Being tourists in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

Our house and pet sitting assignment in St. Thomas finished yesterday. We now have a few days on the island to be true tourists, without any responsibilities, before we return to Canada. So, we chose a hotel in town, and purposely left the walking areas of the town until now.

We started the day out with breakfast at Gladys' Cafe. This restaurant has a great rating on Tripadvisor, and it is well-deserved. The building itself is a converted warehouse that dates back to the 1830s. Most of the buildings in the downtown area are from that era. The staff were friendly, and Gladys herself was happy to pose for a photo.

Isn't the selection of fruit so colourful?

Being aware of the Tsunami Evacuation Plan

We commented on this sign when we first noticed it. It shows what to do in the case of a tsunami. More clarification on this at the end of this post.

It's a one-ship day; let's go to Magen's Bay!

Remember that view of Magen's Bay from a few days ago? Here's a reminder.

How many cruise ships are in town today, you ask?

Today was a "5-ship day". Charlotte Amalie, the capital of St. Thomas, is a cruise ship port. When you live here, you take note of the number of ships due into port, as it can affect your travels on the island.

Check out the photo below, from today's local newspaper. For a town of approximately 11,000, that's quite an influx of people for Charlotte Amalie. There weren't any cruise ships in town on Saturday, November 21st. We drove through town and every store was closed; it was like a ghost town.  One of St. Thomas's attractions is that it is famous for duty-free shopping, so when the ships aren't in, there's no point in opening the stores.

The Allure of the Seas must be a huge ship

"Put the lime in the coconut ... Doctor! Is there nothing I can take?"

As volunteer house and pet sitters with TrustedHousesitters, we take our responsibility seriously. Most homeowners put their pets as the priority over their homes, but we make sure to care for and respect both.

Frankie, who really needs to get that ear fixed!

University life in the Virgin Islands

The University of the Virgin Islands has its main campus in Charlotte Amalie, the capital of St. Thomas. The university's 2800 students are on two campuses; two-thirds in St. Thomas and one-third in St. Croix. There isn't a campus on St. John, their sister island.

Again, see how steep the land rises up from the water?

Things are not always as they seem ...

Apparently the Roman poet, Phaedrus, can take credit for having said "Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many." Such was the case for me when I looked out into our "back yard". The treed area didn't hold much interest for me. From my perspective, as the greenery grows, the ocean view is being obstructed. Today, however, I went beyond the first appearance.

Just another day in "America's paradise"

On the cover of the free glossy tourist magazine here, it bills itself as "your guide to America's paradise". Given some of the views we saw today - well I saw, more than Greg, as he does the driving - it may just justify that title. It certainly is a picturesque island with all its sandy coves and shades of blue and green.

Skyline Drive, a great viewpoint to see one of the many coves

We now live at the bottom of Suicide Hill

Yesterday we travelled to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, for our first house sit of our "winter" season. On our second flight, we saw the sun rise. This photo doesn't do it justice; it was beautiful.

Volunteers going to Nicaragua

Tomorrow these sheep will leave our home, to start their journey to Nicaragua.

(L to R) Bambi, Vaquera with Rhoose in front, Belly, and Nico

Snowbirds looking forward to flying south

Meet (L to R) - Belly, Jelly, and Mouton (French for "sheep"). These are the latest to join our family. My husband urged me to take Mouton to live with our youngest grandchild, Soleil (French for "sun"). Not my idea of a child in need, with all the toys she has, but I reluctantly agreed. Maybe Mouton can be donated back to our cause at some point?

Appreciating the Niagara Region, right in our backyard

Travellers often take for granted what's in their own backyard. That's the case for us sometimes, here in Niagara. I've often thought I should do some posts of the Niagara Peninsula, for those who read this blog but have never visited. It's maybe not the best season to see the falls themselves, and the fall colours are not in their prime either. However, I've noticed some colours here lately that I'd like to share.

Last week I went to a mall close to our home. Given that the fall colours are just about over, this view of the Niagara escarpment caught my eye. On a warm, sunny day these colours were actually more dramatic than the photo reflects.