Anguilla News, 2000/01/02


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Where to celebrate ? Try Shoal Bay. . . .

2000/01/02 - Click to enlarge pictures

Happy New Year

Enjoy the new millennium in Anguilla.

Palm Grove Rebuilds

Palm Grove Bar and Grill is back after being knocked out by Hurricane Lenny.

Guest article by Roger Fenn

In December 1999, we enjoyed another delightful week with the Richardsons out on the road to Junks Hole, beyond East End Village.

This fresh and breezy end of Anguilla is a perfect diversion from the hubbub of other parts of the island. For the last five years, we've returned to this favorite spot to snorkel around the reefs, and explore the curve of a beach that offers spectacular views of the Atlantic to the East and St. Martin to the South. We have fond memories of kicking up our heels at the Palm Grove, enjoying our favorite Caribbean beverage, spicy savory barbecue, and the company of proprietor/chef Nat Richardson and his charming wife Ethne.

This past November, torrents of water from Hurricane Lenny washed the beautiful Palm Grove Bar and Grill into Savannah Bay, but in the ensuing weeks Nat Richardson, friends, and family, have recovered much of the material washed up to shore by the waves and the wind of the storm. A bright and airy dining platform is now back from the location where the Palm Grove had once stood, and Nat will be cooking up Anguilla's tastiest ribs and more from a "kitchen on wheels", perfect for the occasion.

Look for the original sign, which we salvaged; now beckoning you! We naturally will be back soon to join in the fun, but meanwhile, make it a point to see how they're doing and enjoy The Palm Grove�.

[Ed. Here is Palm Grove as it appeared before Lenny and the same spot viewed after! The torrential rains completely eliminated the sand dune where Palm Grove used to sit, but the beach is as good as ever.]

Micasa: Furniture, Gifts, Decorating

Micasa (Spanish for "my house") had its grand opening on Tuesday, December 21, 1999, just in time for Christmas.

Guest article by Bethany Marks

It is chock full of colorful home decorating items and furniture, is a first for Anguilla in the beautiful array of items which have been imported, and reasonably priced. Cathy Ogilvie Smith, a 10-year resident of Anguilla, has opened Micasa in the space that Gitte Beyer's Java Wrap used to occupy, just across from The Old House Restaurant in the Clarita Mason Mall.

Micasa has a wide array of Talavera pottery. Cathy lived in Mexico for five years and began collecting Talavera then -- and has been collecting ever since. She received so many oohs and aahs when people entered her home that she finally decided to begin importing it herself and selling it to residents and tourists here. She wanted to do something "different," and she certainly has! Talavera first came from Spain, but the original colours were blue and white. It was brought over to Mexico four to five centuries ago when the Mexicans incorporated their own bright colours and styles, and it has become famous all over the world. Each piece is unique. It is molded by hand, hand-painted, kiln-dried, is dishwasher-safe and free of lead.

The furniture, also from Mexico, is solid Ponderosa Pine and is absolutely perfect for the Caribbean climate. Solid and sturdy furniture, yet lovely as well, it won't fall apart when the water from a hurricane makes an unwelcome entry into your home. It is also termite-proof, kiln-dried (8% water content), and utterly kid-proof.

Examples of pottery which are available include:

Urns of all sizes (small to very large, major pieces)
Ginger jars
A variety of planters and flower pots
Complete dinner sets
Table, hanging and wall lamps
Sinks, frames, mirrors, candlesticks, mugs, bathroom accessories, wastebaskets and ashtrays

The pine furniture includes:

Dining room tables and chairs
Dinette tables
Bar stools
Headboards
Nightstands
Dressers
Armoires
TV stands
Sideboards
Bookcases
Cocktail, coffee, side and console tables

They are expecting another 40-foot container loaded with furniture in late January or early February which will include more of the above plus: Living room sets (sofa, loveseat and armchair), entertainment units, liquor cabinets and desks.

Micasa also has brought in beautiful items from Indonesia, France and other places. They have beautiful, large Indonesian urns in neutral colours, bamboo windchimes, hand-carved CD racks, giraffes, dolphins and Komodo dragons, wrought iron candle holders, rugs, kitchen accessories, silk flowers and even Christmas decorations. You'll enjoy the ambience and quality of Micasa, even if you just stop by to browse through.

Weather in Anguilla

Weather Summary	Anguilla
Windy/Cloudy 79F 26C 66% Humidity,	January 1
Low temp since last news report	73F 22C
High temp since last news report	81F 27C
Low humidity since last news report	61%
Tropical storm web sites	Link Alt
Anguilla weather forecasts	Link Alt

New to Anguilla?

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Money
Groceries
Phone/Net
Driving
Manners
More Tips

Wallblake Airport

Take a tour of Anguilla's airport. The airport code for Wallblake Airport is AXA, and the terminal is located in The Valley, Anguilla's capital. The runway is 3600' long, but has a little more slope than airlines like. And, there are no refueling facilities, which means the planes must fly in with the fuel to fly out. As a result, some planes cannot land with a full load of passengers and baggage (bags are usually left behind in Puerto Rico before passengers!). Some web sites: FAA page for Wallblake, American Eagle care of AA, LIAT schedule page. For St Marteen: Air France and KLM.

Wallblake Airport in Pictures

Pull up to the one-way combination Arrival/Departure terminal in your rental car or taxi and unload your baggage. If you need a porter, there is usually one available who works for tips.

If you are dropping off a rental car, most firms just ask that you leave it in the parking lot adjacent to the terminal.

Flights are available to San Juan (Puerto Rico), St. Marteen, St. Thomas (USVI), Antigua (plus St. Kitts, Nevis, etc.), plus charters to St. Barts, Nevis, and more. There is a gift shop in the check-in area and another in the departure lounge.

The "Last Flight" restaurant in the airport is a suprisingly good place to have breakfast or lunch or a snack. And prices are quite reasonable. Try the Scrambled Egg and Bacon sandwich on French bread for breakfast when they have it.

The airport is one of the few places in Anguilla where you can sit and hear motors - aircraft engines, cars, fans, air conditioners - almost like being back in the city. When your flight is called, you need to pay the departure tax (US$10 for a flight to the US) and return your Immigration form (You did keep that form your filled out when you arrived, didn't you? if not, fill out another one.)

The departure lounge has cable TV and a gift shop. American Eagle sometimes serves coffee and croissants while you wait. The arrival lounge is next door - with Immigration desks, baggage claim and customs all in a small area. Unless you live in Anguilla, you will need to complete an immigration form - they should give it to you on your flight, but if they don't pick, one up as soon as you enter the terminal. The line on the right is reserved for residents until it is empty, but there is no real hurry if you have baggage to claim.

P.S. If you happen to be at the airport picking up a Fedex or airfreight parcel, this is the view as you stroll from the terminal over to the new Cargo Warehouse.

Anguilla Diary: Dec 19, 1999 to January 1, 2000

Here is a day-by-day compendium of news items, as we gathered them - starting with the most recent.

Saturday, January 01, 2000

Leduc's. Starting today, Leduc's French Restaurant in West End is open for breakfast and lunch 9am-2pm except Wednesday and Thursday. Dinner hours remain from 6:30pm. Closed Wed. 497-6393

Ripples. Jacquie Ruan (Phone: 264-497-3380, Email: [email protected]), owner of this restaurant on Sandy Ground, has Early Bird Specials every Saturday night:
WELL HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL AND IF YOU HAVEN'T ALL EATEN TOOOOO MUCH HERE ARE THE EARLY BIRD SPECIALS......
ROAST BEEF AND YORKSHIRE PUDDING WITH OOOODLES OF FRESH VEG...........
GRILLED SNAPPER ON POLENTA AND A MEDLEY OF FRESH GREENS
MUSHROOM LINGUINE IN A DELICIOUS CREAM SAUCE..............
ALL FOR TEN DOLLARS .......US OF A
SO REST WELL AND GIVE US A CALL IF YOU NEED A BIG TABLE AS ITS THAT CRAZY TIME OF YEAR BIG KISSES TO YOU ALL AND PLEASE HAVE A SPECTACULAR ONE .
XXXXXXXXXXX JACQUIE

Friday, December 31, 1999

Bougain Villa. Pierrette and Normand Tremblay have decided to put their beautiful Anguilla home up for sale so they can travel more. Normand has created a web site for the waterfront complex near Little Harbour, which is called Bougain Villa. Click Here for lots of pictures and full features. They have priced it to sell at $795,000. (That sounds like a lot, but you could not build their home for that price.)

Thursday, December 30, 1999

Barrel Stay Is Open! Bob from Barrel Stay in Sandy Ground (Phone: 497-2831, Email: [email protected]) writes:
Happy to report that Barrel Stay is open for business since last week for lunch and dinner. Hours 12:00-3:00 and 6:30-9:30p.m. Please join us on Sandy Ground.
-Bob and staff.
P.S. The fish soup is better than ever.
Happy New Millennium

Anguilla Forums:
Carib On-line
Travel Talk
Tête-à-Tête

New Years. Every restaurant on the island is having some kind of New Years bash and every band is employed. And the prices aren't too bad, about $100 per person. For example, Santorini Restaurant at the new CuisinArt resort has a Five Course Dinner for $100, plus live music featuring Resident Opera Singer Michael Amante, Resident Harpist Ruth Garita, plus Keith Gumbs and band. 498-2000. Or go to a DJ dance at Masara on Katouche Bay ($10 at the door) or Dine, Dance, Moet & Chandon, and Fireworks at Frangipani for $150 ($15 only for the dance and fireworks). All these choices taken from advertisements in this weeks issue of The Anguillian.

Wednesday, December 29, 1999

Old House Restaurant. We now have their menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner online.

Italian Translation of Dec 18th News. Gaetano Di Palo has posted a translation of the last News.ai update. Click here.

Monday, December 27, 1999

Please review Menus.ai - we have created a new Anguilla Restaurant Guide at menus.ai and we could use some feedback. Please take a look at send any corrections, additions, or suggestions to [email protected] - keep in mind that we are trying to make it easy to maintain, which is why the main directory is somewhat sparse.

Sunday, December 26, 1999

Hibernia Menus. We have the new Hibernia Menu for this season, as well as their New Years menu ($99 fixed price).

More Post Lenny Pictures. Gilbert Fleming has added post-hurricane beach pictures to his Hurricane Lenny web site, where he also has pictures of reconstruction and "before" and "after" shots.

Friday, December 24, 1999

ProVillas has a number of Anguilla villas available on their web site

Royal Palms. Royal Palms is an apartment/suite hotel on South Hill. Read about it on their web page.

Roy's Place Web Site. Roy's resturant and apartments on Crocus Bay have a web site roysplace.ai

Lambert's Web Site. Roger Lambert (email: [email protected]) writes:
I first made a web page: www.lambertventures.com for making an advertisement to benefit Mac Brooks for Masara Resort and Caribella Beach Resort. We have been friends for almost 20 years and I wanted he and his family to be of benefit because I have always believed that Anguilla should benefit Anguillians.
Roger's site has detailed information and booking services for Masara Resort on Katouche Bay, plus on Barnes Bay, Caribella Resort and Arbron Villas (owned by Arthur Richardson).

Lynne Bernbaum Show.

Lynne Bernbaum has a colourful and imaginative new style - "Turn of this Century" - where each work can be viewed in any of four sides. Lynne's new works will be on exhibit at the new Devonish Gallery in the West End, starting with an opening party on January 1, 2000, 5pm-8pm.

Remax. Lindy Tamn has become the ReMax realty representative on Anguilla. She is still doing villa rentals as well as real estate. Her web site is remax.ai

Thursday, December 23, 1999

More On Blanchard's Restaurant. Melinda Blanchard, the executive chef, sent me her dinner menu and new take-out, using Email attachements for the first time (and successfully). You can study them (and drool) on the News.ai Blanchards page.
The new menu looks yummy: Crispy Crusted Snapper Filet drizzled with a Thai citrus glaze.. $35. Phone ahead for dinner orders (497-6100). Picnic orders can be placed the night before. A few items that caught my eye on the new takeout menu:
Hummus with crackers $6, Creamy dill potato salad $4, Whole roast chicken (about 3 libs) stuff with lemons and thyme $16, Coconut cupcake (1 large) $3.
Catering is available from the regular menu and the take out menu.

Wednesday, December 22, 1999

New Year's Eve at Blanchard's. See in the new millennium at Blanchards on Meads Bay.
Crusty Grilled Shrimp with a Soy & Sesame Sauce
Roasted Tomato-Basil Soup
Caesar Salad with Parmesan-Crusted Oysters
Passion Fruit Sorbet
Stuffed Veal Scalopine in White Wine and Herbs
Grilled Local Crayfish with Roasted New Potatoes
Mangoes & Cream with Cinnamon
Live music by Happy Hits String Band.

125.00 per person. 15% service charge. 1-264-497-6100. [email protected]

Restaurant ICI on the grounds of the Sonesta has a new web site.

La Veranda Web Site. This Caribbean-French restaurant on the road to Sandy Ground now has a web site at laveranda.ai, including a special dinner for Christmas night.

Mangos Web Site. This restaurant on Barnes Bay has a web site at www.mangos.ai, with a menu, but no prices.

La Sirena Web Site. The La Sirena resort has a nice web site in both English and German at www.la-sirena.com

Discuss Internet Access With Your Hotel. Anguilla has had Hot-Inet access for 4 years, but some hotels do not know about it. This communication option gives you Internet access for 25 cents per minute without opening an account at the ISP. It appears like a long distance charge or a 900 number. However, unless you discuss this with the hotel and ensure they know about it, their switchboard and accounting system may charge you the standard long distance rate plus surcharge (could be as much as $3.00 per minute).

Chinese Food. The Light House restaurant in South Hill has a wide selection of chinese dishes. Click here for their entire menu.

Tonight - Full Moon Bash. Dec 22, from 7:30pm until... Serenity . Shoal Bay. 497-3328. Come for dinner or join them on the beach for your after dinner drink. Music and free hors d'ouevres.

Tuesday, December 21, 1999

Police Week. Tickets for the Annual Police Week Supper and Dance, scheduled for Saturday, 29th January, 2000, are US$20 (EC$53). Dress is Formal (suit and tie). Place: House of Chandeliers. This is part of a week of activities, which in past years has included a fashion show, a performance of the police choir, a block party, and more.

Leduc's Season 2000 Menu. We have posted Leduc's new menu of contemporary French cuisine on our web site. This sounds good: WHITE GAZAPACHO Chilled Soup Of Ground Almonds And Garlic With Grapes & Grated Apples 8.00

Monday, December 20, 1999

Pictures of New CuisinArt Resort. The manager of CuisinArt has sent me some pictures taken on December 20, 1999, the day of the new resort's opening.

To see eight views of the new resort, click here.

Stories from the previous and earlier News.ai issues.
The Cakewalk	The Little Mermaid
Ashleys is Back	Original Barbers
Daily Diary	Hurricane Lenny

About Anguilla

Anguilla is a coral island in the North Eastern Caribbean, six miles from St. Martin. Click Here for a map showing Anguilla's relative location. The web pages about Anguilla have been indexed by topic in an Internet Yellow Pages:

Anguilla Internet Yellow Pages
Apartments Air Travel Archaeology Artists Auto Rental Bars Beaches Boats Books Business Carnival Cays and Islets Churches Clubs/Teams/Assoc Conferences Construction Discussion Forums Diving Events Explore	Ferry Service Fishing Foreign Language Galleries Glassbottom Boats Government Guest Houses Hidden Places History Hotels Hurricanes Internet/Computers Language Local Life & Culture Maps Massage Menus Moving Museums Music	Nature News Personal Pages Racing Sailboats Real Estate Restaurants Schools Search Shopping Sports St. Martin/St. Maarten Stamps Taxi Services Telecommunication Tips & Pointers Tourist Information Villas Water Sports Weather Weddings

Searching the News.ai Site

Indirectly, this page links to all known Anguilla web sites, including the many articles in the Bob Green's Anguilla News. To read past issues by date, Click Here. The four year news archive can also be searched by key word:

Recommended Vacation Villas

Our villa on Shoal Bay beach: Bellamare.

And ten minutes away, our Azu villa in St Barth that is totally secluded and private, but walking distance to everything in St Jean, and with unbelievable views.

A Few Special Links

Picture Galleries (leave the News.ai site):
Anguilla for the Young.	Gardens of Anguilla.	Wilmott's Slide Show.
François' Picture Page	Anguilla for Teens.	Underwater Photo Tour.
Exploring a Desert Island	Between Anguilla and St Martin.	Children at Computer Club.
Some Favorite Sites (leave the News.ai site):
Weddings.ai Get Married in Anguilla.	Natureboy Watersports/exploration.	Lloyds Guest House Where We Stayed.

Where to celebrate ? Try Shoal Bay. . . .