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We arrived at 6:30 am and spent the day touring the island with our own private tour bus courtesy of the kids.
Antigua is an island roughly 14 miles long and 11 miles wide, covering an area of approximately 108 square miles (281 square kilometers).
St. John’s is the capital of Antigua and Barbuda, a vibrant port renowned for its historical significance, including a rich pirate past, a large public market, and nearby historic forts such as Fort Barrington. The city has experienced multiple damaging events, including earthquakes, a fire, and a hurricane. Still, the city has been rebuilt to become a popular tourist destination filled with colorful buildings and lively festivals, such as the island’s annual Carnival.
We finally arose at 7:00 am, struggling to open the door and heat the room. The thermostat was stuck at -30 degrees F! Another beautiful day in paradise.
The dock was almost a mile inland!
We found a bus and the kids hired it for the day. Our driver, born and raised on the island, knew everyone.
St. Barnabas Anglican Church in Liberta, Antigua, is a historic landmark known for its striking exterior made of local green-hued stone. Originally built as a chapel school between the 1820s and 1840s, it became the parish church after an earthquake in 1843 destroyed the nearby church in Falmouth. The church features colonial-era gravestones in its overgrown churchyard and was extended in 1989 to accommodate its growing congregation while maintaining its original architecture.
Key Trivia Points
Unique Green Stone: The church’s most distinctive feature is its construction from local “Antigua green stone,” quarried nearby, which gives it a unique color and appearance.
Original Purpose: It was initially built as a chapel school.
Post-Earthquake Conversion: Following the 1843 earthquake that devastated the nearby mother church in Falmouth, St. Barnabas was converted into the parish church.
Historical Significance: The churchyard contains colonial-era gravestones, including one for Charles Pitt, the brother of Prime Minister William Pitt.
Modern Expansion: In 1989, an extension was added to the church, carefully designed to match the existing Italianate architectural style.
Sister Church: It serves as a sister church to St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Falmouth.
The original stonework was impressive.
The church was expanded thirty years ago, and they used more green rocks for the foundation.
We went on a walking tour at Nelson’s Dockyard. After the English colonized Antigua in 1632, the Royal Navy began using English Harbour as a safe haven. The harbour’s position on the south side of Antigua island facilitated the monitoring of neighbouring islands, and the harbour was naturally well-suited to protect ships and cargo from hurricanes. Fortification of the harbor began in the 18th century.
The building was unique and designed to repair the masts of ships that required assistance.
Nelson’s Dockyard trivia includes facts about Admiral Horatio Nelson’s time there (1784-1787), his unpopularity due to enforcing trade laws, a famous quote calling English Harbour an “infernal hellhole,” and the daily saltwater ablutions Nelson allegedly underwent. The dockyard was built in the 1740s and was a vital British naval base, making it the world’s only continuously operating Georgian-era dockyard, now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The museum was quite interesting, and we found ourselves wondering what life was like 400 years ago!
Much of the facility was undergoing restoration, but we found a bar (Duh!)
Since Mary is no longer allowed to carry a black marker (remember the happy face), we did NOT sign the ceiling, but it was interesting to read previous entries.
We were the only people outside, but in the shaded area of the bar.
We walked back to the via via the path that took us next to the moorings.
There was only one boat on our side of the bay!
The people who owned the boat were smart; they had solar cells to charge the batteries.
There were a lot of fish next to the dock.
We were hungry, so our driver took us to a beachside restaurant where we had a great meal. I had a lobster sub sandwich and some local rum drinks!
The beach was immaculate!
We invite our driver to join us, but he was not allowed by law to imbibe, so, being the great guy I am, I drank for him, hic!!
We all had a wonderful time swapping stories about those things that never really happened.
The ship was adjacent to the shopping center as expected.
Earlier in the day, we stopped, and I got some sunglasses as mine were misplaced.
The air conditioning felt good, so we went to the Schooner Bar and ran into a friend we had met a few days ago. The three of us sat there for an hour, soaking in the cool air.
We took a brief nap and then heard the ship’s horn blast out its departing sound.
Off we go, heading to Barbatos.
Tonight was “White Night”. I thought it was “White Knight”. I was brave and wore all white save for the suspenders.
It’s White Night, so Mary found a dress on shore for this evening.
Tonight is Italian at Giovioni’s. The meals were outstanding, and the champagne and wine flowed freely.
We arrived at the Italian restaurant early and got to choose where we wanted to sit.
The ladies were ready to eat, but decisions had to be made first!
Looking good!
Traveling with Mark and Jon is a hoot; I never had to carry a bag, and they were always by my side as I traversed the stairs or got in and out of the vehicles.
I got a big kick out of telling new friends that Mary and I were traveling with our grandson. We pointed out our grandson, and they laughed; they were thinking an eight-year-old!
Yes, that’s me on the end… the little guy!
Decision time. What shall we try??
This was quite an ordeal!
I went all out and ordered three flavors of Italian ice cream! My bathroom scale may never talk to me again!
Dessert was served.
We headed to the Schooner Bar so we could dance.
Did we dance? Duh!!
After a couple of hours of sampling different drinks, we headed to the VIP lounge, and there was Barbara.
We met up with Barbara, our next-door neighbor, and had drinks with her, her husband, Jon, and Sarah.
Finally, around 11:00 pm, we opted to hit the sack. We were tired, and I found out why!
Tomorrow, Brbatos, where the kids got married!
