I ♥ Barbados

By offering this holiday at half price and restricting it to one week British Airways are doing the equivalent of offering free drugs to school children.  How will I be able to resist going back for more whatever the price?
A (very strong) rum punch welcomed us to the hotel and we sat drinking this while the charming  receptionist checked us in and arranged for our bags to be taken to the room.  We were shown around the resort on our way to the room.

We even had a rainbow to greet us.

Adrian does some of his famous rustling as we prepare to go to the gate at Gatwick.  Alison I put this picture in especially for you.  Nothing changes.

Complimentary afternoon tea.  Small sandwiches, cake and scones with cream and jam, just what you expect in the Caribbean.

We couldn't resist the chance to go in the submarine.  

Shipwreck

Gregory's cooler

Breadfruit tree 

This is me in front of one of the trees the island got its name from. 

Adrian is in this picture to prove it's a real sunset.

The Cliff - need I say more! 

The pool

Standing in the same position pointing the other way.

The Woman in the Fifth

This is the sort of story where you have to be careful not to give the end away as that would spoil it for many people.  I don't think I've read any of Douglas Kennedy's other novels but I think I'll give another one a go as I found myself taking this one with me to the shops - a good sign.
Not having read him before the twists in the plot came as a surprise to me and some of the places Kennedy takes you in this book feel quite real, then in retrospect rather surreal.  Lorraine L'Herbert's salon is a truly bizarre picture, I'm sure if I ever found myself in such a place I'd be out on the balcony having a fag planning an early escape.
I wouldn't want to meet any of the characters, they are a pretty grim lot without redeeming features that I could detect. There are some unexplained events - not sure what the chlamydia is all about and who gave it to him and why its in the story.  And why the lung damaging fire? At times I felt that this was a bit of a contractual obligation story but I enjoyed it notwithstanding this.

Jubilee

Sunday - We got a good view of individual boats through a gap in the buildings but had got up too late to get a really good viewpoint.  There was a long wait and it was cool and damp then the pageant got near us and it absolutely bucketed down with rain and we got soaked.  

  

The Committee - from an idea at a Christmas party to 200 plus people partying in the street in less than 6 months.   

Chair of the Committee rings the bell to start the party.

Monday 4 June

And then gets into trouble with the law.

Svidrigailov got into the Jubilee spirit with his personal bunting - although he spent most of the party asleep on a cushion.  He prefers his humans one at a time, not in big noisy groups.

It's true it was dull and the sun was not sunny but you can see we had lots of good fun that was funny (with apologies to Dr Seuss).