false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178676949m/821026.jpg 821026 5 On a vacation with the family in Barbados, Mel and Bob Blanchard (of the Vermont-based Blanchard & Blanchard specialty foods company) stumble upon a tiny restaurant/shack on a Caribbean beach:<p> <blockquote>I marveled at the ingenuity of the set-up. A secluded spot, sand like flour, customers arriving in bathing suits. The guy barely lifted a finger, cleared at least $35.00, and gave us a lunch we'd remember forever.... The man had sold us a frame of mind.</blockquote> So begins the Blanchards' 10-year pursuit of the illusory notion of "island time." In a literary heartbeat, they abandon the "concrete jungle" that was Vermont and open a restaurant on a little-known island in the British West Indies called Anguilla ("rhymes with vanilla"). Narrated by Mel Blanchard, <I>A Trip to the Beach</I> dispels tired notions of the Caribbean--the steel drums, the lush landscapes, and acres of swaying palm trees--and instead focuses on the understated elegance and easy rhythms of the sublimely "flat, and scrubby" island. Though lacking the richness and finesse of Frances Mayes, and the wit and wisdom of Peter Mayle, Mel Blanchard nonetheless forges a new path in travel writing as the Martha Stewart of the Caribbean. A remarkably intuitive and inspired chef, Mel writes poignant passages on running a kitchen in Anguilla. Here she exposes the meat of the story, sharing her many outrageous adventures--how to cater to pampered and demanding guests, how to cook for a full restaurant in the darkest of island night with no electricity, how to prepare for recurring and utterly devastating hurricanes that wipe out your business. In these chapters the writing is as good as her cooking--inspiring, colorful, and easily digestible. Although she sometimes relies heavily on well-worn clichés and expresses naïve and rather privileged assumptions--"Why would anyone choose to live surrounded by concrete and traffic rather than fishing boats, water and palm trees?"--discerning readers will see the true nature of this tiny island--a place of simplistic beauty that struggles to maintain its independence while it depends on tourism for its livelihood. With a strange concoction of anecdotes, island politics, recipes, and sweet memories, the Blanchards seduce readers with the allure of "island time," bringing Anguilla home to the rest of us. <I>--Daphne Durham</I> 248686 2000 A Trip to the Beach: Living on Island Time in the Caribbean total:221|5:65|4:83|3:62|2:9|1:2| 221 863 326 63 3 1 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Mar 10 06:49:04 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 20 17:54:47 -0700 2008 The first half of this book is fun and interesting to anyone who has ever visited Anguilla. A middle-aged Norwich Vermont couple relocate to Anguilla and open a restaurant. It is still in business, and is c...more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu Aug 23 23:06:27 -0700 2007 Fri Sep 14 21:36:28 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 true false Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jan 23 12:19:45 -0800 2008 Fri Sep 05 06:02:17 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1 0 false false Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Mar 21 17:04:02 -0700 2008 Sat Mar 29 17:12:27 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun May 25 04:37:54 -0700 2008 Sun May 25 11:24:06 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 21 02:01:43 -0700 2008 Sat Nov 01 11:36:53 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jun 08 00:00:00 -0700 2003 Tue Mar 04 21:06:17 -0800 2008 Tue Mar 04 21:09:04 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jan 08 16:09:00 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 08 16:11:13 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Aug 23 17:53:20 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 23 17:56:46 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Jul 07 10:27:24 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 10:29:03 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Sat Aug 08 13:56:00 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 08 13:57:32 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Sep 14 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Sep 06 07:44:48 -0700 2008 Sun Sep 14 08:38:13 -0700 2008
The authors moved from Vermont to Anguilla to follow their dream of opening a seaside bar and ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Mar 25 11:41:45 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 25 11:43:25 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Thu Jun 25 15:31:36 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 25 15:36:24 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2002 Sun Oct 19 07:43:07 -0700 2008 Sun Oct 19 07:58:55 -0700 2008 1 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Sep 12 14:58:33 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 12 15:00:27 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Wed Jan 28 12:11:33 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 28 12:14:03 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Wed Feb 27 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Feb 21 02:43:02 -0800 2008 Wed Feb 27 04:31:49 -0800 2008 more...]]> 0 0 false false Fri Dec 19 14:19:21 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 19 14:19:59 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 01 11:26:46 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 15 10:16:02 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=821026