A room with a view

Even with my love of writing, I can only ‘hope’ to aptly describe to you this magnificent island to do it justice. Virgin Gorda – the fat virgin! One of the British Virgin Islands, a long elongated island with a huge volcanic mount rising steeply down its centre, it boasts numerous idyllic bays to anchor in with perfect tropical white sand beaches lined with coconut or green shady trees. The turquoise waters are inviting and refreshing, crystal clear and pristine. Its simplicity is so refreshing; unlike other islands that are over commercialized, our fat virgin remains a favourite of the locals and visitors alike.
My family arrived here some 30 years ago and built on the beach on the north end. Surrounded by a grove of coconut palms and colourful flowers, we look out across the water to another island. To conclude your evening by lying on your bed listening to the wind rustling the palms and the waves lapping on our shore is nothing short of heaven itself. There is a serenity and peace here that surpasses any fabulous city. My family left today to return to Europe and I will stay on for some weeks. Our time together has been nothing short of wonderful. With his arm around me, my Dad and I are in a new place! It seems that as we all age, the bond of love and blood supersede any uncomfortable memories. And so it should – life is just too short!

If you have been reading this blog regularly you will know that I traveled to this side of the world to crew on yachts; unscrupulous skipper have made this impossible but it seems I was destined to reunite with family and enjoy time just for me - to write, swim, snorkel, rest, think, ponder, study and enjoy a piece of paradise in chosen solitude. I will share my days with nature; with the bird parents nesting in the corner of the house, their babies growing and a strange trust developing between us bringing them whistling & fluttering onto my bathroom louvre or door, with the tropical water that cools me, the wind that blows my hair and the sun that kisses my skin into a deep honey colour. The rush of the city is far away and I am finally on “island time”. The faces that greet me have huge smiles, some are locals with their beautiful smooth black skin, and others like me are visiting or live here. All share the love for such a piece of heaven.

At present I am sitting at our dining table looking out through the large glass doors onto the sparkling water. The view is priceless! The lapping waves lull me and the skies are blue. I feel the breeze around my ankles; and as I look up I see two yachts with full sails heading across the sound. Mozart has just finished dominating the air with his genius and the whistling wind has taken over. I hear a ‘thud’ as a coconut falls through the sun drenched palm leaves. I have no appointments, no time schedules and for the first time as long as I can remember, my time is my own.