Travels in Dominica - Cartwheel Cafe

Reflections
There are special pleasures in staying in one place for a month or more. There is no hurry to 'do' things, to go here and there, to make sure you have seen all the 'sights'. One of the special things about staying in one place for a longer period, is the opportunity to spend time just sitting around and listening to people tell their stories.

Today I had nothing planned. I rarely do. I got up, organized my daypack, washed some clothes and threw out some others. I made breakfast, sat on the balcony and painted the city rooftops. The waterfront was dominated by a massive Holland America cruise ship berthed in the harbour. When I finished, I wandered down to my favorite restaurant for a lunch of grilled fish in garlic ginger sauce, vegetables, rice and a couple of beers.

The waterfront itself is a marriage of new and old. Many of the newer buildings are built on the foundations of earlier structures. The tiny Cartwheel Café is tucked into the foundations of an old warehouse. The walls are constructed from boulders, brought over as ballast on early sailing ships. In many places the walls are three feet deep, and this means a cool, un air conditioned interior. The windows have heavy wooden shutters to protect it from the summer storms. Open only for breakfast and lunch, it is run by the owner Jacqui, descended from a French family, who were amongst the original settlers of Dominica. They own many of the old buildings in Roseau, and are activly trying to maintain the heritage buildings. Reading about the well maintained architecture was what attracted me to this charming island.Dominica has had a chequered history. In the battles for ownership of the Caribbean islands, ownership has bounced back and forth between England and France. The English won, and as a result, while English is spoken, there is a veneer of French panache that is delightful.

The Cartwheel Cafe
.The waterfront itself is a marriage of new and old. Many of the newer buildings are built on the foundations of earlier structures. The tiny Cartwheel Café is tucked into the foundations of an old warehouse. The walls are constructed from boulders, brought over as ballast on early sailing ships.

In many places the walls are three feet deep, and this means a cool, un air conditioned interior. The windows have heavy wooden shutters to protect it from the summer storms. Open only for breakfast and lunch, it is run by the owner Jacqui, descended from a French family, who were amongst the original settlers of Dominica. They own many of the old buildings in Roseau, and are activly trying to maintain the heritage buildings. Reading about the well maintained architecture was what attracted me to this charming island.

Dominica has had a chequered history. In the battles for ownership of the Caribbean islands, ownership has bounced back and forth between England and France. The English won, and as a result, while English is spoken, there is a veneer of French panache that is delightful.

Wandering aimlessly through the town leads me to discover all sorts of surprises. The Library is one of them. Built at the turn of the century, with funding from the American Carnegie foundation, it sits in a seaside garden, with wide porches and benches for contemplative reading. The road from the library leads down to the main street that runs the length of the waterfront. Modern and new, it is the berth for visiting cruise ships. These giant people carriers extend from one end of the town to the other. There is only room for one of these giant boats to berth at a time.

There are special pleasures in staying in one place for a month or more. There is no hurry to 'do' things, to go here and there, to make sure you have seen all the 'sights'. One of the special things about staying in one place for a longer period, is the opportunity to spend time just sitting around and listening to people tell their stories.

Today I had nothing planned. I rarely do. I got up, organized my daypack, washed some clothes and threw out some others. I made breakfast, sat on the balcony and painted the city rooftops. The waterfront was dominated by a massive Holland America cruise ship berthed in the harbour. When I finished, I wandered down to my favorite restaurant for a lunch of grilled fish in garlic ginger sauce, vegetables, rice and a couple of beers.The waterfront itself is a marriage of new and old. Many of the newer buildings are built on the foundations of earlier structures. The tiny Cartwheel Café is tucked into the foundations of an old warehouse. The walls are constructed from boulders, brought over as ballast on early sailing ships. In many places the walls are three feet deep, and this means a cool, un air conditioned interior. The windows have heavy wooden shutters to protect it from the summer storms. Open only for breakfast and lunch, it is run by the owner Jacqui, descended from a French family, who were amongst the original settlers of Dominica. They own many of the old buildings in Roseau, and are activly trying to maintain the heritage buildings. Reading about the well maintained architecture was what attracted me to this charming island.Dominica has had a chequered history. In the battles for ownership of the Caribbean islands, ownership has bounced back and forth between England and France. The English won, and as a result, while English is spoken, there is a veneer of French panache that is delightful.