28 November 1996 Thanksgiving
Bajan's Don't Celebrate USA Thanksgiving.
28.11.1996 - 28.11.1996
View
Five Visits to Barbados
on greatgrandmaR's travel map.
Thursday 28 November 1996 (Thanksgiving Day).
Today we set out to visit several of the places on our Heritage Pass. We drove north along the coast, visited Morgan Lewis Sugar Mill. At the time of our visit in 1996, the Morgan Lewis Mill was not really open (and there was no entrance fee so the Heritage Pass wasn't much help) although we could look at it from the outside. The office was in a trailer and was not open.
Now that it has been renovated it is called one of the Seven Wonders of Barbados. It is one of the largest, oldest mills in the region and is virtually intact. Typical of the wind-driven mills of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, it helped produce the sugar for which Barbados used to be famous throughout the world. Housed inside the mill is a display of old photographs.
We drove up Cherry Tree Hill (also free)
No cherry trees still exist here; in fact, the approach to Cherry Tree Hill is a road canopied by magnificent old mahogany trees which were introduced into Barbados after the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Then you emerge to see a spectactular view of the entire east coast of the island and the Atlantic Ocean
and then went to St. Nicholas Abbey.
This is not a religious institution. St Nicholas Abbey is a plantation house in Saint Peter, Barbados, and is one of only three genuine Jacobean mansions in the Western Hemisphere. (The other Bajan one is Drax Hall and the third one in the Western Hemisphere is Bacon's Castle in Virginia)Distinguishing features are: curved Dutch gables, chimney stacks and coral stone finials.
Arrived there at the same time as a passel of local school children,
who appeared to be about middle school age. We therefore were somewhat impeded in our tour of the house because groups of students were going through at the same time. Fortunately, we heard about the rare 1930 movie of life on the plantation at 11:00 am. We were in time to see most of these 'home movies'. They were one of the most interesting things we saw in Barbados. (one of the highlights of our trip).
After the movie we toured the house and grounds. Built in 1650, it is not an Abbey at all, and never was.
It is surrounded by sugarcane fields and has been in the same family for many years. Inside, there is a Chinese Chippendale staircase and fine antiques and china. There is a particularly interesting example of an early 'recliner'.
The gardens and outbuildings are also interesting .
After out visit to St. Nicholas Abbey we went to the Barbados Wildlife Reserve
The sign at the entrance says:
WELCOME TO THE BARBADOS WILDLIFE RESERVE
The reserve is designed for you to relax and to take the time to discover a beautiful mahogany forest while enjoying some of the unique wildlife of Barbados. Once inside you are free to mingle with wild monkeys, hares, turtles, birds etc. So please follow the rules. Booklets are available for purchase and will answer most of your questions so that your experience here is both enjoying and enriching"
We had lunch here.
There were a lot of school kids visiting when we went. It was very interesting.
The Wildlife Reserve was across the road from the Farley Hill National Park in the parish of St.Peter. So that was where we went next. The house dates back to 1818. It became one of the most impressive mansion in Barbados. In the mid-nineteenth century the property was owned by Sir Graham Briggs, a wealthy British planter and legislator. Briggs improved not only the house, but also the gardens, importing many new plants and trees into the island. In 1957, the house was restored and used in the film Island in the Sun .The film is about race relations and interracial romance set in the fictitious island of Santa Marta. Two of the stars were Harry Belafonte and Joan Fontaine. The film was controversial at the time of its release for its portrayal of an interracial romance.
Farley Hill was destroyed by fire in 1965
and the destroyed mansion was not restored. It was was officially opened as a national park by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1966, the same year Barbados gained independence. We were there two days before Bajan Independence Day.
We took a lot of photos of the ruins
That night, we had a Bajan Buffet at a review called at "1627 And All That " As we walked into the venue, we saw this horse sculpture made of metal.
The show had a steel drum band, and stiltwakers. It detailed the island's history and cultural development The food and drink included Bajan hors d'oeuvres, complimentary 17th century rum bar, a Barbadian buffet dinner.
Breakfast - tip B$2.00
Drove up the east coast - Morgan Mill donation B$1.40
Snacks B$3.60
St. Nicholas Abbey - on Heritage pass
Farley Hill two admissions and book B$5.00
Barbados Wildlife and Grenade Hill B$ 40.00
Two Tonic waters B$6.00
1627 Dinner and show for two B$180.00
Posted by greatgrandmaR 16:23 Archived in Barbados Tagged landscapes children birds ruins barbados