A trip to St. John and finding a bit of New England!

I know I have been a bit quiet on my blog, web site, twitter, facebook, yada, yada, yada,  but can you blame me?  This is the view I am working from, right this very moment.  I'm on St. John for a much needed vacation and also a mini press trip with my guy, so I have been busy taking pictures and taking notes to share with all of my readers from around the world.  Those stories, recipes, and photos will be posted on New England Fine Living's web site soon.    I have also been pleasantly surprised with all of the connections to New England including decorative touches in our private three bedroom villa that we are staying in. 

I have also been enjoying not only the culture, the views, and the large and small island critters (wild donkeys, pigs, goats, mongoose, iguanas, katydids, and so much more), but I have also been enjoying lots of local frozen and non-frozen drinks, and local meals.  Hey!  It's all in the name of research! :-) and I am going to share some of the recipes with you.

While I wait for some of the restaurants to return my emails with their "secret recipes" Shhhhhh they will be our secret too, I thought I would share a sneak peek of some of my pictures.  

The photo below is my favorite meal of the whole week.  Ben and I stayed home and cooked a meal together, opened a bottle of wine, and sat outside to dine by the ocean and stars.

Driving back from one of our beach days, we stopped at Ship Wreck Landing. Did a little T-shirt shopping and had our late lunch and a beverage (the two colorful ones above). 

After a walk down a dirt and stone path, we came to a bay near Salt Pond.  It was not busy at all and we got to snorkel, walk, enjoy the sun, and then some much needed shade under the palm trees.

This morning I took a walk before the heat set in (I was still melting by the time I got home), and this is a view of our private little paradise, Beit Hawa.  On the other side of this part of the building is a beautiful deck with a small sitting pool, hot tub, then another building with the master bedroom and outdoor shower.  Guess we could have invited some friends or family.... Nahhhhhh! :-)

A cactus during my morning walk. There are so many different varieties here.

That is just a little for now.  After my post of this trip on New England Fine Living's web site, I will be blogging a lot about our new home and some of the changes we will be making to it.  Most will be DIY projects and I can't wait to get started! I just have to wait until July to roll my sleeves up, unpack my power tools, and play with my paint brushes and paint.

Linda Smith Davis, owner of http://www.newenglandfineliving.com is an Allied ASID Interior Designer in Middleton MA, Westford MA, New England, owner of New England Fine Living, and Party Planner North of Boston. Classic New England Style or Glam Interior Design and parties have been most recently completed in Middleton, Carlisle, Andover, North Andover, Marblehead, Boston, Salem, Newburyport, Newbury, Ipswich, Westford, Boxford, Topsfield, and so many more surrounding towns!