Mosaic Monday #77: Looking Forward by Looking Back

If you know me at all by now, you know I am a planner.  So it won't surprise you to discover that brainstorming for an epic 30th anniversary getaway has already commenced.  And just when is our 30th?  August 2021.  Yes.   Fifteen months in advance.  

Of course, these dreaming sessions began before I had even heard of COVID-19, and the advent of the pandemic has thrown quite a bucket of water on the whole process.  But BEFORE that wet blanket, Spousal Unit and I mused about what might define an "epic 30th anniversary getaway".  We found ourselves wandering through the memory banks of "excellent" vacations, and "not so good" vacations, and distilling those experiences into a set of critical criteria.  

So what's important? Scenic beauty.  Cultural experiences.  Pampering for part of the trip.

As I initially pictured my ideal, my mind kept returning to our 20th wedding anniversary, a trip to Rosewood Little Dix Bay in Virgin Gorda.  Scenic beauty?  Check.  Pampering?  Check.  Cultural experiences?  Not so much.  But this is how you get the hang of asking the right questions about vacation destinations!  Coincidentally, this is one of the trips that I documented in my travel journal as featured in this post.  So, come with me, back in time, and we can explore the pros and cons of this locale!

The British Virgin Islands, officially simply the Virgin Islands, are a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean, to the east of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.  In other words, a long way from Cleveland, Ohio, where we lived at the time.   Our flights routed us from Cleveland to San Juan to Tortola, where we were met by the Rosewood Ferry for transport to the resort.  And so the pampering began.  Yes, the resort had its own ferry, which on this day was our own personal boat seeing as no other guests were on board.  We had enough time to sip two glasses of complimentary rum punch before the boat shimmied up to the dock.

We immediately noticed the British influence at the resort, from the classic red mail box to the British general manager that we met at one of the manager's happy hours.  Since Spousal Unit is a Brit by birth, this familiarity brings comfort, but if a new cultural experience is on your wish list, then it might leave you a bit hungry.

The indulgence continued with the complimentary bottle of champagne (it was our anniversary) and bottle of rum (argh, matey!) that we found in room 116 upon our arrival.  I was bemused and impressed to find that the resort did not give out keys to its rooms/suites.   Exclusive and secure - are we locked in or are others locked out?  

On our first night, we walked into Spanish Town for dinner at the Rock Cafe.  My journal says nothing about the food or the town, nor do I have any pictures of the evening.  But both of us remember being distinctly underwhelmed by the look of the town.  Suffice it to say that we did not return to town for the rest of the trip. In hindsight, we could have learned more about this before our trip - on an island as remote as this, it is reasonable that it won't have a main street with boutique-y shops and hip pubs.  But no museums, old churches and the like? To this day, I don't know anything about the history or the people of Virgin Gorda.

Breakfast at the resort was served in the Pavilion, part of the peaked roof structure you see in the second picture of this post.  Delectable fruits, cheeses, breads and other items were available buffet style, and you could also order a la carte items.  Every morning, the staff would bring a handout to our table, featuring news articles and crosswords.  So civilized, my darlings!  I would have been content to settle back in my chair, sip coffee and look out at the view.

But adventure beckoned, so we hiked a short distance from the resort to Savannah Bay, billed as Gorda's loveliest beach, a long strand of powdery white coastline lapped by placid waters.  Numerous hermit crabs and even some goats shared the trail with us.  Giant termite mounds were visible among the dense foliage, and I tried not to point out the snakes to Spousal Unit - he's not a fan!  Once at the bay, we snorkeled without noting any unusual fish or other features.  We did have the place to ourselves!

Back at Little Dix Bay, we snorkeled in the rain and spotted four large squid and one massive barracuda.  We luxuriated in a couple's massage at the on-site spa - pampering with a capital P!

In this post, I wrote about our first experience scuba diving following our certification as a family.  The trip to Gorda marked our second time diving, and how different it was!  Two dive masters led us and another couple on an underwater tour of the RMS Rhone, a UK Royal Mail Ship.  She was wrecked off the coast on October 29, 1867 in a hurricane, killing 123 people.  Now a popular dive site, the area around her was declared a national park in 1980.  

That evening, we savored a beach-side dinner at the Saw Mill, one of the restaurants at the resort.  Afterwards, we played a few hands of Gin Rummy at the bar - Spousal Unit was winning when we quit for the night.

One of the amenities offered at the resort are Beach Drops.  There are seven secluded beaches on Virgin Gorda, several of which can only be accessed by sea.  On request, the resort transports guests via water taxi to the beach of their choice.  An umbrella and towels are provided, and the resort's chefs can prepare a gourmet picnic lunch if desired.  It doesn't get much more romantic than that!

Yes, that is our umbrella.  And yes, we had the beach to ourselves.

We chose Devil's Bay, which features an additional attraction of the Baths.  Giant boulders or batholiths, brought to the surface by volcanic eruptions, are scattered about, forming a beautiful grotto and tranquil pools.   It was a thoroughly pleasant afternoon, sunning on the beach, rock climbing and snorkeling.  

Left: I loved how this tree grew among the boulders.  Lower right: some parts of the Baths had ladders to enable you to climb through openings or get a better view.

Dinner found us at the Saw Mill once again, with live music provided by Morris.  We continued our Gin Rummy tournament at the bar, and I prevailed!

Thursday's dive trip arrived, and we had the boat and the dive master to ourselves.  My travel journal says nothing more about the diving, presumably because I documented our sightings in my dive book!  In the afternoon, Spousal Unit took a sailing lesson while I made the most of the spa facilities with a facial.  Before dinner, we strolled the grounds and spotted a sting ray and turtles from the dock.  During our visit, it was very common to see pelicans fishing in the bay.

The final night of our stay, we opted for dinner in the bar.  The food was still high quality, but the environment was more casual.  This would have been our first choice over the Saw Mill, but we didn't discern it was an option until later in our visit.  You live and you learn!  My travel journal notes tell me we played Scrabble in the bar that night, but not who won.  It looks like we had fun, doesn't it?  

By now, you have probably forgotten that this post began with dreams of an epic 30th anniversary trip.   So where are with our brainstorming?  We have focused on Europe because we will be there in the fall to visit my in-laws, our standard time of year to be in the UK.  Although I feel we have barely scratched the surface, here are some early ideas:

(Internet) - Grossglockner Mountain

Austria - Grossglockner Road: more than 50 miles of alpine beauty; mountains, glaciers, lush valleys and dozens of pretty villages in which to seek a good meal and a simple overnight guesthouse.  

(Internet) - Dordogne

France - Dordogne and Cave of Lascaux: Hilly but not mountainous, the Dordogne is perfect walking country.  This scenic corner of France is also rich with flower-strewn valleys, Romanesque churches and medieval hamlets.  The Cave of Lascaux contains the world's most extraordinary repository of prehistoric wall paintings.  The original cave was closed to the public in 1963 to prevent deterioration, but a dazzlingly accurate replica was made in the 1980s, only 200 yards away.

France: Corsica: Are we allowed to return to one of our favorite places?  We went on holiday to Corsica twice when our kids were young.  Looking back on it now, we realize that we experienced a miniscule portion of this island, which resembles a mountain in the middle of the sea.  Corsica is a place of astonishing natural beauty, and its charm is evocative of the old Mediterranean.  

Corsica - 2006

For all those world travelers out there, do you have any suggestions that fit our criteria?  I look forward to hearing from you.  And here's praying that world travel will be a part of the new normal for all of us that dream of it!

Mosaic Monday

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