Anguilla XV: Another Tuesday in Paradise

The little weather station by our apartment

Having turned in early the night before, we both woke early on Tuesday, eager to greet the day. This was the morning that an echoing boom could be heard across the entire Sandy Ground village, and as better writers than I have stated (thank you, RMG), it was the explosion of a catamaran’s lithium battery. Yikes!

We heated up our omelet and johnnycake leftovers from our earlier (and enormous) breakfast from Roy’s in the efficiency kitchen in the studio and dined al fresco for breakfast before taking a walk up the beach.

Sparkling Sandy Ground

The listing catamaran. 

Before this visit, I had never given much thought of Sandy Ground as a great beach destination, but it’s only in Anguilla that the “afterthought” beach is nicer than what you find on most other islands! I loved feeling like I was staying in the middle of things, like being a part of the local community. Obviously that communal fellow-feeling isn’t found on the big resorts that are intentionally providing an oasis for their guests, but until I experienced it in Sandy Ground, I hadn’t realized that it was something missing from my previous villa stays on the island, too.

We packed up our beach bags and drove all the way out to Shoal Bay East to spend the day at Elodia’s. That location is my favorite spot to park myself on SBE, just a short walk from the point, with steady breezes to keep you comfortable and a constant changing in shades of blue, thanks to the wind, the water, and its myriad interplays of light.

We began our usual cycle of swimming (which honestly is just treading water, not actually any kind of forward locomotion, other than drifting in the current), reading, and gazing at the horizon before I walked up and requested one of my favorite drinks: a passionfruit daiquiri. The one at Elodia’s is excellent and they provide a generous pour, and their prices are still lower than most other spots on the island.

 

After another dip in the water, we wandered back up to the restaurant for lunch. Michael ordered a mahi mahi sandwich and I had the bbq chicken plate. Both offered solid value and we made quick work of them before heading up the beach for a walk.

The last time we’d been to the island you couldn’t navigate around the point to Upper Shoal Bay, at least not on foot without wading through the waves, but on this visit we could walk all the way up. I have always loved that moment rounding the point, where the wind is suddenly aggressive in your face, whipping your hair around and the waves kick up and all the vegetation is bent to its will.

We walked back and swam again, then read some more, and eventually packed up our bags and settled up, for today was our visit with Pam at Sea Spray. Pam hadn’t been on island on our visit in 2022, I hadn’t seen her since 2019, and Michael hadn’t seen her since his first visit in 2016, so we all had some catching up to do! We sat and chatted while sipping our smoothies and watching the world drive by until eventually we bid her goodbye and hied ourselves down the hill to Sandy Ground.

Sunset from Roy's

Veya's signature urchin candle holders

Crudo of the day

Tonight was special, for tonight was dinner at Veya, which has long been one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. We started by sharing the crudo of the day (forgive me, I don’t recall what fish it was), served with plantain chips that was just delicious, followed by the five-spiced duck breast (Michael) and the grilled mahi mahi with miso-sesame glaze and coconut rice (me). 

The absolutely incredible mahi mahi

The totally delectable duck

There were quite a few new-to-me items on the menu this time, and I was deeply pleased to see that Veya now has a very nice selection of vegetarian and vegan-friendly items compared to my previous visits. (It must be said, that even though most restaurants in Anguilla can accommodate a vegetarian or vegan diet, not all of them list full options on the menu, which is a shame. When traveling with my vegetarian friend in 2022, all of our meal decisions were based on the online menu that restaurants provided.)

As tempted as we were by dessert, we decided to skip it in favor of following Peter’s advice and stopping by Waves on our way back down the hill to have a night cap, but not before popping into Meze for a moment to listen to Sprocka, who waved and greeted us as we gathered ‘round.

While Waves is technically walkable from Roy’s, I am so glad that we drove because walking that dark road through the abandoned Mariners resort to get there would have been creepy AF. It was creepy enough driving! But eventually the road gave way to a brightly lit spot on the water and we could breathe a sigh of relief.

We happened upon them at a quiet moment – they told us that 7-9 is pretty quiet until the after dinner crowd hits them – so it was fun feeling like we had stumbled across something secretive. We had two rounds of drinks while chatting to the two women working and the occasional person who dropped in for takeout before heading back to Roy’s and turning in for the night.

Christmas Bat!

Anguilla, or There and Back Again Part IV

Another Tuesday in paradise. Rise with the sun, read in bed while listening to the waves, breakfast on the balcony. Early walk on the beach, floating in those gorgeously warm waters, read under the umbrella. Those last three bits? Repeat until it’s time to clean up for lunch.  Because today, lunch is a Special Occasion.

Which is to say, Hibernia. I’d only been there once before for dinner many years ago, and when I tried going there for lunch on my last trip in 2016, I showed up without a reservation and they were closed.  So this year it was definitely a priority for me to have a nice meal at Hibernia, and I wanted to go for lunch so that I could enjoy the views and their lovely gardens to the fullest.

As it turns out, I was the only guest for lunch, so basically I had the luxury of a private dining experience. Mary Pat was incredibly lovely and gracious, and we chatted a bit about the island and the changes we’ve seen over the years, but then we also bonded over books.

I placed my order for the scallops & wahoo carpaccio with passionfruit, cucumber, and basil, followed by the warm crab, lobster, and onion tartlet, accompanied by the delicious Irish brown bread and sauvignon blanc. While waiting for my first course, I explored the art gallery and made some photos.

The Hibernia meal is like no other on the island. From the objets d’art of Southeast Asia to the gorgeous view to the unique menu, it all adds up to one phenomenal experience. This beautiful appetizer is one of the two best cold first courses I’ve enjoyed on Anguilla (tied with the cucumber soup with tomato sorbet at Jacala). Also, how gorgeous is it?  I love passion fruit - the flavor is so bright and clean, and frankly I don’t know why it isn’t used more widely with tropical cuisine. The warm tart was redolent with seafood and was comforting AF. The two combined were sheer perfection.

For dessert, I ended up ordering a trio of sorbet/ice cream. One scoop each of ginger and almond gelato and a separate bowl for the passionfruit sorbet.  Every last spoonful was divine. Also, the bowls they were served in were just beautiful. Hand painted coconut shell and hand carved wood. 

Eventually I tore myself away from that idyllic setting because I wanted to briefly stop in Island Harbour before heading on to Shoal Bay East for the rest of the afternoon. Sidenote: I gave my mom my old iPhone in September, but I mistakenly deleted all of my photos, including all of my Anguilla pics.  So I wanted to stock up on my stock photos, as it were.

Lime Keel is new since my last visit to the island

My favorite spot on Shoal Bay East is Elodia’s.  The location is a bit quieter and I love being so close to the point. I’m sure there are other spots in Anguilla where the same thing happens, but what is so remarkable to me about that location is the change in scenery, wind, even temperature when you reach the end of the point and look towards Upper Shoal Bay. 

Carole, the lady I used to know from Elodia’s, no longer works there but her niece was there the day I dropped in.  It was a quiet afternoon, so she let me camp out under the big canopy for a couple of hours for only the cost of a single chair & umbrella. I had a small nap and when I emerged from my food coma, I went for a short swim.  Or rather, I simply entered the water and bobbed in place for a while. 

Around 4:00pm I settled my tab and drove homeward. Mindful that I still had a little shopping to do for friends back home, I stopped in at Irie Life on my way back to Turtles Nest. As always, their prices are a little high, but I knew it was where I could pick up some baseball caps.

I’d originally planned to stop in to visit with Pam at Sea Spray on my way home, but since she was closed that afternoon, I headed home and tried to figure out what my plan for the night would be.  I debated between eating my Dolce Vita leftovers and staying in for the whole night vs eating my DV leftovers and then actually heading over to Dolce Vita so I could see Abbi (since I’d missed him, thanks to my reservation gaffe), sit at the bar, and eat that amazing poached pear dessert again. 

After heading up to the rooftop deck for sunset and making a few photos (alas, less than spectacular) with my complimentary glass of house rum punch, I felt extreme inertia kicking in.  As darkness fell, I knew in my heart that I’d be staying in for the night.  (Sorry, Abbi!) The leftover lasagna from Dolce Vita was quite possibly even better than it was the first night and I finished off the bottle of wine that Turtles Nest had given me upon checkin.

That was also the same night of the exclusive wedding party that had booked the entirety of the Four Seasons resort. It was definitely a no-expense-spared sort of soiree, so between the light show and the fireworks, it felt like a private party pour moi.  Happy early birthday to me, indeed.