Let Me Introduce You To My Island…St.Vincent & The Grenadines

For those of you who don’t know, I was born in Montreal, Canada but moved to St.Vincent & The Grenadines (SVG) at a very young age. I only returned to Canada for university at 17.  So yes Toronto is home…but St.Vincent is home, home.

As I mentioned in a previous post my husband and I travel to St.Vincent at least once a year. I still have lots of family and a few close friends there. When I do go back to SVG I pretty much just hang with family and friends. But this time around I partnered with SVG Tourism to show you parts of the island that I’ve never been to or haven’t for quite some time. For my husband Victor it was his first time at all of these places, so I revelled at the opportunity to show him…and now you, my island.

Below are some of my favourite pictures from my trip. You’ll also find my highlight video at the end of this post.

Botanical Gardens:

My great aunts Agnes (passed) and Theresa (still kicking at 102!) have always had a great appreciation for the beauty and splendour of flora. They both had much admired gardens and they would talk to their plants and spend lots of time tending to their gardens. I can’t say I inherited their green thumbs (not one bit) but I did acquire their adoration and respect for flowers. On a recent visit to the Botanical Gardens my great aunts were very much on my mind. I could see the hard work that went into maintaining the gardens. Rows and rows and carefully manicured hedges and lawns. It’s the kind of perfection you would expect from the oldest gardens in the western hemisphere. Created in 1765. And as an added bonus…the gardens are home to St.Vincent & The Grenadines’ national bird…the Amazona Guildingii.

Kingstown Market:

The Kingstown Market is an experience. The stalls are overflowing with a wide assortment of fruits, vegetables, spices, and other food items. All local produce! Couple that with the sometimes cranky, but loveable vendors and it really is a party for the senses. This is as authentic as it gets, no touristy business here. But I think that’s exactly why so many people, locals and tourists alike, love this place. On this particular trip we got. Lettuce, green peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, plum rose, bananas and nutmeg. I had to let my mother do the talking, my market haggle game is weak!

 

FireFly Plantation Hotel, Bequia:

As a kid I found the Grenadine island of Bequia so boooorinnng!! Just too slow and quiet!

The funny thing is, those are the same reasons why  I love Bequia now! Victor and I took a one hour boat ride over to the island on the Bequia express. The reveal of the Bequia harbour or Admirality Bay is so impressive. It calms you right away. We spent the day at the Firefly Plantation Hotel. We love open air spots. Firefly Bequia also isn’t the typical beachfront hotel. Spent the entire afternoon gazing at the view of the sprawling estate and the turquoise sea off in the distance. We also had an awesome guided tour of their 30 acre plantation. Shot some video and will post it soon on my YouTube channel. It was a good day. Next time we plan to come back for the Bequia Easter Regatta that’s when quaint Bequia really comes alive!

Vermont Nature Trail:

I know, I know I’m wearing flip flops. Not advisable for the 2 mile trek (1 hour there and back). We had a last minute change to our plan and unexpectedly ended up at Vermont Nature Trail. Victor and I go hiking a lot with our dog Remy, so we were eager to take on the trail, but we didn’t make it the entire way in our flops. So wear proper shoes if you go!! If you saw my highlight video, you would notice I kept on saying “it so lush…look at that.” I really just couldn’t get over how dramatically green and rich the scenery was. Pictures really don’t do it justice.  This is where the same parrots from the Botanical Gardens (Amazona Guildingii) hang out in the wild. Near the end of the trail there’s actually a parrot look-out point where you could see glimpses of their vividly coloured feathers swooping through the foliage.

Cafe Soleil:

This place got repeat visits from us on our trip. By the way can you guys FedEx a Tequila Sunrise and Bruschetta for me?! 😉 When in doubt find me by the waterside dreaming about the  yacht I’m gonna own one day. Cafe Soleil is tucked away at the Blue Lagoon Hotel & Marina in Ratho Mill. It was the perfect place for me to show off my new shorts from Vincentian designer Peta Odini. Speaking of fashion, the shopping scene in St.Vincent is now way beyond what it used to be when I lived there. There’s also a cute boutique just behind me at the Blue Lagoon Hotel. Keep an eye on my blog for some more posts on my fashion finds while in St.Vincent.

Argyle International Airport:

Felt like a “dollar bread” (Vincy phrase meaning “privileged”) when we got the opportunity to take pictures on the tarmac of the Argyle International Airport. We even got a tour inside! It doesn’t officially open until February 14th. Right now someone like me coming from Toronto for example, has to fly to Barbados before taking a 30 minute flight to St.Vincent on a smaller airline. Once the Argyle International Airport opens…we’ll fly direct baby! Stay tuned for a subsequent blog post with more pictures and video on the new airport.

Thank you St.Vincent & The Grenadines. Until next time… stay blessed!

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