This beach at Sam Lord's Castle was an absolutely beautiful beach. Perhaps, one of the prettier ones that I have seen anywhere. The water was so blue and clear, with its white sand beaches, it just did not even seem real. Sam Lord's castle itself is located in the parish of St.Philip, Sam Lord's Castle is a beautiful Georgian mansion built in 1820 by the notorious buccaneer Samuel Hall Lord. And is exactly right behind where I took this shot from.Legend has it that Sam Lord acquired his wealth by plundering ships, which he lured onto the reefs off the coast, by hanging lanterns in the coconut trees. Many ship captains mistook these lights for Bridgetown and wrecked their ships on the reefs. And thus the plundering of the smashed ships on the jagged rocks where they thought they were finding a safe harbor.
Venture to a setting that only legend can describe...Twelve acres of tropical splendor at the rim of a deep blue sea. Where pristine beaches thread the coastline for more than seventy miles and calypsorhythms stir through the palms. A captivating castle in a legendary setting. An exotic escape with breathtaking views. A world of amenities to meet your every need. And a heartbeat away from paradise. That is how the hotel is described by the tourist agencies. But it is not far from the reality of breath-taking beauty that surrounds you there.
They (Barbados) were a British Colony before becoming an independant island country. Barbados had reverted to its former status, that of a self-governing colony. The island negotiated its own independence at a constitutional conference with the United Kingdom in June 1966. After years of peaceful and democratic progress, Barbados finally became an independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations on November 30, 1966, with Errol Barrow serving as its first Prime Minister.
Many times we would venture out from here to explore the other island attractions from the capital at Bridgetown to the Barbados Caverns and the other large cities on the island. Truly a very relaxing island / country. The castle itself was more like a VERY large home that is was like a castle. From that standpoint, I would have to say it was a little disappointing, but at the time it was a Marriott Resort and the resort facilites were just marvelous.
You will find the bajuns (as the locals are called), for the most part very friendly, except that they do not like to have their pictures taken. Something about taking part of them a way with you, but I did find that for a couple of bajun dollars, they would let you take their pictures. I remember taking one of the cutest little old man driving his horse and cart with a full load of sugar beets on his way to market. After giving him some money, he was happy to be all smiles for my camera.
Truly this counrty was one of the most unique and relaxing family vacations we have been on.
"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move; to feel the needs and hitches of our life more nearly; to come down off this feather-bed of civilization, and find the globe granite underfoot and strewn with cutting flints." -Robert Louis Stevenson
