A Trip to the Beach : Living on Island Time in the Caribbean

by Robert Blanchard, Melinda Blanchard

Release Date: 20 November, 2001

Edition: Paperback

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Read it on Island Time

This is a well-written and interesting story about a Vermont couple throwing caution to the trade winds, selling their business and opening a restaurant on the remote Caribbean island, Anguilla. They chose the island for its beauty and its pace and because they had fond memories of past vacations there. The Blanchards soon learned, of course, that operating a restaurant in a place where everything-building materials, equipment, food-must be imported (with a 25 percent duty on top of it), was no vacation. Everything but the staff had to be imported from either neighboring St. Martin or Puerto Rico or Miami.

Written in first person in the voice of Melinda Blanchard, she describes charming island characters and does a good job with "island patois." She gives a worthwhile account of the efforts to build (and then rebuild after a category 4 hurricane destroys their establishment) and run this exclusive restaurant-the choice of Hollywoods stars and VIPs. She even peppers the pages with recipes. The pace slows down to island time in the middle with perhaps too much detail about boat building and racing and local carnival celebrations, but overall it was a good read and very inspirational. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Blanchard.

An Armchair Trip to Anguilla

Melinda and Bob Blanchard have written a wonderful account of the trials and tribulations of building, maintaining, and operating a restaurant on a tiny Caribbean island.

When these adventurous folks found themselves more or less out of business in Vermont(their gourmet food business had failed) they decided to chuck it all and retreat to the Caribbean.

They tell a fascinating story that includes all of the obstacles that a restaurant patron might never think of when sitting down to a meal at Blanchards restaurant: the need to buy building materials and all of the supplies such as tables, linens, dishes, glassware, etc. in Miami and have everything shipped in; the difficulty of finding competent help; the daily struggle to get perishables sent to the island; the vagaries and dangers of the weather.

Despite many setbacks and problems, Melinda, who narrates this book, never whines about their circumstances. Their love for the way of life overshadows everything else. It was so interesting to read about how they conquered the myriad obstacles along the way (lack of water, cooking for a full house with no electricity one night, growing flowers and shrubs in an area with little rain, finding a house at a reasonable price on a resort island).

I also liked learning some of the history and government of this island and how it arrived at its present status.

A lovely trip!