Boat Races During Carnival

Weather in Anguilla

Anguilla Diary: July 7 to August 11, 2000

Friday, August 11, 2000

Wiggins Estate. This five bedroom villa overlooking Sandy Hill Bay has a tennis court and a pool. Click Here.

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Thursday, August 10, 2000

Merchants Market. This restaurant supplier is also open to the public. They provide certified Angus beef, fresh fruits and vegetables, and dry goods. And now they have a web page: Click Here.

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Tropical Weddings. A new wedding service for Anguilla on the Internet: Click Here.

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Wednesday, August 9, 2000

Herbie's Pizza and Bakery.

A new place to eat in The Valley, serving pizza by the slice, or order up your own.

Located next door to the Shell station in an old building that had been empty since Jillian Carty's Prem's moved out several years ago. The new owner, an Anguillian who has returned to the island after many years in St. Thomas, has completed renovated the structure.

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Tuesday, August 8, 2000

Hotels.ai: All the resorts/hotels/inns.

La Sirena Reopens Early. Rolf Masshardt (email: [email protected]) writes that La Sirena Hotel is reopening on September 16th, not October 28th.

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Monday, August 7, 2000

Tropical Construction. Mary Ann's Beachshack web site has been updated with information on finishing details around a swimming pool: Click Here.

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Sunday, August 6, 2000

Community Foundation. The Anguilla Community Foundation has received an EC$250,000 donation for its endowment fund. Carrolle Devonish (email: [email protected]) explains that a community foundation is one that builds a fund, the income from which is used for worthwhile community projects, but the principal is never touched.

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Saturday, August 5, 2000

Tropical Weather. "Alberto" is the first storm of this season and reminds us to complete our preparations and pay attention to the forecasts. There are many good web sites for tropical weather. The one I use the most is the Atlantic Tropical Weather Center, because it is very fast and links to many alternate sources of the same data (useful when everyone is trying to check on a hurricane). Another site I like is Weather Underground, which features a map showing the water temperature and current storms.

Don Bryan of Cape Carteret, NC, worries about hurricanes hitting Anguilla as well as his home in North Carolina. His favorite sites in order are:

1. Lowe's
2. 2000 dot com at http://www.hurricanes98.com, ..... do not be deceived by the 98 title in URL
3. Terrapin ..... be sure to visit archives of prior storms
4. HurricaneTrack ..... check out the distance calculator

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Photos of Computer Camp.

The Anguilla Library Computer Club is halfway through its fourth annual summer boot camp for children and adults. Once again Professor Gaetano Di Palo of Naples Italy has donated his summer to creating the program. This summer there are 18 children studying computers 12 hours a week and 24 adults for 8 hours a week. To see pictures of both the children and the adults, Click Here.

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Build Your Own: Beachshack

Seacliff Villa. With one of the most expansive views in Anguilla, this cliffside villa overlooks the main harbour of Sandy Ground. Click Here.

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Friday, August 4, 2000

Internet Yellow Pages: All known Anguilla sites.

Olga Pabon and her Pabonis Girls. LA Cafe nightclub is featuring this dance revue of nine ladies from August 3rd through August 25th. Showtimes 10pm and midnight. Carnival officially starts tonight, August 4th and LA Cafe will feature LA Cafe Showgirls nightly, along with the Mussington Brothers, DJ Ruby, and the Explosion Band.

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Thursday, August 3, 2000

Weddings on the Go has updated their web site with new photographs of weddings they have arranged on Anguilla, plus many new wedding packages. For example,

Simply Elegant Wedding
Sunset beach Wedding Ceremony, Tropical Bridal Bouquet, Groom Boutonniere, Champaign Beach Reception, Limo Transportation, Wedding Arch at wedding site, Ceremony Officiant, 1,36 Exp. Wedding Photo/negatives and Wedding Album, Caribbean Wedding Cake, 1 hour edited Wedding Video, Processing of paperwork, Consultant Fees included.
Cost US$1450.00

Their web site is www.weddings.ai: Click Here.

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Translations: In the archive

French Translation. Maria Lee has translated the July 6th issue of the news: Click Here.

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Anguilla Video on the Net. Chris Mason has added a video of Anguilla to The Anguilla Guide (http://anguillaguide.com) It requires a fast internet connection so dial-up users won't be able to view it unless they are ready to wait a while. Click the "Anguilla Video" button on the first page: Click Here.

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Wednesday, August 2, 2000

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

La Veranda Open All Summer. The same schedule as usual, Lunch 12 � 3 pm Mon to Fri, Dinner 7 � 9.30 pm Mon to Sat, closed Saturday lunch and all day Sunday only. Since things are not that busy, they try to keep the reservations earlyish (so as not to keep the staff waiting all night for just a couple of guests) but obviously there are always exceptions to that.!! They have updated the menus, changed a few items, added more fish dishes,and put back the Chicken Pot Pie. Also some new desserts. The lunch menu features a few different salads now such as Greek Salad with feta cheese, Caesar salad regular style or with spicy shrimp or with marinated chicken strips and a Crab salad with sesame seaweed.

Happy Hour is every Wednesday from 5-7pm, basic drinks are half-price (except frozen coladas, cognacs etc) and selection of 3 - 4 meals ranging from $10 - $15.00 each. Orders must be in before 7pm.

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Tuesday, August 1, 2000

August 5th, 2000. There is a Car Festival in The Valley during the day and a pro boxing championship at Landsome Bowl in the evening. Then continue to LA Cafe for the Mussington Brothers and the LA Show Girls.

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Captains Ridge Villa. Overlooking the crystal blue waters of Island Harbour Bay on Captains Ridge (where Hibernia Restaurant is located). West indian setting with hardwood floors and vaulted wooden ceilings, three bedrooms and two bathrooms which can be also rented as two separate units (2 bd or 1 bd). Click Here

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Monday, July 31, 2000

Tennis Camp. The Anguilla Tennis Academy is completing their fifth annual free tennis camp for children. Founder Mitch Lake has put together an international team of coaches from USA, South America, and Anguilla. On Friday they held a small awards ceremony on the courts at the Malliouhana Hotel, followed by exhibition matches by the coaches.

To the right is a shot of Damien Hughes, Tournament Director.

Their web site is a Tennis.ai: Click Here.

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Submit a News Story.

News from Blanchards. Melinda Blanchard (email: [email protected]) writes

Bob and I just finished writing a book about Anguilla and it's due to be released October 10th. It's very exciting! We're doing a book signing tour for several weeks in the Northeast when it comes out and the publisher is really behind it. It's the lead book this fall for Crown Publishing.

A TRIP TO THE BEACH

Living on Island Time in the Caribbean

by Melinda and Robert Blanchard

This is the true story of a trip to the beach that never ends. It�s about a husband and wife who escape civilization to build a small restaurant on an island paradise�and discover that even paradise has its pitfalls. It�s a story filled with calamities and comedy, culinary disasters and triumphs, and indelible portraits of truly magnificent people. It�s about the maddening, exhausting, and outlandish complications of trying to live the simple life�and the joy that comes when you somehow pull it off.

A TRIP TO THE BEACH begins when Bob and Melinda Blanchard sell their successful Vermont food business and decide, perhaps impulsively, to get away from it all. Why not open a beach bar and grill on Anguilla, their favorite Caribbean island? One thing leads to another and the little grill turns into an enchanting restaurant that quickly draws four-star reviews and a celebrity clientele eager for Melinda�s delectable cooking.

As the Blanchards learn to adapt to island time, they become ever more deeply attached to the quirky rhythms and customs of their new home. Until disaster strikes: Hurricane Luis, a category-4 storm with two-hundred-mile-an-hour gusts, devastates Anguilla.

Bob and Melinda survey the wreckage of their beloved restaurant and wonder whether leaving Anguilla, with its innumerable challenges, would be any easier than walking out on each other. The book also features a few of the delicious recipes that have made Blanchard�s Restaurant a hit. Affectionate, seductive, and very funny, A TRIP TO THE BEACH is a love letter to a place that becomes both home and escape.

Married for nearly thirty years, Melinda and Robert Blanchard divide their time between Norwich, Vermont, where they built their own home, and Anguilla, where they operate Blanchard�s Restaurant. Together they have started eight businesses. Bob is a seventh-generation Vermonter, and Melinda was born and raised in New York City.

For more information on the book, please contact Leigh Ann Ambrosi, (212) 572-2542

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Sunday, July 30, 2000

Tennis Reception. Photos by Netconcepts of the Anguilla Tennis Academy reception at Paradise Cove for tennis pro Johan Kriek of Naples, Florida, two time winner of the Australian Open: Click Here.

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Friday, July 28, 2000

Calendar: Events, holidays, activities

Drag Party. July 29th at The Pumphouse. Prizes: Best Couple gets romantic night at La Sirena, Handsome Girl gets a massage by Tanya Clark, and Prettiest Male gets dinner for two at Trattoria Tramonta. Reggae Groovers Live. Prize at midnight.

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Wednesday, July 19, 2000

Beaches.ai: Over 30 Anguilla beaches.

Anguilla? Absolutely! Article about the island on the Travel Lady web site: Click Here. (Note this link courtesy from Pete Norton, which I picked up by email while visiting Vancouver Canada).

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Friday, July 7, 2000

Flambayo Bicyle Rentals.

Anguilla Questions? Email the Tourist Board at [email protected] or the Hotel Association at [email protected]

Recently we posted a link to a list of bicycle rental shops in Anguilla. Another shop that is not on the list is Flamboya. Bikes of all types including mountain bikes at $10 per day. Telephone: 1-264-497-5370. Located in George Hill on the main road near the bakery.

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Menus.ai: Restaurants and menus.

L.A. Cafe Country Grille Update. The new restaurant, L. A. Cafe' Country Grille, will be open to the public for breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the entire summer season. Happy Hour starts at 4, ends at 7 and can be enhanced with a basket of baby back ribs or fried calamari. To read our recent news article: Click Here.

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Award Winner. Mimi Gratton (email: [email protected]), Executive Director of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association has won the 2000 Caribbean Hotel Association Executive of the Year Award for smaller associations.

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Villas.ai: Private villas for rent.

Elsie Bay Villa. Three bedrooms and a pool, luxury: Click Here.

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The Bigspring Island Harbour Community Development Club has created a web page devoted to the Bigspring in their village, a natural springs with petroglyphs that is being developed into a National Park. The web site contains stories that the participants have written based on their memories of the Bigspring: Click Here.

About Anguilla

And ten minutes away, our villa in St Barths.