Fasten your seat belt, we are about to take off! We are headed to Barbados. Barbados is located in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, the Southeast part of the Caribbean Sea, to be exact. A direct flight from Washington, DC to the island of Barbados is always a good idea, taking only minutes over 5 hours of flight time and if you plan ahead, costs about $240.00- $425.00, I paid less than $300.0 for a round trip ticket directly into the only airport there, Grantley Adams International Airport, also one of the major hub airports in the Caribbean. If an airline doesn't fly into one of the islands you are going to, chances are you will connect with Barbados and swap to a puddle jumper to get there.*

The former Caribbean colony declared its independence from the United Kingdom on November 30, 1966, but retained Elizabeth II as its ceremonial head of state until November 30, 2021. By removing the queen from her position, the democratic nation of 300,000 people has finally cast off one of the last institutionalized vestiges of British colonialism, officially becoming the world’s newest republic. Barbados remains part of the Commonwealth of Nations, a voluntary organization of 54 former British colonies that the queen has sought to uphold throughout her reign. The Government of Barbados (GoB), is a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic, where the President of Barbados represents as the head of state and the Prime Minister of Barbados represents as the head of government. source

Here is a map of the Eastern Caribbean. I cannot post it as it is Copywrite protected, but, I can send you there! I am curious about where things are located. You can find it here

I get a better view from the top of the hill and recognize one of my favorite places, Bathsheba Beach. It is not your typical beach with people sunning and swimming, most come to tame the powerful waves. I see a lot of surfboards out today, but for me, it is its rock formations that look like mushrooms. The Atlantic Ocean has worn away the rock, leaving them in this very distinctive shape.

It is hard to talk about Barbados without mentioning the fact that it is considered the birthplace of rum. There are records showing that it was first mentioned in 1650. The Mount Gay Distillery was founded in 1703 and boasts of producing the oldest rum in the world. Don't miss out on the tour of the Distillery - you are plied with free samples, just so you will know what you are missing. Until 1667, it was called rumbullion until it was shortened to rum.

I was getting all nostalgic about the delicious rum they have and forgot to point out that this is the town of Bathsheba, which is a fishing village on the East Coast of Barbados. It might surprise you to know that Barbados has parishes, and the island is divided up into eleven parishes. If you don't know what a parish is, it is similar to a state or province. Bathsheba is in the parish of Saint Joseph.

Although Barbados had the lowest poverty rate since 2007, it is still significant at 14%. Lack of financial support from children's fathers creates a low-income count in the household. It is a cycle the country is working on breaking. Weak tourism will push it down further, but, I didn't have figures to take that into account. I am sure the numbers are scary. As I say this, I have to admit, the people are what makes these visits to the Caribbean so peaceful, meaningful, and refreshing.

Bathsheba Beach is such a unique piece of beauty. If you read any literature about this part of Barbados, they describe it as the rugged, exciting east coast. The waves are thundering and rough, yet, if I walk over where the palms are on the edges, there are pools of water to swim in. Mother Nature knows just how to do it.

The most popular beaches for tourists are on the western and southern sides of the island. The pink sand on one, sugary white sand on the rest. They have some of the most famous resorts here, with a roll call of celebrities that is staggering. Yes, it is this side of the island I actually prefer. There are plenty of places with white beaches, but, how many have mushroom rocks and locals throwing nets out into the sea to get fresh seafood?

I stopped by a roadside market for some fruit and vegetables. It was just picked at her house. I cannot get it any fresher than that if I picked it myself. The prices were lower when I was there last, but, here is what they are today. The fruit was good and tasted delicious. Quick Conversion: How much is a Bajan dollar to a US dollar? 1 Barbadian or Bajan Dollar = $0.50 US Dollar. So just divide these prices by two.

Eggs (regular) (12) 9.41 Bds$
Local Cheese (1 lb) 26.57 Bds$
Apples (1 lb) 2.53 Bds$
Banana (1 lb) 2.37 Bds$
Oranges (1 lb) 3.07 Bds$
Tomato (1 lb) 2.86 Bds$
Potato (1 lb) 2.66 Bds$
Onion (1 lb) 2.92 Bds$
Lettuce (1 head) 4.97 Bds$

Barbados is such a lovely island, the people, the food, the climate. I didn't get to show it all to you, but, there is always another week, There is always too much to show off and I never know when to stop. I want to thank you for coming with me and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I love showing it off. I think it doesn't translate as well but, I can imagine very well and I hope you can too.

Please leave the link to your post here so it can easily be found by others. It helps you and me to have them in one place. Where else can you take such a quick trip around the globe? Thank you so much for joining us!! ❤

As always, there must be flowers to color my world. #alwaysaflower The hellebores are some of my favorite springtime blooms. They are sometimes called Lenten, Christmas, or Winter rose. There are 17 different varieties and they are native to Turkey and Greece. Hellebores flowers hang upside-down. Still, they color a beautiful picture. Do you have hellebores where you live?

It looks like a mushroom to me, these large boulders that are on the waters' edge? Part of a coral reef that has disintegrated over time not by the battering of waves, "but rather by the feeding action of invertebrates scraping algae from the rock, a reminder that geological processes both large and small are constantly at work."

𝐿𝑜𝓋𝑒, 𝒟𝑒𝓃𝒾𝓈𝑒 ❤️

1.Go to the market, or anywhere that you pay money for a service.