Barbados 8 Now at The Cove hotel

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Day 22 - Monday 20 February, 2017 cont'd

We started packing and generally sorting things out, when we got up.

At 11.45 am we headed off to Speightstown.

On the coastal way in - the pretty way - Pat spotted some turtles in the sea. I couldn't catch sight of them at first, but eventually one popped it's head out of the water for me to see.

We have run out of both of our coffees now. Me for instant, Pat for filtered. So, I promised Pat a proper coffee in town for her to get some caffeine.

The Beach shack didn't look like he had any coffee on the go, so Juma's was our next option. We watched the world going by and the waves breaking against the shoreline for a while.

Then off to The Fisherman's Pub for our lunch. Fishcake here are really good value; B$1 each. They aren't very fishy either so I can eat them and that with sweet potatoes, steamed vegetables, fried plantain and some curry gravy was my lunch. Very tasty. Pat had similar and nicked one of my fishcakes.

We had a couple of drinks each and caught up with our internet needs.

Eddie's supermarket for some crisps, then the bakery for some rolls and raisin stroodol things which we like and home at 3 pm.

Quiet for the rest of the day.

Day 23 - Tuesday, 21 February 2017

A good night's sleep.

Today we move to The Club. Taxi booked for 12.30 pm.

The morning consisted of getting final things packed after showering. Tidying and putting things in the apartment as we found them.

Javid turned up a little late, but we had tons of time. A short journey to The Club Barbados Resort & Spa, our location for the next week.

Our check in time was 3 pm and we arrived 1 pm ish, there was no issue given with us arriving early. The room wasn't ready, but we were taken to the sunset restaurant for some lunch and to kill time and told if the room was ready early, we would be found.

The resort is all inclusive and adult only, with some dress standards for lunch and evening meal. My first impression was of an older clientele, but Pat disputes this.

The lunch time restaurant is buffet style with seating allocated by a MaitreD'. First impressions very good.

We slowly ate our way round the buffet. Just as we were wondering about wandering. We were found and taken back to reception. Some information was given along with our room keys. Then escorted to our room. Ground floor, straight out into the central area.

We settled and unpacked. By 3 pm I was blogging. Internet access seems pretty good.

On the first night Reception book a table for you, ours was at 6.45 pm in the Sunset restaurant, after that you book your own at breakfast.

We noticed there was a hotel information meeting at 9.45 am tomorrow, which we thought we would attend. In the meantime at 4 pm we took ourselves on a little investigating and toured the property. Visiting the main points of the hotel and having a drink along the way.

As part of our tour we visited the Spa. After leaving I persuaded Pat she ought to book something as she really enjoys being pampered. The next day was a special offer day, so Pat went back and booked an hour and a half package at 3 pm Wednesday.

Pat sat on our patio for while and caught sight of lizards. The sparrows are courageous and will come into the room. Also Pat saw a green monkey with a bent tail. So plenty of wildlife.

We showered and got a little dressed up for dinner and left the room at 6.44 pm for our long walk to dinner, arriving at 6.45 pm.

Dinner is from a menu and your choices brought to the table. We were sat next to an American, who has business at Sandy Lane, which enlivened our evening as he was a gun toting anti Muslim Republican.

After dinner we had a drink in the lounge area, then returned to the room.

There is a television in the room, so as we are on holiday, we watched it.

Settled down at 11 pm.

Day 24 - Wednesday 22 February 2017

Good night's sleep.

The tree frogs are here making their noise and occasionally you can hear the yellow busses on the main road. There is evening entertainment in the sunset lounge but none of these were disturbing to us.

We awoke at 7.30 am and went to breakfast at 8 am. Buffet style breakfast with an egg station and separately an omelette station. Plenty of bacon. I had bacon, scrambled eggs and baked beans, trying not to pile things on my plate.

After breakfast we popped along to the water sports office to book a Turtle feeding boat trip. The next available one is Saturday at 1.30 pm, which we duly booked. This is an extra, but something we would like to do.

Back to the room to shower and went to the meeting in Enid's at 9.45 am.

A talk by the Spa person first then information on tours and the hotel.

Interesting now to find out the prices of tours. We had tried to book things while staying in the apartment, with no joy. We hired the car at B$450 for the three days and did all of things we wanted to.

A half day tour to Harrison's cave costs B$140 (USD70) per person at the hotel, take out the entrance fee of USD30, which we paid and along with with all the other things we did in the car, the rental cost becomes much more good value.

We did learn a few things at the meeting and it was worth attending, it only lasted 15 minutes and wasn't a big sell.

Pat went to an exercise class at 11 am - stretch - I had a look around the hotel shop.

The sparrows are very cheeky. When Pat was out, I sat on the patio at the entrance to our room, with the doors open. The sparrows came into our room before, but this time they snuck past me. We have tea and coffee provided in the room along with a dairy creamer powder in a little packet. The sparrows go in the cupboard pull out the packet, tear it open and eat the creamer!

They have done it twice now, bypassing the teabags, coffee sachets and sugar packets. They obviously know what they want. I have hidden the creamer now.

At 1130 am we went to get a beer before lunch, which starts at 12 pm.

The lunch setup was buffet style again and we duly filled ourselves up.

After lunch we walked over the road to the Sunset mall and had a browse in Cave Shepherd.

Pat went off just before 3 pm for her Spa session and came back at 4.30 pm feeling very relaxed. I had some quiet time.

We had a reservation in Enid's restaurant for 7.00 pm - Enid's is the alternative hotel restaurant, which has a more Bajan flavour to it - so went for a pre dinner drink at 6.30 pm.

Enid's has options from a menu with waitress service, the same as Sunset. We both had a lovely meal and were both exhausted from our days in activities, so went to the room to watch television. A treat for us.

Day 25 - Thursday 23 February 2017

A good nights sleep. Woke at 8 am.

Today we were going to pop into Bridgetown. The charger for Pat's IPad is playing up, we looked locally yesterday to buy s new one with no luck.

I have made a decision to try and eat less. I have already put some weight on recently and three full meals a day here is making me feel very bloated.

So, we went to breakfast straight away and I just had some scrambled eggs. Instead of bacon, eggs, baked beans etc.

Then back to the room, shower and on our way by 9.45 am.

We crossed the road to head for a bus stop, saw a yellow bus, flagged it down and hopped on. Brilliant.

Into town,which was busy as always. We had been to a computer shop before in one of the shopping malls and went straight there. Purchase successful.

Pat was looking for a new silver chain and we perused a few Jewellers with no joy.

We went into Cave Shepherd department store and had a drink then headed for home.

At our bus stop we actually had to wait about 5 minutes for a bus. Back to Holetown and the hotel at 1145 am.

Our room was about to be cleaned when we arrived back so we dropped our stuff and went for a drink and lunch.

Managed to have soup and salad for lunch.

Back to the room for 1 pm and a quiet afternoon.

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