More beaches....

Thursday we went with Helen and Owen  to a lovely place on the beach for lunch - I had conch and it was fantastic. So nice to sit under palm trees and look over to an almost deserted beach.

After lunch we played on the beach, and went in the incredible shallow and warm sea.

In the evening we stayed at our hotel, drank lots of cocktails and listened to some reggae!

 Friday we drove up to the top of the island  - Leeward -  and went for a walk along the beach.very busy again as you can see.

When we got back we went to the pool, and were amazed to see a small heron join us. He stayed by the pool, right next to us, for about an hour, and even drank from the pool. 

In the evening Helen, Toby and Owen joined us, and we had a BBQ - there were a couple of communal BBQ areas in the grounds of the hotel with gas BBQs, implements, fridges, and places to eat. We had a great meal of salad, bread, grilled vegetables and steak.

The following day - horror - it was raining. We just managed to get our breakfast before the heavens opened - had to shelter as it was coming down too hard for us to get back to our room.

No trip to the beach as we'd planned, so what better to do than find an ice cream parlour that serves cocktails!

The rain did stop eventually, and we had a lovely walk along the beach

Sunday was our last day, and the sun was shining again

After checking out of the hotel and dropping the hire car off, we went off to the beach again for the day. Another almost deserted beach, warm shallow sea, golden sand....

The only bad thing to happen was I dropped my camera in the sad, face down. Got sand in all of the lens mechanism and completely broke it. Otherwise a lovely lazy day, rounded off with a lovely late lunch in another restaurant with an amazing view.

Back to Toby and Helens, a quick shower and change and off to the airport for our long journey back. A fab time!

Sheffield peregrines in Provo

Woke up on Tuesday to a familiar sound, I thought it was one of our peregrine falcons from Sheffield outside of the window. Looked out, and there it was, tearing a smaller bird to pieces. By the time I'd got my camera, the smaller bird was gone and the falcon was having a rest. Got a reasonable picture of it on my camera, this ones not so good form my phone. From a quick glance at Wikipedia, I think it's an American Kestrel.



Went for a walk along the beach. Really busy, as you can see.



And the sea really is that colour. A pelican thoughtfully stopped to fish right by us.



Then back to the pool for Stuarts daily 40 lengths. Went to see Helen for lunch and delicious tuna sandwiches, and when Owen woke for his nap we tried out their pool which is lovely. Owen enjoyed kicking around and splashing.
Lots of fun time playing with Owen later, who loved Grandpa's car keys.



Another fab meal cooked by Toby at the BBQ, mohito chicken, washed down with mohitos of course! Came back and thought we'd have a nightcap at the resort bar, but it was shut. They obviously go to bed early here.

Wednesday we went for an adventure, and drove to North West Point, most of which is down an unmade road, and the last couple of miles down a sandy track. Probably best if we don't tell the hire car company where we've been. Luckily the tyres stayed undamaged and we didn't get stuck in the sand. Another glorious beach.


And more bird life, an egret and an osprey. The osprey has made its nest on a pole which had think has had a light in it in the past, and the nest is made from all sorts of rubbish it has picked up, including some bright blue rope from Fisherman's nets.



On the way back we stopped for lunch at Da Conch Shack.


Stu had conch, I had jerk chicken and rice and peas, washed down with local beer. Another day, another beach, another beer.


I bought a conch shell from a local seller, and also found a couple in the sand which will look good somewhere at home. Not sure where yet.

Back for a swim and a read by the pool. Then off to see Owen again before bedtime, and dinner at the Tiki Hut with Toby. It was chicken and ribs night. So, we had chicken and ribs. Plus a couple of mohitos of course.


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Provo adventures

Off on our travels again. This time back to Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands to see Toby and Helen. Drove to Heathrow Saturday afternoon, with our suitcases and big box of assorted stuff, mainly presents for Owen and some treats! We did get comments when we posted this on Facebook that it looked like we'd packed a light sabre.


Decent meal at the Sofitel and an early night and early start. Great news on the plane, headsets are allowed during takeoff and landing. I.m not a brilliant flyer, and hate takeoff, so to have loud music in my ears while we took off was great, drowned out the noise of the engines.

Bizarrely we got our first gin and tonic at 1030, and lunch at 1100, but I always think time isn't real in a plane! Then I fell asleep listening to random songs from my iTunes. Everything for folk to musicals, classical to reggae. Think I slept on and off for about 4 hours. Then read and watched TED talks. An hour stop over at Nassau, and we arrived.

Met by Toby and Owen, a short drive to theirs where we met Helen, and unpacked the box. Owen loved his new chair sent to him by his Granny



And all of his birthday presents form is, including his first bike



Had a lovely meal of BBQd chicken, cooked on the communal gas BBQs they have, great idea, and then checked in at our resort, very tired we intended to go straight to sleep, but realised the Oscars were on, and we were for once in the right time zone to watch them, so we did!
Then a very long jet lag induced sleep.

Woke up to glorious sunshine, and had breakfast by the beach. The view whilst we were choosing breakfast was pretty impressive.



It was nice to see the resort in sunshine, having arrived in darkness last night.



Stuart needed to get him swimming, a good 40 lengths, whilst I watched and listened to music. And floated in the pool occasionally.


After a quick lunch. Helen and Owen met us on the beach where we had a fun time building sandcastles so Owen could jump on them, and even made it for a paddle. The sun was going down by now but it was still warm and the light was fabulous.



After a quick swim in the pool to get rid of the sand, we ate in the restaurant on the beach, where Owen was completely transfixed by the live music, and amused the whole place by dancing to the reggae music. Finally, my favourite drink of the islands, a mohito.






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