The Plantations
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Thu 24 Feb 2011 23:02
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The Converted Plantations of
St Kitts
 We left the road and drove through old
sugar fields, over the rail tracks used in the
production days to carry the cane to the mills and on to the port
         As we entered the grounds we saw old
machinery used when this was a working plantation. 1000 Places to See Before You
Die says St Kitts and Nevis are loved by Caribbean aficionados for their
tastefully restored plantation inns-cum-restaurants, and Rawlins Plantation is one of the most
captivating, allowing guests to savour a vanishing way of life amid
old-fashioned West Indies charm and gracious surroundings. The main house with
its wide veranda overlooking carefully clipped lawns and flower-splashed
gardens, was built on the original 17th century foundations of an old sugar
works, and offers what is arguably the best dining on the island, an imaginative
blend of Kittian and French cuisine designed by the talented owner / chef. Many
ingredients are grown on the plantation. A wondrous West Indian buffet lunch
draws both the local elite and nonislanders. The regulars come to relive the
nostalgic planter's life - or is it the sensational chocolate terrine with a
light passion fruit sauce?
 1000 Places says "This cloud-covered
volcanic island so enchanted Christopher Columbus that he named it after himself
- it was only later that locals unofficially shortened the name St Christopher's
to St Kitts. With its less lively sister island, Nevis, it was once part of the
British Commonwealth, but today it's the smallest country in the United Nations
and is proclaimed by local tourism officials as "the Secret Caribbean". Word is
out, however about The Golden Lemon,
a handsome 17th cetury great house that sits beneath the spectacular, 3800-foot
Mount Liamuiga at the island's northern end. Famed for its eclectic and
highly original interiors, the hotel is the domain of an American
design-magazine editor and connoisseur who used the historic island property as
his blank canvas, combining local crafts, European antiques, crystal
chandaliers, white rattan furniture and stunning fabrics in a spirited but
impeccably tasteful mix. Understandably, it's a design-conscious international
clientele that fills the beautifully appointed villas (all of which have private
plunge pools) and guest rooms, and shows up for the poolside Sunday buffet
brunch, which is served in the shade of a breadfruit tree. With this write up we
just had to go and look for ourselves, it was a dull day but the yellow showed
up as a happy colour, the staff were friendly and welcoming.
       The garden in
front of the property........
  ......... complete with its own cannon and a view over the
Atlantic Ocean
ALL
IN ALL GOOD TO VISIT
INTERESTING BUT SOMEHOW NOT AS SPECTACULAR
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