Last week, total quarantine lifted for the first time in about 75 days here in Panama, and the children were allowed outside. Only between 4 and 7pm, but still! How exciting it was going to be! And hot! We went for a family bike ride and I felt about as wobbily as my six year old actually was on her bike.

Vegan Restaurants in Barbados
Eating out in Barbados can be tricky. Menus are full of fish and meat, many things come smothered in a creamy sauce. And waiting staff can be pretty eye rolley about suggesting alternatives. Here’s some restaurants that either had good vegan options, or didn’t treat me like a freak!

Feeling Flat in Florida
My husband’s job has taken us from living in the Caribbean to Florida where we’ve been since February. As we arrived, his job relocated its HQ to Panama (the country, not the city in Florida!) so we are yet again packing up to go. But I have to confess it’s a bit of a relief to be leaving; the flatness of Florida has been getting to me… Continue reading

Vegan supermarket shopping in Barbados
Being vegan in Barbados is a lot like being vegan in the 1970’s in England. I make a lot of rice and peas! And butternut soup. Which is fine for me but perhaps a bit of a snore fest for the rest of my family… So, here’s some ready-to-serve vegan treasures I’ve managed to track down and where to find them!!

Going NUTS in Barbados
Everything is expensive in Barbados. Excluding turquoise waters and breath-taking sunsets, of course, which is how we all remain sane. But an actual bag of nuts? Enough to actually make you count out 6 for a snack. But I did recently find sanctuary – and reasonably priced cashews – at a little shop called The Nut Place….

Zooming into Spanish lessons with Baselang.com
For the last 6 weeks, I have been learning Spanish online with Baselang.com. For a flat rate of $129 USD a month, I have had unlimited hours of very professional teaching – video calling Venezuela for lessons online! 37 hours to be exact, which seems like fantastic value for money. What’s it been like learning Spanish by Zoom? Conocer más…

Becoming vegan
To go completely vegan was a decision that came to me while eating my lunch. With my chickens! I was having a salad, they were pecking about. I used our relocation to Barbados in 2017, as the opportunity to make the leap. Find out what helped me make my decision and whether I’ve been able to stick to it in the land of the fried flying fish!

Waiting for a Bajan work permit
We were told my husband’s Bajan work permit would take 6-8 weeks. So, we moved the whole family kit and kaboodle back to Ireland from Jamaica, thinking it would just be an extended holiday. It took 8 months! A introduction to the Bajan speed of doing things; what I now know well as ‘island time’…
Driving in Jamaica
After 4 years of living here, I have a certain respect for Jamaican drivers. It takes skill to navigate a junction when the lights are out, spliff in one hand, phone in other. Let alone to balance a goat on the roof, or drive round Barbican roundabout backwards, or ride a motorbike with one leg, all of which I’ve recently seen. But the recent death of a 6 year old boy known to our nanny, just cannot leave my mind.

‘Strawberry Fields Together’ Robins Bay, St Mary, Jamaica
‘Strawberry Fields Together’ has to be one of Jamaica’s prettiest low-key resorts. It’s half a dozen little cabins dotted around two pristine coves on one of the last unspoilt stretches of Jamaica’s north coast. We’ve visited on day trips from Kingston before with the kids, but this time decided to make a night of it and get away without them.