Chronicles of a Shoemaker's Daughter

... is how I would describe my all too brief stay in Nevis this year. Photos to follow, but today, I think I will post this text, more as a habit-builder, as I promised I would post an update once a week, Not sure if adding photos later counts as an update ... but there you have it ... the photos are arriving later. When I think of my few days on that little sombrero-shaped island with the crown of clouds that dominates its mountain-peak, all I can think is: Nevis, ah Nevis! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways ... you are the yang to St. Kitts' yin. The calming antidote to the excitement that St. Kitts offers visitors. Pretty, confident, sleepy and serene ... I had secured 2 rooms at Oualie Beach for a 3 night stay in Nevis. The goal was total R&R ... and an opportunity to get to know Nevis a bit better. I ended up checking out a day early so that my friend "Vincent" could spend his last night on St. Kitts before catching his plane back north on

Well, I must say that I have a lot of special memories of each and every day of this recent holiday - involving so many other special places and special folks that may not get mentioned - not because those moments were any less special, but because this day really stands out in my mind right now, as I grapple with a colder than normal early June in Toronto. In case you're wondering, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th photos in this blog are NOT recent, but from 1990! Now, back to 2009 - one week into this trip, the first Saturday was THE day that finally brought things full circle for me ... the day that I truly fell in love with "my special island" all over again. And, finally ... one of my old friends was visiting the island for the first time, one of the people who was part of my circle of friends, 21 years ago when I first went to St. Kitts and moved into the Jack Tar Village for the better part of a year ... Finally, a member of my old Toronto "crew" who never really

Each return trip gives me a new perspective on the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis ... and reveals aspects of the islands that I may have overlooked or simply not had time to process during previous trips. St. Kitts is changing at a much more rapid pace than Nevis, and I was never more aware of this fact than the period between May 9th to May 30th. I was very fortunate this time to spend a full three weeks in the Federation, and frankly, I could have easily stayed another three weeks. My friends in Canada still don't get it. Their loss, but they can't say that I don't offer to share. A friend from Toronto did join me during the first two weeks. Nancy and "Steve-eh??" where also on island at the same time and provided a nice balance .. as well as lots of laughs ... to the dynamics between two platonic, middle-aged, over-worked, opposite-sex travel companions! It was "Vincent's" (not his real name, but this seems to be his adopted Kittitian name