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Amazon.co.uk Review
Mel and Bob Blanchards' 10-year pursuit of the illusory notion of "island time" is documented in A Trip to the Beach: on a vacation with the family in Barbados, the Blanchards stumble upon a tiny restaurant/shack on a Caribbean beach. In a literary heartbeat, they abandon the "concrete jungle" that was Vermont and open a restaurant on a little-known island in the British West Indies called Anguilla ("rhymes with vanilla").
Narrated by Mel Blanchard, A Trip to the Beach dispels tired notions of the Caribbean--the steel drums, the lush landscapes, and acres of swaying palm trees--and instead focuses on the understated elegance and easy rhythms of the sublimely "flat, and scrubby" island. Though lacking the richness and finesse of Frances Mayes, and the wit and wisdom of Peter Mayle, Mel Blanchard nonetheless forges a new path in travel writing as the Martha Stewart of the Caribbean. A remarkably intuitive and inspired chef, Mel writes poignant passages on running a kitchen in Anguilla. Here she exposes the meat of the story, sharing her many outrageous adventures--how to cater to pampered and demanding guests, how to cook for a full restaurant in the darkest of island night with no electricity, how to prepare for recurring and utterly devastating hurricanes that wipe out your business.
In these chapters the writing is as good as her cooking--inspiring, colourful, and easily digestible. Although she sometimes relies heavily on well-worn clichés and expresses naïve and rather privileged assumptions--"Why would anyone choose to live surrounded by concrete and traffic rather than fishing boats, water and palm trees?"--discerning readers will see the true nature of this tiny island--a place of simplistic beauty that struggles to maintain its independence while it depends on tourism for its livelihood. With a strange concoction of anecdotes, island politics, recipes, and sweet memories, the Blanchards seduce readers with the allure of "island time," bringing Anguilla home to the rest of us. --Daphne Durham --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Tom Brokaw NBC News
‘A Trip to the Beach is the next best thing to being there’
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio Cassette
Mel and Bob Blanchard - like so many of us - dreamt of escaping the commercial world and making a life for themselves on an idyllic Caribbean beach. Unlike they rest of us, they did it. Mel's book chronicles the sale of their home and business in Vermont and the establishment of a now world-renowned restaurant, Blanchards, on a mile of white powder sand in Anguilla.
Along the way they came to know many of the eccentric and delightful islanders, they encountered reverses and a hurricane, they laughed and, at least once, they wept.
Having visited Anguilla and their restaurant, it was a particular pleasure to learn how they built this small business and made the transition to a life where you only wear shorts and sandals and exist on 'island time'. There is practical advice should you have the courage to make the leap, and recipes too!
A fast easy read which would be a fun Christmas gift.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The Blanchards have done what a lot of us dream of doing: a fun job without bosses in a fun country with fantastic weather--at least in season! Aside from providing a thoroughly enjoyable account of their move to Anguilla, the book is also a passionate description of how one can make a dream come true, and with not that much money at all. Having said that, their repeated references to the Anguillan "paradise" maybe a bit excessive when one considers the horrible red-tape, vicious hurricanes and logistic nightmares they had to deal with. But perhaps that is what makes this book really excellent: it is a realistic view of the pros and cons of the Blanchards' choice, devoid of sticky romanticism and with no trace whatsoever of the smugness and superiority complexes one often finds in writers who move to a foreign country and tell their story.
Format:Paperback
This book is charming and delightful and will make anyone and everyone want to visit Anguilla! It's humorous and at times, touching, and there's a real humanity to the authors. You will wish you were part of their group. I thoroughly enjoyed it - a definite page turner.
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