#232...ooh, Trunk Bay...

"For the true beach lover, missing the great white sweep of Trunk Bay would be like touring Europe and skipping Paris."  The family, having read those words, had to agree..

Spencer 4 hire, stopped the surrey-taxi under a canopy of palm trees. The family piled out and set down upon the sandy trail that lead to perhaps one of the most glorious sights their eyes had ever imagined - Trunk Bay. 

A small sign was posted about the large surf conditions (an event that happens only once or twice a month) and because of this, they quickly found out that there would be no snorkeling that day.  Their disappointment was quickly erased once they set foot on the great span of soft white beach.  They stood there mesmerized by the colors and sounds of the waters and the beautiful tropical surroundings. 

The whole island smelled of sweet orchids in bloom...

#231....Aah...St. John's....

Upon landing at St. John and negotiating a taxi fare ride by "Spencer 4 hire", the family had reached their much anticipated destination - Trunk Bay, but not before Spencer the taximan, showed them some of the beautious sights along the way...

The family was awed by the incredible beauty, lush growth and pristine conditions of the island...they marveled at how the whole island smelled of tropical flowers...beautiful vegetation and crystal blue waters surrounded them in every direction.  The sky was a clear wash of blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds...

The children were amazed at the sights and sat wide-eyed and smiling...

#230...they ferried merrily to St. John's...

As beautiful as St. Thomas was, the Queen knew from experience that St. John's was even more lovely, and a must-see for those in the family who hadn't yet been there.  So after breakfast, they all hopped on a open surrey-style taxi to Red Hook, to catch the ferry over to St. John's.  Their destination - the incredibly beautiful Trunk Bay.

Although they enjoyed a white-knuckled ride to the ferry - over roads that were extremely narrow and hilly, and had more than a few hair-pin turns
along the way - alas, not a picture was taken, for they all feared for their lives. 

For it seemed that their hired driver was a bit short of patience that morning, and tailgated and blew his horn almost continuously the whole way... but - he did manage to get them there in time for the 10am ferry...

No sooner had they stopped, that the same taxi-man then turned his attentions toward Brian, and with his hand held out - hath said - "That'll be 80 dollas mon, please."

 

#229....the dawning of a new day -beautiful St Thomas.

The next morning, the Queen and her husband, Bud, greeted the dawn from matching treadmills in "The Shipshape Gym"...then they went out to savor the new sights from the ship's deck while sipping a cup of warm coffee...

After a short while, they woke the royal children and other members of the family...

#228...the family has a look around...

and so on that very first night, the family of ten decided to explore the wonders of their ship and partake of the festive festivities, which mostly included drinking, dancing, laughing, and eating, and then drinking some more, with an occasional pause to marvel aloud at the beauty of their surroundings and all of its beautiful treasures...

#227...the family flies into san juan..

...and so, after a somewhat uneventful flight into San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Family found that they were greeted with rain.  Lots of rain. So much rain in fact, that any excursions planned to see the island that day had to be shelved...

#226....so let's see..

Where to begin, where to begin...

You know, time is a funny thing...it keeps marching on, with or without your approval - and that, my friends, can be so damned irritating...

It's so hard to believe that this time last week, I was sailing on a Hobi Cat with a wonderful french specimen of a man over crystal clear blue waters in French St. Martin...but alas, I get ahead of myself here...

It's best always to start at the beginning...so pull up a chair kind friends, and lend me an ear, for I am about to tell you a tale of beauty and adventure.

Once upon a time there was a family of ten -  two sisters, two husbands, and six children of various ages who set out upon a short sail to the Caribbean islands via a very new and beautiful ship called the Serenade of the Seas....

The family was in great need of rejuvenation and sunlight, as anyone living on the east coast in the middle of winter can well understand.  Months of shortened daylight and sleet and freezing rain and hours behind a snow shovel can make even the most well adjusted persons cranky and slightly comatose while walking around sporting epidermis of unnatural paleness. 

The Queen and her husband, noting the severity of the winter induced doldrums made plans to save the family straight away.  The Queen's sister was summoned promptly as to also be included in the plans.  Almost immediately, the sisters went to work, studying the Caribbean itineraries. Schedules were rearranged, shopping commenced and bank accounts were drained. 

 And before long, the time of the official departure had arrived...