Looking for Salvaged Door Casings

We are a couple weeks behind schedule on the bathroom renovation; mostly due to trying to find casings to match the existing ones in the house, and Floor & Décor messing up our tile order.  Mr. Man and I picked out this tile before we started the project—1” white, tan & brown tumbled marble mosaic in 1’ x 1’ sheets—but didn’t purchase it.  We wanted to keep our options open in case we found something either cheaper or that we liked more.  When we did go to purchase it, they no longer had enough.  I’ll spare you the details, but take a tip from me, when you find what you want, buy it.  Don’t wait.  The tile is down and looks amazing (shown without grout below).   

The bathroom has been primed and painted, and Mr. Man has built the mirror frame I drew out; purchasing a custom-sized mirror from Modern Glass & Mirror Co.  Today, he and Troy are busy putting up the bead board. 

Custom mirror frame

Mr. Man and his new toy

I’ve been unable to find the casings that match what’s in the rest of the house.  I’ve gone to three different stores and everyone’s initial response has been, “hmmm, that’s old.”  Yep, early 1900’s to be exact.  At Atlanta Millwork they can make it for us, but we’d have to pay for a custom knife to be made at a cost of $300+ and then the cost of the casings at $1.57 a foot.  Not going to happen.  I visited Atlanta Salvage, thinking this would be my best bet.  No luck.  We are going to reuse the casings we have on the exterior of the bathroom door, where it will be noticeable if they don’t match the rest of the house, and are settling for something similar for the interior.

We’ve decided to increase the size of the baseboards to what would be traditional for a Victorian bungalow; 10”-12” (we will then slowly change out all the baseboards throughout the house, which are currently only 4”).  We will be putting in 12”-14” plinths, which also would be traditional to the age and style of the house, but weren’t put in when the house was renovated.  Instead, the past owners settled or piecing in cuts of casing, as seen in the picture above—I’ve always hated how it looks.

The electrician will install the light fixtures next week and I’ll spend time painting the bead board.  Then next weekend, hopefully, we’ll be putting things into place and hooking up the plumbing.  Cross your fingers for us.

Chrishi Beach

The wind has finally died down on this, our last day in Nevis.  We all opt to spend the day lazing in the sun, swimming, and drinking rum punch.  We pack up and make our way to Chrishi Beach.  Hand’s down this is the best beach on Nevis.  There is a bar/restaurant and comfortable lounge chairs under thatched-roofed umbrellas, as well as a few raised-platform, open-sided cabanas.  The sand is soft, and the water is, of course, gorgeous.  Oh, how I wish we had discovered this spot earlier in the week!  The water right in front of us has a few big rocks just below the surface and some good-sized waves are rolling in, in fairly rapid succession, but wandering down the beach a bit you can wade out passed the rocks to a sandy-bottomed, calm swimming area. The water is cool—although warmer than it has been—and is refreshing after spending a while in the sun.

 

We have the place almost to ourselves and are enjoying the quiet when a group of 20-somethings show up.  With a vast area to choose from, they decide to set up camp right beside us and proceed to disrupt our solitude.  This seems like a good time to get out of the sun anyway and head for the shade of the cabanas.  We reposition ourselves, and, again, settle in for a tranquil day at the beach.

It has been a wonderful week, and we hate for it to end, soaking up every last minute of sun before heading to the house to prepare for dinner at Coconut Grove. 

My TripAdvisor review of Coconut Grove:

“We feel fortunate to have decided on Coconut Grove for our final dinner on Nevis.  First, the open-air building with its high, thatched roof is a beautiful and fitting setting for a tropical island meal.  Gary, the owner, is a sommelier and maintains a sizable wine cellar.  Even though we didn't have a reservation we were shown to a table overlooking the beach and water.  The service is also the best we experienced on the island; better even than the Four Seasons. But, by far the best thing about this restaurant is the food.  We started our meal with the onion soup, lobster bisque and 2 way yellow fin tuna.  The onion soup was rich in flavor although low on onions and a little too much toast for my taste, but the flavor was excellent and I was tempted to eat every mouthful and risk being too full to do my entree justice.  The lobster bisque was equally flavorful and rich.  I wish we had another night so that I could go again and have a bowl of this all to myself.  Gary seemed to thoroughly enjoy the tuna, eating every bite with a look of pleasure on his face.  For entrees we had grilled spiny lobster, mahi mahi, and the Creole style seafood stew.  The lobster was huge and grilled perfectly, firm but not dry (my only complaint would be that the butter served alongside was not salted; why bother).  The mahi mahi was reportedly delicious and presented with a lovely fan of vegetables.  The seafood stew also got two thumbs up.  For dessert, we shared the chocolate soufflé which was to die for! I think I ate most of it myself, even though I was unable to finish all my lobster.”

The Heritage Trail, Nevis

Sitting in the Mt. Nevis Hotel’s open-air dining room, you are treated to a beautiful view of Nevis, the ocean, and St. Kitts.  The air fresh and a light breeze carries the sweet scent of the ocean.  It is divine.  We are the only ones in the restaurant; others having breakfasted earlier.  Today we are following the Heritage Trail around the island, fitting in as much as we can, without rushing through anything.

Mt. Nevis Hotel and Restaurant

On our way back down the mountain we stop at Cottle Church or what remains of it.  Built in 1824 by Thomas Cottle, who worshipped here with his family alongside his slaves.  It was illegal for slaves to worship at the time so the church was never consecrated.  Thomas Cottle died 4 years following its opening.

Cottle Church

 

Our next stop is Herbert’s Beach just south of Nisbet Plantation.  Driving down the dirt road there is a huge fire burning as well as a backhoe digging up trees; looks like the area is to be developed, and it is no wonder.  The water and view here are gorgeous.  If it wasn’t for the dilapidated bar and surrounding garbage it would be a wonderful destination for a day of swimming/snorkeling and sunning. 


Herbert's Beach

Continuing south on the main road, we briefly stop at St. James Anglican Church which houses the only black crucifix in the Caribbean…

St. James Anglican Church

… and then go in search of the Eden Brown Estate.  We almost miss it, it is so overgrown.  The estate, said to be haunted, is in terrible disrepair.  If something is not done soon, this historical landmark will crumble and be forgotten.  The buildings are covered in vines, and wandering around the grounds you are hard pressed to see that there are actually buildings behind all the shrubbery and overgrowth.

Eden Brown Estate

 

We crawl through an old window of the main house to get a better lookinside.  The estate was home to Julia Huggins, whose brother died in a duel with her fiancé the night before her wedding.  While her  fiancé lived, he went on to propose to another woman—perhaps this was the reason behind the duel—and Julia lived out her life here as a recluse and is said to still wander the ruins.  I do hope someone will adopt this project soon and clear the grounds for future generations to enjoy.

The highlight of the day is the New River and Coconut Walk Estates on the east side of the island.  New River, an old sugar plantation, is full of beautiful, rusty mechanisms from the steam-powered mill.  We are inside the mill taking photos, when I look up and realize just how precarious the tin roof is.  Right above my head dangles a large, sharp piece of wood; the wind is blowing making the wood creek and the tin screech.  Perhaps it is best to move on. 

New River Estate

We are walking down the trail toward the sea when a large group of goats round the corner.  Seeing us, they turn tail and head back the other way.  I do not even have time to think about grabbing my camera.  We pass a cotton field on our left and then we are at Coconut Walk (once upon a time coconut trees lined the drive).  There is a large lime kiln, still in use today, where coral is fired into lime to be added to concrete for construction.

Further down the road we see the dwellings at the edge of the ocean that are part of the Arawak Indian site.  The road we have traveled down is obviously not made for cars, so Mr. Man and I take the road on the other side of the cotton field to see if it will accommodate a car, as the ruins are too far to walk to, but we are eager to continue exploring.  Luckily, this road leads back to the dirt road where we have parked the car and we thankfully climb aboard and turn on the AC before heading toward the sea.  When we get close we see wild donkeys who are watching us closely and keeping their distance.  The two small buildings are right at the water’s edge.

A little weary from our morning of exploring, we stop for lunch in the open-air restaurant at The Hermitage.  What a charming and quaint plantation inn.  The main house, of which the restaurant is a part, consists of several rooms: a lovely bar with pictures of the owner’s racing horse, dining room, a lovely sitting room, and a library.  All the rooms are decorated with British antiques and are cozy and inviting.  I envision having cocktails with fellow guests in the evenings before retiring to one of the colorful cottages dotting the property.  The only thing lacking is the beach.

The Hermitage Plantation Inn



After our delicious lunch we follow in the footsteps of some other tourists and sneak a peek inside the “Blue Cottage,” and then wander around the grounds.  There is a inviting swimming pool behind tall hedges affording bathers privacy from the main house, and several raised beds of vegetables, and a green house.  It really is lovely.

In the late afternoon we head back to the house to snorkel.  Unfortunately, there is nothing to see in the shallows which extend out a ways from the shore.  To really snorkel one must walk out to the reef, which is currently being battered by waves and isn’t inviting at all.  We settle for swimming instead.  The water is cool and refreshing, and we find ourselves carried southward.  Trying to swim back toward the tiny bit of sand in front of our house, we find that we can make no headway against the pull of the tide.  We are forced to swim to shore and then walk back in the shallows.

Time for a nap before dinner.

Meandering Around Charlestown

Our calves are sore after our hike on Monday, so Mr. Man, Tamara, and I scheduled massages for this morning at Compassionate Touch Massage.  We tried to get them scheduled at Hermitage, but being that we all wanted to have a massage at the same time we had to settle for going to their spa, which happens to be just up the road a bit from The Beach House. 

Upon our arrival we are welcomed by all the staff, offered cucumber water, and then whisked into separate rooms for our massages.  Tamara and I have opted for the hot stone massage which feels delicious on our sore calves.  It begins to softly rain outside marking this as the perfect opportunity for such a luxury.  An hour-and-a-half later we are feeling rejuvenated and make our way back to The Beach House to pick-up Gary for lunch—and a glimpse of how the other half (or is it the 1%?) travels to Nevis—at the Four Seasons Resort. 

Four Seasons, Nevis

The grounds of the Four Seasons encompasses about 300 acres and some prime beach frontage.  Lined with comfortable-looking lounge chairs and umbrellas, as well as individual beachfront cabanas it reeks of luxury and expense.  There is a golf course (of course) on the opposite side of the road, and three pools beach side, each with bar service.  Lunch is served in a large open-air pavilion that faces the ocean; a lovely setting for a meal—Mr. Man claims his burger is one of the best he has ever eaten; for the price it should be.  The service isn’t  what you would expect for a 5-star resort; our waitress is somewhat slow and unobservant, we have to ask for water, beer, and wine refills, and then have to flag her down when we are ready for the check.  

Private Cabana at the Four Seasons

 After lunch we drive the main road, which circles the island, to Charlestown where we wander around looking at a few historical sites: 

Charlestown Methodist Church

 Built in 1844, Charlestown Methodist Church is one of the largest churches on the island. 

St. Paul's Anglican Church

Built around 1830, St. Paul’s Anglican Church is a typical cruciform plan with gabled roof.  There are graves dating to 1669 inside the walled yard. 

Hamilton House & Museum of Nevis History

Built around 1680, this two-story Georgian style building was the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, who was born in Nevis in 1757.   It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1840, restored in 1983, and today houses the Museum of Nevis History on its first floor, and the Nevis House of Assembly on its second. 

The Jewish Cemetery

Jews arrived in Nevis to introduce their knowledge of sugar production to the island, and established this small cemetery in 1769, the date of the earliest tombstone. 

Tombstones are engraved in English, Hebrew and Portuguese.

Another Day in Nevis

The Nevis Botanical Garden is located in St. James Parish on the grounds of the Montpelier Plantation.  The garden is privately owned by the Douglas family who rescued it from likely being purchased for commercial development.  The grounds are lush with tropical plants which are lovingly maintained.  

The orchid garden is lovely, but surprisingly there are no exotic species.  What is most impressive is the variety of bromeliads. 

While living in Florida we always had bromeliads; I remember once being told by the county that we had to remove them as the water held in the rosette make great mosquito breeding grounds. 



Lunch is at Montpelier, a beautiful sugar plantation high up the mountain with spectacular views.  We settle for a table out by the pool and are served Rum Punch by Caddy, which are seriously strong.  The settling in nothing short of wonderful.  The pool is surrounded by a beautiful blue wall which complements the water, the bar/restaurant is on one side with the gardens at the end.  We are surrounded by British tourists (if wealthy Americans stay at the Four Seasons, Brits stay at Montpelier), and over hear an older woman exclaiming that her husband didn’t bring her a rum punch, and “I just want my damn rum punch” (you have to imagine this being said with a British accent). 

Crispy Goat Cheese Salad

Later in the afternoon we head for Pinney Beach for sunning and swimming.  Tamara and I decide to snorkel and after retrieving my bag from the car, I discover that I’ve left my mask at the house.  We spend the time instead relaxing in the water, which is deliciously cool without being cold.  We drink Caribs from our cooler and just enjoy the sun.

Dinner is at Oualie Beach for the beach buffet, served in the open-air dining room.  Thankfully we made a reservation as this reserves grilled lobster for the guests in your party as well.  The buffet has a delicious seafood chowder, salads, fish, chicken, ribs and steaks, along with rice and steamed vegetables.  The lobster is brought to the table separately and is huge (and delicious).  We share a bottle of wine and by the time dinner is over we are sated and content.