kwren

What is a super vedge? what did we miss?

bobthompson

I'm old and English enough occasionally to use "super" to mean nice. Sometime soon I must try to enter the second half of last century! The shop I had in mind is on the left at the top of Brades Hill when coming from Woodlands etc and always has a tempting display of vedge outside, including green bananas, yams, sweet potato, dasheen, ocra and many more. Their interesting carton fruit juices are at the front on the right and deliceous cheap rum is very near. After that it's just a matter of trying to remember your way home!

kwren

I guess you can tell I'm from the US in that case! It would have been a good stop, but luckily we found lots of rum anyway, and the juice sounds good for another trip! thanks for explaining

dudley1200

kwren,
Glad you enjoyed Montserrat. I am from London Canada, and have been visiting Montserrat for 6 yrs. now. Min. twice a year. It is a very special place. I only tell friends about it. It is a very well kept secret! I'm moving there full time this fall. Hope you make it back soon. Next time you go check out Gary's Rum Shack. It's a favourite of the locals. Canadians, Americans, Brits, Aussies etc.

GREAT FUN!

Lindawojcik

I enjoyed reading all the entries about your trip and the comments that followed.. my partner and I are blessed to have a villa in Olveston (which is in the safe zone) and spend our winters there. It takes me two weeks to adjust to the "land of too much" when we return and I truly believe I always leave a piece of me back on island. Reading your blog put me right back home. Our first year there I kept a small blog of our trip which can be found at www.barefoot-villa.blogspot.com if anyone is interested.. Food can be a challenge, however, the longer we are there, the more I learned to create from very little. My recipe section helps me remember how creative I can be each time I return.

Montserrat is certainly for those who don't need a lot of entertainment and yet there is more than enough if you just know where to look. It makes the journey so much more interesting... and so much more to share...

Thanks so much for sharing your adventures ..

Jenifer

Karen, I was never able to get ahold of him. I keep getting that same reply back when I email him...

Your pictures were GREAT! I believe they made our decision - we will be heading ot Montserrat in June...I am so very excited. Now, to find a place to stay...

kwren

Wow! That's exciting! You will love it!

I've been writing to Mike for the past few days and haven't had any problem. If you want me to pass along any info, I'd be glad to do that.

bobthompson

Lindawojcik's comment reminds me that we were shown a copy of a book of Montserrat recipes when we visited in 2007. This was at least 50 pages long and showed how exclusively local ingredients could be used to make a wonderful selection of dishes. Incidentally, avocados are Amazonian forest trees and therefore grow wild on Montserrat. The joy of Caribbean island rain forests is that they contain both the south American wild fruit trees AND such treats as coconuts, mangos and breadfruit brought into the area to help the slaves get a decent diet. Captain Blight (of Mutiny on the Bounty fame) was one of the greatest of these food tree gatherers and the mutiny unjustifiably dominates his reputation as a major figure in European exploration of the SW Pacific.

kwren

Hi Jenifer - I have a few things to tell you, but think they will get off the track of this post and don't know how to find you otherwise. Probably neither of us want to post our email info here so if you are interested, you could go to tripadvisor's forum page (search for forum - I don't know the direct way to get to it), go to Europe, Switzerland, then Wengen and find me under the most recent rail pass question today at 8:20 am. You could send me a private message through that forum. I can't find a way to send a private message on Fodors. Talk to you later!

Lindawojcik

bobthompson's mention of avocados brings me back to hikes in the rainforests where we would collect bananas, mangos, lemons, cashews, papayas... never did we see an avocado tree... although we were told there was one on island that was known about, yet kept secret. Bill and I have planted an avocado tree on our property.. not sure when or if we will ever see the day that we may be able to harvest from it... and the mango tree on our property is from the finest of the crops... yet we never get to taste its fruit.. it ripens after we leave.. so sad...

kwren

I don't think I mentioned that you can also buy T-shirts at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. They have the MVO logo on them, come in lots of bright colors and cost 40 EC. The only thing is that you have to ask to see them - they're in a back room.

bobthompson

By the way, don't think about getting carried away and cooking and eating the frog photographed by kwren; it's a cane toad and therefore poisonous! But, like all poisonous species, they are very relaxed around potential predators.

bobthompson

This photo of the real mountain chicken appeared today, as if we'd asked to see it! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...d=277881484759

kwren

I never did see mountain chicken on a menu while I was there! Anyone know where to get it (although it's too late for me!)?

bobthompson

See my August 1 post above, sad to say. They have build a small biosecure "arc" in the Roseau botanical garden on Dominica, in case the species is reduced to only a few members. It's a sad reminder of how vulnerable we ALL are to new diseases.

bobthompson

Oops: ark, as in Noah's ark! Double-shell surround with high wire-mesh fencing and barbed top strands etc.

SAnParis2

Glad to see someone else here on Fodors has finally visited our favorite little island. Thanks for the updates.