became fixtures at Geraud's for breakfast and The Place for lunch & all-day lounging-- I think our count was ten visits and six visits, respectively.
Geraud's pastries: lemon and pear & almond

The Place's stunning beach
We hit all of our favorite spots for lunch or dinner -- Mango's, Veya, Straw Hat, Picante, Jacala and Dolce Vita -- and many of them we did twice. We tried a few new places for lunch and dinner with varying degrees of success, and happily re-discovered that DaVida was worth the third chance that we gave it.






We went on a magical mystery tour, seeing new-to-us places all over the island, collecting sand samples along with memories. The textures and the colors were all so new and fascinating.





We also discovered a few new places to help support the local economy with our souvenir money.
Caribbean Silk Screen is a great source for t-shirts
Limin' Boutique offers something in every price range
Savannah Gallery offers an incredibly varied selection of artists
We're always heavy hearted when we pack up to go home, but for the second trip in a row, we were distracted from our sorrows by the antics of a young kitten.  We like to support AARF, the Anguilla Animal Rescue Foundation, and one of the ways we do that is to transport a young animal from Anguilla back to the US, where foster families and forever homes await them. AARF takes care of the payment and provides the carrier, the proper health certificates, and a small tote filled with treats and piddle pad. They even meet the volunteers at the airport or ferry dock to make things as easy as possible. If you're even the least bit tempted by this idea and would be willing to transport a kitten or puppy, please do it!  It's simple and stress free and a great way to help save a life.
Awaiting departure in Anguilla
This little one was a real trouper because the noon flight from Anguilla to St Maarten was booked, so we had to take the 10:00 am flight to SXM.  This meant that little Kaila was without food or elimination facilities for about 15 hours until we landed in Hartford that night.
We held Kaila when sitting in the airport and she'd just purr and purr.


We really had a fabulous trip.  In terms of giving you the good, the bad, and the ugly: it was almost all good, very little bad (terrible mosquitos this time around), and nothing ugly. Can't wait for our next visit, in which we will be taking a very short trip in November with one of our granddaughters.  


9 comments:

  1. I hate to see it end, it is is always such a pleasure to read your writing and see your stunning pictures.
    Looking forward to meeting you in Nov Em, - 2 months!
    Thanks for a great read.
    Ellen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm looking forward to meeting you, too, Ellen. November seems so far away!

      Delete
  2. Beautiful photos- I've never been there, but I would love to. A sincere thank you for rescuing that kitten and transporting her to a much better life!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She was a sweet little thing. One day the kitten I transport will stay WITH ME. They're hard to give up, even after spending just one day with them.

      Delete
  3. Wow, that hot tub with that view. GORGEOUS

    Really, all of the pictures are gorgeous. And delicious looking. As usual.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Every person should experience a hot tub with a view at some point in their lives.

      Delete
  4. So enjoyed your photos and descriptions! Am really happy (and envious) you are returning in November because it means I will get another treat following your stay on Anguilla!

    Many thanks for sharing your trip - it has been a pleasure Ms Crowe!

    PS. I read some of your book recommendations during my recent holiday in Greece so thank you on that front too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jan, are you going to post about your Greece trip? I'd *really* love to read about it. And also hear what you've been reading these days that I should look out for!

      Delete
  5. That's the sign of a great vacation spot - beloved favorites and new things to discover each time.

    What a wonderful idea to volunteer as a kitty helper! She looks like a sweetie. :)

    ReplyDelete

Please, sir, may I have some more? (Comments, that is!)