Monday, December 29, 2014

An Island Holiday -- (part 2)-- St. Lucia

Continuing the photo review of our Caribbean "Island holiday"--
            this time we are traveling to the
                                beautiful island of St. Lucia~ 

                                           It's miserable, cold and rainy 
here today as I post these photos ---
 sure makes me wish we were back 
where the sun was shinning 
and the breezes were 
warm~

of all the Caribbean islands
that we have visited~
St. Lucia has one of the most
 picturesque harbor views.

sailing into St.Lucia
is truly beautiful --
it's one of those places
that makes you want to go
snap, snap, snap 
with your camera~






~we almost always have our island day activities
planned in advance,
but a necessary last minute change of plans
found us "seeking new adventures"...

hence...
our amazing day in
Pigeon Island National Park
~
we told our taxi driver-- "take us to a lovely beach,
someplace NOT crowded, someplace where all the other
cruise ship folks WON'T be" ~

Pigeon island is not really an "island"--
located at the tip of St. Lucia
it has the distinction of being unique in that
the rough and turbulent Atlantic ocean is on one side,
while the calm Caribbean ocean is on the other~
~
(click here for more info about 

Pigeon Island)


 
 There is a small entrance fee to the park--
(about $7 US)-- once you are inside you can walk
the grounds, visiting the incredible
ruins, walk along the beach,
snorkel, dive, and--
climb the hill to the fort
for the most amazing views ever!

 Just saying the word "ruins" 
makes my heart beat 
faster!
~
these ruins dating back to the 1700's
are definitely worth
are few hours of your time~

 there were some 
amazing "Kodak" moments
everywhere you looked~

we spent about 2 hours walking around the ruins
and along the coastal road that leads
to the tip of the "island"

lots of history here in this little
place~


just another"Kodak" moment!

sigh~
I was so happy to be here among
this amazing history and stunning scenery ---
sometimes, things just work out for the best.
Our last minute change of plans 
had brought us to a wonderful new place.

doesn't everyone take "silly selfies"?
~
that's the fort in the background --
come on,
we are going UP! 

it's a bit of a climb--
and I'm wearing a sarong and flip flops--
should be interesting!

we'll start our climb here~

the climb gets steeper and steeper
and then---

 yep---
we gotta climb that ladder.
in. my. flip flops.
it's an adventure -- right?

THIS-- is the view from the top!
worth the climb,
don't you think?

~and another beautiful view



just in case you want
to read a little history of
Fort Rodney~

we're smiling because
this has been THE most awesome day!
~
a little lesson in gravity--
"what goes up, must come down"
so, back down the ladder  I go--
in. my. flip flops. 

my reward for being such a good sport--
lunch!!

this quaint little restaurant
is at the very end of the beach
inside the National Park~
~
(just in case you are wondering--
I had the tomato lentil soup AND
the black cherry cream cake:)
and -- I earned every single bite
climbing up that ladder!

 the view from our table~

after lunch--
a little beach time~
the water was crystal clear, and calm and
so warm!

and of course~
the pina colada boat
(2 for $5 -- just in case you want one!)

we were in port from 8 am-5 pm--
plenty of time to walk around the ruins,
climb to the fort, have a nice little lunch,
and finish the day off at the beach~
~
now,--
we are back on the ship
enjoying a beautiful sunset sail away~

  a little glass of wine for the
beautiful sail away~
(don't laugh at our wine glasses--
its the best we could do!!)

my favorite sunset sail away picture~
and so ends our lovely, unplanned,
but totally wonderful,
day in St. Lucia

~~~~
Next up--the final post for the "Island holiday" series --- I'm taking you to beautiful St.Kitts. If you missed the first post in this series -- (Bonaire)-- you can find it here

Some updates~
The deadline has passed and all the donations have been given for the "Josephine's" children charity project. Once again -- you have totally given of yourselves and exceeded every estimation that I had for this project.  Here are YOUR totals --- $2011 in cash collected for these needy children.  Almost all of the donations were small amounts --less than $10.  That should give you an idea of how many wonderful generous folks donated to this amazing cause. Your Walmart gift card donations totaled just over $200.  Add that to the already amazing totals!

Your craft donations -- OMG --- they just kept coming and coming and coming!  Our plan was to fill one box -- now we are going to fill 3! My friend Sue is starting to make purchases for supplies and clothing for the children with your donated cash and Walmart gift cards.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have done for these children --- sometime later this year, I will share photos of the children opening their gifts.  Josephine has promised to take photos the minute the gifts and supplies arrive in Uganda.    My heart is so full of gratitude for the generous way that you have responded to the needs of these little ones ---  bless you all for your kindness and generosity.

Love, love,love,
Vicki

PS-- 
 ~~ Don't forget ---- if you want to participate in the BIG party, the deadline to enter your blog is January 15. You can find all the info here.


                                            

26 comments:

Seawashed said...

Oh my goodness Vicki this is one of those places I can only dream to visit. St. Lucia Island is exactly the kind of place that I love. You are so lucky. And so beautiful!!!! Thank you for taking me with you. I almost cried with giddy delight reading this post. It truly is a gift that you share your travels with us. What an unforgettable place.

Summer said...

What a beautiful place and what a view after reaching the top of the ladder, well worth it with flip flops on :)
Thank you for sharing your wonderful holiday with us!

kathyinozarks said...

Gorgeous photos-sounds like an amazing day-

Sea Angels said...

So lovely to see your gorgeous holiday pics. I hope this coming year is as full of joy and Blessings and just as wonderful for you.
Hugs and New Year Waves xxx
Lynn xxxx

Sue Kosec said...

Just beautiful scenery and you captured it perfectly!!!!! Who knew there were such spectacular places in the world!?!

GREAT news on the donations update for Josephine's children. Aren't people just amazing to open their hearts the way they did? It's going to be exciting to fill those boxes and even more exciting to see the pictures of those children when they see it all.

Happy New Year, sweet friend!
xo
SuZeQ

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

St Lucia is incredibly beautiful. I love nothing more than wandering and exploring and if there are ruins involved, then all the better. :) The restaurant is very quaint but looks like it had a nice menu. So glad that Josephine and the kids will receive so much love in those boxes. Best wishes, Tammy

Shirley said...

Good Morning Vicki, We have sunshine but only 8 degrees. How I would love to have some of the beautiful warmth from the pictures. I have been enjoying your scenery. It looks so relaxing. You always do an awesome job in helping others. Have a wonderful day. Hugs and prayers from Your Missouri Friend Shirley

lynn cockrell said...

Now this is what I would call a happy accident! Isn't it amazing how much beauty we are blessed with throughout our planet Earth? I can see why songs have been written about Saint Lucia. It is cloudy and damp here in South Carolina today too and so I am grateful for these pictures of sunshine and breathtaking scenes! Thanks, Vicki, and Happy 2015!

Lululiz said...

I love your travel stories and photos so much, they are so full of joie de vivre and they always make me smile. Have a wonderful 2015, Vicki, I wish you all the very best. xxx

Anonymous said...

Those are absolutely beautiful photos and thank you for sharing them. Have a happy new years.

liniecat said...

Such wonderful photos for you to look back at and bring all that atmosphere and memories to life again.
An adventure indeed - flipflops a prerequisite lol
Thrilled that you had such a great response for the children!
: )
Lyn

Magpie's Mumblings said...

It's cold here today and trying to snow, so seeing these wonderful (and warm!!) pictures just does my heart good. Thank you!

Terry said...

Vicki,

I dream of taking a cruise with my husband some day. Your blog post was beautiful! I think I will print a photo or two and add them to my visualization board. :)

With gratitude,
Terry

Julia said...

Oh wow, what beautiful photos of your travels and thanks for sharing with us... I can almost feel the sun on my skin and taste that sea air. What a gorgeous paradise.

I'm anxious to see the kids opening their gifts.
Hooray for a job well done Vicki.
Hugs.

Sherri said...

Vicki, what a beautiful place to vacation! The pictures were gorgeous! I love walking around ruins too. That view from the top was just gorgeous, I give you kudos for walking in flip flops!!

Bohemian said...

OMG, Thank You for taking us along virtually on the Tour of this Magnificent Paradise! Too bad I live in a Desert, I NEED a Pina Colada Boat! *winks* Happy New Year from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

Lady of the Manor said...

Thanks for sharing these amazing photos!! It's really cold here now and beautiful beach photos are just what I needed. Thank you for organizing this project! I'm anxious to hear and see how they use all of these supplies. Happy New Year!

Joyful said...

Magnificent scenery Vicki. It is yet another place I haven't been (I've yet to travel anywhere in the Caribbean). Some day that may change :-) Happy New Year to you .xx

Amy at love made my home said...

So beautiful! Just stunning in fact. I hope that your New Year will be wonderful! Best wishes for all good things in 2015 to you and yours! xx

Suzan said...

Your photos are beautiful of St. Lucia!! Such wonderful news also on the donations for Josephine's children.
A very Happy New Years to you and yours!!

Mosaic Magpie said...

The warm sunshine looks so nice! Wow what an outpouring of love for the children!
xo,
Deb

Mereknits said...

Vicki, I have been to St Lucia twice and loved it so much. I would go back in a heartbeat. Love your photos and congrats on such a wonderful total for your special project.
Hugs,
Meredith

Maggie said...

For just the briefest little while I was transported from cold & frosty Normandy to a world far away! Thank you dear Vicki for taking this armchair traveler away with you once again. Bonne annee, dear friend.

Dorthe said...

Hello my dear and sweet Vicki,
Such gorgoues fhotoes to review here, from you fantastic vacation. I love those "cotton" clouds , on almost all of them, and all the warm beauty , I can so understand you wants a review , and not be in this -like here- cold and wet January !!
Vicki, I wish you and your husbond all the godness and good health possible for the year just started. Take care of yourself, dearest friend.
Hugs from Dorthe

Stephanie Faris said...

Wow! That looks heavenly. I'm envious. I've never visited an island but it's on my bucket list. This looks like the perfect choice.

Esme said...

what a fun day in such a beautiful place. It almost looks like it could be a scene from Treasure Island. I like the flip flops on the ladder story.