Cooking Class at the True Blue Resort

I had heard about the Thursday afternoon cooking classes in the True Blue Resort already over the net, but we had not made it down there so far. Last week I heard that they were going to show how to prepare and cook with green Papaya. We had already tried a dish like that and had liked it very much and now wanted to know how to prepare it ourselves .I persuaded Sven to come along and since The True Blue Resort has got a great playground and a really nice pool, it was no problem for Julia and Carlos to come along. The Resort is in walking distance from the Big Fish restaurant and so we packed our bags at 2 o’clock to be there on time for the class at three. Julia, Carlos and I had already been in the Resort for a short visit with Amy and I had also attended a Yoga class there one night. For Sven it was his first visit and he liked it as much as we had liked it. It is all painted in very friendly colours and various art works is to be found around the place. Julia and Carlos settled into the pool area while Sven and I took a seat in the front row making sure not to miss anything. When the cooks “Esther and Omega” arrived they informed us that they had changed todays menu. The menu included now “Cream of Christophine Soup”; “homemade” Garlic butter; and “Ripe Plantain in Orange Ginger Juice”. They lead us through a cooking class with lots of humor and answered our questions patiently and we had a wonderful time. The meal turned out beautiful and was delicious to eat, and we decided to go again next week. I even thought that Carlos and Julia might like to attend the class next week, it certainly won’t hurt them to learn how prepare a few different meals.

Having patience

I can still remember being a child waiting patiently for Christmas or my birthday; the weeks leading towards it, were long and nearly unbearable. This is what Sven and I experience at the moment waiting for the sea trial and survey for our JUCA by the end of this month. As this would not be long enough the date has been postponed for a couple of weeks….ahhhh…someone has moved Christmas, Easter and our birthday to a later date, this is just unfair. Nevertheless there is nothing we can do to change the situation and biting the bullet. I remember that we had the same situation back two years ago; when we sold the house and before we could buy our JUCA. We did it once we will survive it a second time, if I want to experience it again….I am not so sure! Luckily Glennis from SV “Aqua Viva” is distracting us from the waiting game and has invited me and the children for making our own necklace. She has got hundreds of different beads and we feel like we are in a Candy shop. Julia and Carlos are doing a great job and getting better and better in choosing a design for their necklace. I get absolutely sucked into the beading and seem to be very much in my element. I remember some of my broken necklaces that are lying in my draw waiting to be fixed. I restring my green pearl necklace that I bought myself a few years ago and could never wear as it was too tight around my neck. The end result is stunning and I am very happy with my work. ….maybe that is something I might take up going back to New Zealand. Stringing and making your necklaces is very relaxing, rewarding and has a lot of fun attached to it; thank you Glennis for opening up my creative side again.

Secret Harbour

On the south side of Grenada there are lots of little Bays where you can anchor and spend the hurricane season. Quite a few people change their location once a week to see something different and to meet other people. Every little Bay is offering lots of different entertainment for the cruisers throughout the week and the transportation system works really well here. We are based in Prickley Bay and will stay here until we have completed our survey and sea trial on the 15th of October. From Prickley Bay you can walk to the True Blue Marina, the Secret Harbour, even walking to the Spice Mall Shopping Center is not a big deal if your timing is right. Walking to the Spice Mall during lunch time can be a bit of hot and sweaty exercise. Prickley Bay is offering musical entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays and Yoga three times a week, the vegetable van is coming on Mondays and Budget marine is opposite the “De Big Fish”. True Blue Marina is also offering Yoga classes and is very well known for their cooking classes on Thursday. It is a beautiful Marina with a restaurant, playground and swimming pool for the children. We might go to one of those cooking classes in the next couple of weeks. Clarks Court Bay has got their peaceful and beautiful Whisper Cove Marina with their jam session, Butcher shop, movie nights and Petanque games on a Sunday. You have also got Hog Island, which s privately owned but has got a beautiful swimming beach and is popular for their Sunday BBQ’s. There is also Phare Bleu Bay, Chemin Bay, Westerhall Bay, Little Bacolet Bay and St. David’s Harbour just to name a few, so if you get bored of one sight you just lift the anchor and motor to the next Bay for a while. Today we went over to Mt. Hartman Bay to participate in their Volley Ball game. We packed our Backpack and picked Jan and Susan up from SV “Peter Pan” and made our way over there. It was a pleasant 15 minute walk and it was nice to explore the neighborhood of Prickley Bay. In Mt. Hartman Bay you have got tucked away Secret Harbour and they also offer Yoga classes, movie nights, Domino afternoons and Volleyball matches; one Bay against the next or a good mix of adults, teens, and children alike. Apart from being eaten nearly alive by the sand flies and mosquitoes; we had a lots of fun that afternoon and enjoyed the company and the atmosphere of the Secret Harbour community very much!

Jam Session at "De big Fish"

Whatever Island we are or Bay we have anchored in, music has always played an important part in the local or sailing community. Luckily here in Grenada the local music community is not as loud and noisy as in Luperon or St. Lucia, however there a few events where it can get a bit louder than usual. On Friday nights there is a band called “Barracuda” that makes really nice music and the band leader is from Italy and is very versatile with his music pieces. The other musical events here in Grenada are the jam session in “De big Fish”, where sailors get together with their music instruments and giving their best. It is amazing how many sailing people have got instruments on board and are very musical. The variety of instruments is also very surprising; from Wooden Saxophones, to Pan Flute, Violins, Drums, Ukulele, Banjo and of course the good old classical to electrical guitars. I wish I could say we are musicians, but unfortunately we are not. Even though we have bought Carlos and Julia a guitar, unfortunately they still haven’t been able to pick up enough notes to be able to play a song or even a little tune. Today’s jam session was a great success and I have never seen the restaurant so busy. However there are always people that need to be in charge of the sessions, have an awful way of handling situations and can ruin it therefore for other people. While Julia and Carlos were sitting in amongst the other players with their rattles in their hand, the guy with the violin is telling them off, that if they cannot play to the rhythm they should not play at all. All they heard do not play at all and left the circle very disappointed. I explained to them later that they should not take it too serious and I really hope that this will not discourage them to get the rhythm right and to play an instrument!

Whisper Cove Marina

Again and again I am surprised how fast time is running. Sunday nights I am planning for the week ahead and wondering how to entertain Julia and Carlos in class, what to cook for the family and how to arrange my “me” time in between. I start the week with a Yoga class underneath a beautiful big tree on the beach and before I know it, I am lying in shavasana for relaxation on a Sunday morning at the Laluna Yoga and Spa Resort. What has happened in between? Some days I really have difficulty to remember the individual days. This week we drove over to Clarks’ Court Bay with the dinghy to visit Julia’s and Carlo’s friends Luana. It did not take too long, but since we had to be out on the open ocean, we were a bit cautious about the weather and coming back. However we totally enjoyed our afternoon over there and caught up with a few other people as well. We chatted with Chris and Jackie from SV “HighHeeled” that are anchored over there, Marilyn and Ryan from SV “Sandy Dreams” were there also visiting the Bay and playing a round of Petanque and of course meeting up with Iris and Heinrich from SV “Shaitan” is always a highlight. Iris and Luana are flying to the States for a visit, and so it will be probably a proper goodbye for the girls today.
Whisper Cove Marina is located at Clarks’ Court Bay and is a tiny, peaceful, little Marina tucked away with a great Butcher shop. We bought some meat there for our dinner, before picking Julia and Carlos up from SV “Shaitan” and driving home. The closer the time comes for us going back home, the more I have the feeling that I need to teach Julia and Carlos a few more tools to face the reality of a public school again. I am positive that they have learned enough, but will not take my chance and try to cover everything. So I have been digging deep into my school box and found a few bits and pieces that could be handy to know.
We have also started making our own bread. Once we had tried the bread from Dena, there was no way for us going back to buying bread in the shop again. The bread is really simple and easy to make and only takes a few minutes before going to bed. You take 3 ½ cups of flour, 1 tsp. of salt, ¼ tsp of yeast and 1 ½ cup of warm water…..you mix it all together, until it is all combined and leave it sitting under a cloth over night. In the morning I put it into a bread tin and let it rise for another hour, before sticking it into an oven for 30 minutes by 230 Degree (450 Fahrenheit) and then another 15 minutes by 190 degree (375 Fahrenheit)… Voila; the bread is ready to eat and is absolutely delicious! The smell of this fresh bed makes my family crawl out of bed even faster! Try it out for yourself and enjoy eating it fresh out of the oven, warm with a bit of butter on top…….Bon Appetite!

Roly Poly in Prickley Bay

We had heard off it, but since we have been in Prickley Bay we had not really experienced such boat movement. It had already started the day before yesterday, that the wind changed and with it the current and the swell came right into the Bay. I mean our boat is heavy and hardly rolling from side to side but it is enough to be annoyed. Just watching the other boats swaying heavily from side to side makes me seasick I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be on it. By three in the afternoon the heat and the movement had gotten to me and I nearly lost it, but luckily we were invited to a BBQ on Dena’s and Kevin’s Catamaran Sabaticus. They are sitting with their Catamaran in the Port Louis Marina and when we arrived there it feels like we are entering a different planet. The air condition is running and there is no movement on the boat at all. What a blessing after our inner ear balance had been under constant attack for the last two days. I felt immediately better and we spend a wonderful afternoon and evening with Dena and Kevin. They show us around the marina and we admire the facilities, the beach, the pool and the restaurant. What a wonderful place to hang out and it seems that there are lots of social activities going on. Dinner is cooked for us and we enjoyed freshly baked bread, marinated chicken, pasta salad as well as a raw broccoli salad with bacon, raisins and roasted pine nuts. Absolutely delicious and we make sure that there are no leftovers for the next day. Since it was Sunday and we had to take the bus home again, I was a bit nervous that there are no more buses driving late in the evening and we would have to walk home. Even though we were late going home; as soon as we stepped out of the marina a bus was driving pass and dropped us off right in front of the door of the restaurant “de big fish”. Lucky us and what a wonderful day it did turn out to be. Thank you Dena and Kevin for such wonderful entertaining afternoon and delicious dinner we enjoyed your company very much and hoping to repeat that pretty soon.

No worries !

No worries our update is on its way.....keep with us for a bit longer.....big hugs to you out there!