Day 1: Gros Islet to Soufrière
Our driver was early to collect us. His daughter was with him since she had an errand in town. It was a scenic, winding drive to Soufrière. One interesting tidbit was a place along the way where the homeowners had used old tires to retain a slope.
We stopped at an outlook for a photo op of the Pitons.
Our driver was very courteous and professional. He even drove around Soufrière a bit to point out supermarkets, restaurants, and such. Clyde met us at the inn and showed us around the apartment. We hit the small local supermarket and bakery for beer and breakfast, then walked down to the beach. It was really hot and there was not much of a breeze. The manager at Orlando’s was outside when we walked by so we made reservations for tomorrow night.
We had dinner at the Seashell, with a view of the sunset. On our way home we stopped at a supermarket downtown for the milk we forgot earlier. My heart rate stayed elevated for quite a while.
Day 2: Dinner at Orlando's
I started feeling ill yesterday and did not feel good today either. It was likely dehydration and overheating yesterday. So we didn’t do anything until it was time to go to dinner at Orlando’s. They only do tasting menus —— which was new for us — and the menu changes daily.
There was a bird huddled up on our railing when we got home. Speaking of birds, we’ve seen lots of chickens: pecking in the gutter, strutting on the rooftops …
Day 3: School Sporting Event
Another light day today since my knee is wonky too. We walked to the larger Massy supermarket on the edge of town for coffee, rum, some local craft beer, breakfast, and snacky food. Our host brought us hot, fresh bread from the local bakery. There’s a local school sports event going on today. Floats, loud music, a cheerleading competition, and we saw a relay race on the way home.
The view from our terrace if of the sea over the town. Sometimes with bonus ships.
Day 4: Still in Recovery Mode
Still in recovery mode. In fact I feel worse in some ways. We slowly made our way back to Massy’s to restock. Unfortunately they didn’t have any more of the quiche we enjoyed this morning, so we got raspberry turnovers and raisin buns.
Every morning we see goats walking to work. Two of them are on a leash and another three follow along. Then at the end of the day they go back in the other direction. At first we thought they were dogs. They seem to feed along the stream, or at least we’ve seen similar goats there.
Snacky food again. No alcohol, so you know I don’t feel well. Here’s our view at night.
Day 5: Feeling Better, Not Normal
Still recovering, though I feel better. We’re having a total rest day today, with ham and cheese sandwiches again for dinner. Anything more exotic sounds completely unappetizing. But I felt good enough for a couple of drinks and got a 90 sleep score so I think I’m on the mend. Lots of blustery wind today. It’s hard to tell from the noise if it’s rain or wind. There’s a lot of both, though the rain doesn’t last long. At least we have a nice view.
Day 6: Back to the Seashell
We hit both mini markets downtown today hunting for breakfast. Neither had breakfast options we liked. The local bakery did however. Then we held things up at the local supermarket by paying by credit card, since we’re running low on local cash and don’t want to take out more. We went back to the Seashell for dinner. We decided that was better than sitting on the beach. Same view, less sand. And piňa coladas. We watched a couple of kids chase chickens around the restaurant and got propositioned for a snorkeling trip tomorrow. Which we don’t plan to do.
Day 7: Diamond Falls
We finally made it to Diamond Falls today. The falls are pretty and we were alone, which is a first for us at a waterfall. The surrounding gardens are pretty and quiet. And the walk there was pretty nice.
We bought a keychain for a Christmas ornament from a vendor outside the exit. We’re eating sandwiches again for dinner because it sounds good. Tomorrow we’re off to Barbados.
Essentials
Lodging
Many of the lodging options in the area are outside of town, so not walkable to anything, and pricey. Maggie’s Inn was a real find. Christopher is a wonderful host and has done a great job of anticipating a traveler’s needs. The apartment was clean and comfortable, the kitchen well stocked and organized. He even had tea and coffee available along with basic cooking supplies. Beach chairs and an umbrella available for rain. The shower was fabulous. Great water pressure and a rain head. The terrace was very nice. We could sit outside even when it rained. (There’s a bonus terrace too, that we didn’t use.) Walking distance to shops, restaurants, and the beach in Soufriere and to Diamond Falls. His taxi service got us around the island. A great place to stay and I would stay there again.
Dining
We only tried two of the local restaurants, mostly because I was ill most of our stay. We had curried fish and casual eats (roti, wings, burger) at Seashell, with piña coladas and a great view. Orlando’s only offers tasting menus that change daily. We got the five course tasting menu which included a zucchini taster, breadfruit soup and gazpacho, a mango salad, seared tuna, chicken with papaya sauce and breadfruit, and vanilla cake with homemade plantain ice cream. All the dishes had a little heat and interesting textures. I liked the chicken and the dessert best. Excellent service. I don’t know if it was worth $85 each but the food was great and I’m glad we did it.
Transportation
Our host in Soufrière owns a taxi company so that’s how we got to and from the airport, and from Gros Islet to Soufrière. Taxi fare seems expensive — our three trips totalled $295 plus tips — until you experience the roads. They’re narrow and winding with potholes, crumbling edges, and often no shoulders. We were happy we left the driving to the professionals! Plus we got to enjoy the scenery and some commentary along the way. Within Soufrière we walked everywhere.