Morning memories

Thanks for your ideas regarding videos. I'm having some ideas forming already and as I need to keep myself busy here in Antigua besides of helping Alex to fix Duende, I think I will have much time for video recording in the next few months.  

This is by the way the view we tiredly encountered when we left our anchorage outside of St Kitts the other morning, sometimes around 5:30 am. A lonely superyacht anchored by the shore of Nevis. Beautiful as the sun slowly rose behind the volcano and speckled our view with an explosion of different shades of yellow, orange, gold. A great memory for us as well, last time we visited Nevis we bicycled around the whole and complete island. I don't know if any of you have done that but five hours of biking up and down through hills and valleys is a pain in the butt for an amateur biker. Had pain in my ass and thighs a week after, all thanks to our friend Timothy at Montpelier Plantation who told us it was "a pleasant ride, maybe a couple of hours", it proved to be much harder and longer than that as of the long detour we took but in the end very much worth the pain. Biking is such a liberating and inspiring way to discover islands and Nevis climbed right up to one of our top three most beautiful islands in the Caribbean after that very ride. Nevis for us is equal to extremely friendly and welcoming people, breathtaking nature, serenity and it offers an inspiring and peaceful pace of living.

Before the squalls

Video in slow-motion in the beginning, actual speed after a while. Fair sea, good breeze and in this particular moment we sailed at 7,5-9 knots in winds of around 18-22 knots. This boat is a great pleasure to sail as she, like I earlier said, reacts and accelerates on slightest change of wind and she points incredibly well. Also I love the fact that she pushes the water away from her while moving along in a very powerful way, cutting the surface with grace. There are still some other aspects I still haven't got used to though, like the motion of the boat which doesn't feel quite as comfortable and smooth as the one of our HR352, Caos. Will hopefully get used to it with time..

P.S: Don't forget to remind all you know that our beautiful Hallberg Rassy 352 still is for sale. We need to have her sold asap as we can't be stuck with two boats here in the Caribbean for much longer. All reasonable offers will be considered.

Here you can find the video and our movie channel on Youtube.

The perfect anniversary meal

I started writing on this post a while ago as I wanted to share the amazing culinary experience we enjoyed in Nevis for our anniversary. Opening this post and continuing to write this article sent me instantly back to the beautiful settings of the 300 year old sugar mill where we were seated in a private dining room, only us two, surrounded by candle light and a magical atmosphere between the cut stonewalls. 

Let me start to introduce the entrance: a light asparagus panna cotta with a creamy parmesan espuma and tomato confit.

As asparagus probably is what Alex hates the most, he asked for the chef to make whatever else he could come up with. As this restaurant only serves a chef's tasting menu and no a la carte, we were excited to see what else could be created outside of the fixed menu. Alex got a beautiful melon and dried/smoked prosciutto ham concoction with a balsamic vinaigrette. I would have preferred this one too I must say. It was perfect.

A silky pumpkin and coconut veloute with a spoon of marinated pineapple and tandoori oil.

The butter poached lobster medallions with a green pea pesto and almonds was unbelievable.

A little passionfruit sorbet to clean the palate before the main plate.

We eat duck quite often, almost always when eating in a French restaurant there is either one of us who orders magrait de canard, but this duck breast was prepared in a, for us, new and exciting way. I have hard to explain the delightfulness of this maple leaf farm duck breast with young vegetables and fruit medley in a sweet spices juice, but it was simply out of this world. Neither the picture nor the description makes any justice to this masterpiece of a duck, it was truly a star and we kept talking about it from the minute we started devouring it until we fell asleep that night. The absolute highlight of the meal.

At this time we were quite full already but the white chocolate and strawberry verrine with crumble biscuit and vanilla cream was the perfect ending to the meal. Sweet and creamy in perfect combination without being too heavy. Must give this one a try at home and see if I can create something similar one day.

Chocolate and marmalade for the coffee. 

As Alex rarely drinks wine, I always end up ordering individual glasses when we're out dining. This time I was happily surprised to see the large selection of wines not only in full bottles but also in the small size, two and a half glass is exactly what is needed for a dinner from my point of view. A glorious Chateauneuf de Pape, Mont Redon from 2005 was my round, flavorful companion throughout this meal.

The service was consistently excellent and all of the waiters who served us through the night were very attentive.

The characteristic stone walls again..

We spent a few hours in that sugar mill eating our way through the night and as we had been out bike riding for almost the whole day before the dinner, nothing was more tempting after the dessert than this homey view and the most comfortable bed we've slept in for a long time. I don't think you can imagine how good we slept after a meal and a weekend like that.

Restaurant 750 can be found at Montpelier Plantation Inn, Nevis. Contact details for reservation can be found here.

The view

How beautiful. If you ever get the chance to sail past Nevis/St Kitts you should take it.

Neighboring islands

Beautiful vistas from Nevis with St Kitts in the background. Lovely cruising ground there, hoping to be back and explore also the main island of this two island nation one day soon. St Kitts was by the way the first island in the Caribbean to have English and French colonies back in the days.

Montpelier Plantation Inn

Welcome to the fine world of Relais & Chateaux. Anyone who has ever stepped into the rooms of a hotel or a restaurant gathered in the prominent collection of Relais & Chateaux properties, knows that there is a certain standard and style that awaits behind this significant sign proudly positioned on the wall. Relais & Chateaux is not a chain, it is rather a fellowship made of independent properties, sharing the same vision and values for hospitality, quality, lifestyle, art de vivre, and cuisine. 500 luxury hotels and gourmet restaurants has carefully been chosen to be included in this group of extraordinary places scattered all over the world, currently in 60 countries. Both prospective and current members are evaluated by the group's traditional five C motto: Caractère, Courtoisie, Calme, Charme et Cuisine and you can be sure to find a great dose of them all on each and every one of these luxurious facilities. The group has an impressive 300 michelin stars among its members and naturally their wide collection of first class properties has become a renowned reference of excellence in the hotel and restaurant world. Gourmet restaurant Per Se New York, is an excellent example of the standards of this group as well as the many beautiful castles, townhouses and other historical properties in Europe and particularly in France - that's where it all started fifty years ago.

Montpelier plantation that we spent a couple of days at is one of seven Relais & Chateaux properties in the Caribbean. Nestled in lush hills on the secluded island of Nevis and built inside and around a 17th century sugar plantation. Many historical features have been restored giving the property a unique sense of timelessness, charm and elegance. The great fig tree is the first thing that greets you when you enter the grounds of this hotel. Impressive and characteristic just like the inn itself. This plantation is also the place where Admiral Lord Nelson married his wife Fanny Nisbet in 1787.
Everywhere around the property you will find beautiful details and ornaments from the past.

The garden is lush, light and refreshing and everywhere you will encounter the sound of birds singing from the trees.

A very well maintained tennis court area with a beautiful setting surrounded by colorful bloom.

We loved strolling around exploring the gardens. Colorful flowers and an abundance of lush green plants and trees.

What instantly struck me on the first few hours of our stay was that certain kind of energy that urged you to slow down, disconnect from the outside, breath in the surroundings and enjoy the quietness. Not many places has that natural power to automatically slow your body and mind.

We spent lots of time enjoying the tranquility by the pool.

The elegant interior was a fresh melange of new and old, classic and modern.

Colorful flowers all around.

A cup of tea while reading one of the many books from the library.

We got so well looked after by the genuine and hospitable staff. Here's bartender Kaddy, and food and beverage manager Nico.

Details by the pool bar.

Modern design and loads of light and airy spaces in rooms and suites. 

Very simple, elegant design throughout.

Beautiful details in the bathrooms.

Relaxing by the private pool.

Sea view from every room and suite.

We loved the afternoon tea by the pool bar with freshly baked scones, cakes and homemade marmalade.

Got served the most amazing apple martini in the evenings before dinner.

Read through the yearly book printed by Relais & Chateaux.

More lounging by the pool.

We enjoyed a healthy breakfast on the terrace. 

With an amazing homemade bagel with Norwegian salmon and creme cheese.

They had two beautiful labradors who every morning came to greet you in the garden.

We rode the bikes down to the hotels beach for a better view of St Kitts in the background.

Drinks in the bar by night.

And lots of fine wines on the menu.

Drank quite some champagne on the night of our anniversary.

And got served the most fantastic gourmet dinner inside of the old sugarmill, just the two of us, in very romantic settings. The seven course meal was too delicious to be mentioned in only a few words so I will write a post separately in honor of it.

We had the greatest stay and we will recommend this place to everyone we know who are looking for a tranquil and classy holiday in the Caribbean. Perfectly suitable for couples or anyone who'd like to enjoy a few days of utter relaxation in beautiful surroundings. Thank you owners Timothy and Muffin Hoffman for being so welcoming and making sure that we had the best anniversary ever. Unforgettable!

Click in here to see the hotels website.

Back from Nevis

This photo says it all. It was such a refreshing "holiday" spent over on Nevis. Energizing, vibrant, colorful, peaceful. A life on a boat is fantastic in many ways but to be able to sometimes combine it with the beauty of getting a day off from it all every once in a while is a perfect match and the greatest way of living. At least in our eyes. The sail back to Antigua was quite rough with a beat against the waves, wind, tides and currents (took 19 hours back instead of the 12 it took to get there..) but now we're finally back anchored up and safe. Cooking is not an option tonight as of the very little energy left from last night at sea so we'll get out for a light Italian dinner here in Falmouth/English Harbor this evening. Italian yes, what else? Italians are what runs this place. Should probably be called "Italian harbor" instead of English harbor. I don't mind though, I would never say no to a well made ossobuco, a delightful pasta or a flavorful glass of Brunello di Montalcino. 

Had the best of days

We've been so spoilt and well looked after here by the amazing staff at Montpelier Plantation Hotel these past few days and we are very sorry to leave so soon. Hope to be back again one day. Last nights dinner here at the hotel was absolutely brilliant, fine dining at its very best, will tell you more about that and everything else that we've had the chance to experience in the last three days as soon as we're back with wifi again. Now time to check out.. 

Happy anniversary

Sporting my new sexy "Kate" bikini from Babajaan here by the pool at the plantation. Nice isn't it? Today is by the way our two year anniversary. Congratulations to us. And today is also our one year anniversary for this circumnavigation. Looking forward to many more years in the future. We'll get out bicycling today with a delicious picnic put together by the amazing restaurant here at the hotel. But more about it all a bit later. Hope you all had/have a great halloween.