The short boat trip over from St. John was so lovely, blue, and breezy!
Once we arrived at the ferry dock we took a taxi to the Bellavista Bed and Breakfast! I snapped some pics from the taxi ride of the beautiful island and water views. The islands are like mini mountains set among large spans of water. The roads are relatively narrow, somewhat primitive, and very winding.
The views from every peak are simply breathtaking.
We finally arrived "home." The Bellavista feels like home. It was so nice to be in familiar territory! We spent our honeymoon with Wendy at her B&B over six years ago.
Wendy and Doug immediately make you feel at home! They take your bags, offer you drinks, and get you settled with whatever you need!
The living room is a gathering place in the evenings to chat with other guests about each others' days.
And, the kitchen is like most homes...where the action is!
The lovely decorations and bright colorful plates and salt and pepper shakers line the bookshelves. Along with any possible reading you might like to do while there!
We even stayed in the quaint, cozy little room that we stayed in before! Every room there is beautiful, each with its own personality and charm.
The view from the patio/pool deck is gorgeous! You can see the entire Charlotte Amalie harbor...
Since we were a little early arriving, we gave Wendy some time to get things ready. So, we decided to take the short, but steep hike to town. Going into town is nothing, but coming back it's a bear!
First you trek down some steps...
Then, you try not to roll down the hill...
The pic just doesn't do that hill justice. You really do feel like you're in a V8 commercial (for those of you old enough to remember those).
The streets still look the same. The walk to town still the same. Sometimes you have to take breaks in order to continue to hike back up!
You always have to be careful. It's like any other place. There are good streets and bad. You never walk around at night. Always taxi!
We were hungry so we found this little Mexican restaurant. It was so tasty! We were so hungry!
Yes, I took more pictures of our food! Yum!
There are lots of old buildings in "town" in St. Thomas! There are a few "alleys" with shops that look so vintage.
Jewelry shops along with a few other types of shops lined the main streets. All of the shopping was duty free.
On our first night, we ventured out on a walk along the waterfront
We were headed to a local pizza place in Frenchtown called Pie Whole!
We had some great food and great conversation with some locals and visitors! It was like a family. We were all sharing beer and food back and forth across the bar!
When we arrived back I was so excited to find...
Yes, flowers on the pillows! Wendy waits until everyone leaves and then she turns the covers back on the beds and places flowers on the pillows! What a lovely touch! (I knew it was coming since we had been before, and I always look forward to seeing what flowers we'll get)
Also, we took a moment to flip through the guest book for the room. We found our original entry. It seemed like just yesterday we were there!
On Thursday, after a delicious and beautiful breakfast...
We decided to hit a local hidden gem, Lindquist Beach (renamed Smith Bay Beach).
There were very few people on the beach, and most of those were locals.
Even the iguana was a local...
He was hiding in the bush and then ran up the tree. I think I aggravated him by taking pictures. Look at this pose!
After a lovely beach day we came home, enjoyed the view from the deck. It was a cruise ship...
And, then we went to eat with a fellow guest at Virgilio's! It was so good! We enjoyed our visit with Allison and just as we were paying the bill a storm knocked out the power!
We hopped in the taxi and when we arrived "home" Wendy was waiting there with a lantern to guide us down the steps and get us safely settled in. Shortly, the power was back on!
The next morning we were greeted with a lovely fruit plate...
And, a beautiful spinach and red pepper quiche! Yum!
And, not to forget the red pepper heart...
I'm telling you it's all about the details! Everything is carefully planned and created with love. She even has an emergency cabinet for anything you might need...
What a place!
So, after breakfast we decided to go to Magen's Bay! This beach is a favorite for all of the tourists. All of the cruise ship passengers visit this beach. It's always ranked a top beach. Friday was a day for no cruise ships, so the perfect day to go to this beach.
It was like a giant pool! There were mountains on either side and one in the middle. The bay was calm and serene...
While out in the water we saw a baby shark swim by. Right next to the shore. Actually, between us and the shore! Yikes! And, there were sea turtles and lots of silver looking fish swimming around us!
While there we had a great lunch. Yes, the best pizza is found here at the snack shack. And, we also had a banana daiquiri.
The little spot we had under a tree was perfection!
And, to end a gorgeous day we got to see a mongoose! Read about why they are on the island here.
Yes, this is for you Marioochee and Elise! I gotta get some points for the hermit crabs, fish, shark, turtles, iguana, and mongoose!!
Back in the taxi with our favorite driver, Kenroy, and our fellow guests Allison and Adam, we headed back "home."
We changed and headed out for our final dinner of the trip at Bella Blu. Yes, there are pictures!
That was the best eggplant parmesan I've ever had!
And, here's Jeff's assortment of mussels, chicken, noodles, and sausage!!
And, we even got dessert. Bread pudding...
Back at "home" we enjoyed the evening views...
And, came back to three flowers on each pillow! The last night!
Saturday morning breakfast was delicious of course! Homemade ginger pancakes with mango sauce!
Wendy is such a food artist! And, her sidekick, Mocha!
I haven't mentioned Mocha much yet, but trust me, she is the star of the place! She came to be with Wendy and Doug shortly after our honeymoon trip! She is Doug's baby truthfully. She follows him around everywhere! She pouts when he leaves, and settles for Wendy. She made our trip enjoyable. She gave us some dog love since we were without our little man!
Our trip was wonderful. It was a great time to be together in a beautiful place with lovely people. When you stay at the Bellavista Bed and Breakfast it's like staying with family. We felt loved, cared for, and so blessed to have found such lovely people. Bellavista would not be the same without Wendy and Doug. Their care and kindness makes it extra special. They are like family! We cried when we left.
God leads us to places and people for reasons we don't know. The Bellavista is just a special place with special people. I wish we could bottle them up and bring them with us everywhere. They are so happy, bright, and energetic. It's an inspiration to spend time there! No other Bed and Breakfast is as wonderful as here!
We are so blessed, rested, and happy to be home!
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