Position 14:05.44N 60:57.83W
Date 2359 – 23 February 2011
Well it comes to all of us, eligible for a bus pas but under transitional
rules no state pension until next year.
As all of our sailing friends have either departed north or south and
we are in St Lucia to be
able to spend a weekend in the Windjammer Resort as a birthday present, albeit
an ARC prize, Elizabeth’s 60th birthday
was spent “a deux” anchored of Pigeon Island.
Thank you to everyone who emailed birthday greetings and to those very clever
people who managed to get cards out to Elizabeth.
During the day we had a ramble over Pigeon Island,
now joined to the mainland by an isthmus:
At one time Pigeon Island was a major military base defending the Rodney Bay
anchorage and St Lucia
whilst keeping a close eye on the French fleet in Martinique
just over 20nm to the north. The island has many ruins dating from the occupation
by British, and at times French, infantry and artillery. The views from the
fort at the top are proof of its strategic position in times gone by.
Following the official birthday photograph, sorry about the hair, it
was windy:
We retired to the Jambe de Bois for lunch and to marvel at the tourists
that flock there during the day; we of course do not regard ourselves as
tourists.
A leisurely afternoon followed before celebrating aboard with a carefully
chilled bottle of champagne donated by Steve B and carried from England
and a return to the Jambe de Bois, now populated only by yachties for a
delicious dinner. The owner, who seems to appear in the evenings made us most welcome
and with the staff sang “Happy Birthday” whilst serving pudding
with 60th birthday candles.
