In paradise

Greetings from Antigua! We are far afield this week, vacationing in celebration of Mom and Dad's 40th anniversary. Yesterday: tandoori snapper in St. Maarten, today: vegetable roti at Roti King in St. John's. We went for a hike this morning in the Wallings Conservation Area, where our guide pointed out banana trees, almond trees, soursop bushes, mango trees, lemongrass plants, and bay leaf trees. Have you ever smelled a just-picked lemongrass blade or bay leaf? It's something right out of paradise, and it makes the store-bought stuff seem positively anemic.

The food on our ship favors quantity over quality as expected, but the salads aren't bad. Last night we met a waiter who says the boat's executive chef is from India and if we came back, he'd hook us up with some really good curry. Fingers crossed. Meanwhile, I'm taking plenty of photos, and I'll have lots to post when I get back.