When I said "just a few more" I was totally lying

really, the last few...

Just a few more...

...pictures from Barbados and the wedding...our friend Lori, who I had been told takes the loveliest photos, just sent hers out. I couldn't not post them because they look just like the images I saw in my mind when looking at the wedding and the whole weekend and have unsuccessfully been trying to evoke in simple words. So, let them speak:

GF-style in the Islands

...one thing I forgot to mention in all these beautiful pictures my friends took is that we found a gluten free cafe in Barbados! Amanda and I spent the first two days at the adorable Southern Surf apartments across from Rockley Beach, Christ Church (in between Bridgetown and Oistins) - which I recommend, right in the middle of everything. The second day we decided to walk a bit and find a place to eat, and walked from Souther Surf towards St. Lawrence Gap to an area with shops and restaurants, and stumbled across Verde, a little cafe next door to the Colombian Emeralds store (I'm giving so many details because they're not listed on the web and I don't have an address - never fear, though, it's easy to find if you're in the area).

As attuned as I may be to GF anything, I'm still my same ditzy self and Amanda actually had to point out that the menu had gluten free wraps, gluten free pasta, and gluten free muffins! It's essentially anything on the regular menu with a $2 bajan ($1 US) charge to make any entree gluten free. We went back three times, I had the gluten free wrap with grilled chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and goat cheese each time, it was so good. The day we left (at this point we had moved from the Southern Surf to the Crane and it was a bit of a hike to the cafe but I didn't care) I also ordered a pasta, chicken, and garlic dish to take on the plane and it was delicious and I was so happy not to have to eat ice cubes because I couldn't find anything at the airport that was GF.

What I found most interesting is that there were never any GF muffins, they were sold out every day by noon! I didn't know celiac was prevalent in the Caribbean, but the regular muffins looked excellent and I was sad I didn't get to try the GF ones.

As if the beaches and the waves and the run punch weren't enough to get me back to Barbados...

Pics of the Crane

The Crane Resort, supposedly the oldest in the Caribbean...we
stayed in the historic hotel, which is right on the edge of a cliff over the ocean and the rooms are all dark wood and balconies and windows. No airconditioner (yay! hate air con and heat), just a fierce cross breeze and gently swirling fans...

...and, Amanda's feet by the pool, which we nicknamed The Parthenon. A little hokey (the setup, not her feet) but beautiful and relaxing nonethless...

More Barbados photos...

...After mine and marian's birthday party last night, where the tans are fading and we're firmly off the island and back onto real-world, some more photos...

Bar-Shmae-Dos

I'm on my way to Barbados tomorrow (Amanda and I are re-living our recent weekend in Miami by spending a day or so at my bro's place on the way down) for a wedding. This is also going to be an experimental weekend, as I'm taking the cord for my camera and I'm going to try - or at least think about - blogging on site. The genius that comes from 8 hours of sun and six rum punches cannot be recreated faithfully on the stupid chaise lounge in my apartment when I'm busy checking my tan lines to see if they've fading yet. And yes, I packed 13 sundresses and 5 pairs of shoes for six days, you got a problem with that??