Blox and Jamie stayed on for a couple more days after Christmas. We rented a car and explored the island a little (managing not to get any punctures this time!). We enjoyed a walk in the rain forest, and visited a couple of beaches we’d been to years before – unfortunately they were very busy and not as unspoiled as we remembered, although to be fair it’s been a long time!

After the kids left, my sister and brother-in-law Rachel and Richard flew out to spend 10 days with us. We celebrated New Year’s Eve with dinner at La Brasserie in English Harbour, and then impressed ourselves by staying awake to watch the fireworks at midnight, which seemed to be coming from all around Falmouth Harbor.

We stayed on one more day in Falmouth Harbour to pick up our new sail cover, the old one having been shredded on our passage down. Thank you Franklin from A&F Sails for doing such a great job: the new one looks much more robust than the old one! Then it was on to Green Island for a night. Very windy, but fun watching the kite surfers. Our final stop in Antigua was at Five Islands, before jumping off for Barbuda the next day.

In the Rain Forest – this tree had extraordinary roots – anyone know what it is?

New Years Eve dinner

Putting on the new sail cover – the wind was light for a change, so we had to make the most of it!

Persephone behind Green Island, Nonesuch Bay

Sunset at Nonesuch Bay