McLaughlin Anderson staff looks forward to the annual "Rite of Spring" known as Maison Veldkamp's Cocktail Party. Each year, the owner invites us all to relax after a busy workday and take in the beautiful sunset amongst a riot of brilliant fuschia and cerise bougainvilleas while enjoying an array of hors-d'ouevres prepared especially for us. Maison Veldkamp is a 3-bedroom villa located on St. Thomas, secreted away by an electronic privacy gate, elegant landscaping, and a view that sweeps from town and harbour to the more verdant east.
Cruise ships lazed under the setting sun, preparing to carry their passengers to other destinations, yet we were content to bask in each other's company while touring the villa with our gracious hosts.
As usual, we were not disappointed! The chicken satay was one thing, the state of the art windows in the upper (Master) suite, bath and hallway quite another. Soon all of Maison Veldkamp will have these durable, user-friendly windows as replacements slowly continue over the next year.
Both East and West Bedrooms on the lower level now have new mini-blinds, the West Bedroom has a new king mattress, and the main entrance enjoys a new screen door. Specially manufactured designer lampshades now grace the living room and will usher in more improvements in the months to come! Fabric swatches were passed around as we all imagined the new and exciting patterns that will thoroughly upgrade the decor of this villa.
In addition to the current and planned changes, Maison Veldkamp has been totally spruced up for the season, from the roof to the wrought iron security gates. Air conditioning compressors and fan coil units have all been serviced, and a large gas grill is now installed.
New and repeat renters keep Maison Veldkamp among the top favorite villas, and we must give all credit to the owner, who considers this villa his island home. It can be your home away from home too!
The lovely ladies of Weddings the Island Way decided to catch Paul Dirks on guitar last Thursday at Northside Bistro and were enchanted with the atmosphere, attentive service, and a varied menu. In tow was McLaughlin Anderson Luxury Villas' Anita Davis, who'd been wanting to try out this eatery for some time.
"The old Bryan's Bar", "formerly North Drop" - Northside Bistro is cheerfully decorated with floral draperies and tableclothes, etched glass and dreamy views of the ocean from its veranda. In the style of wine country, a tapestry of lovely greens, deep and varying purples, and warm woods greet diners as they enter the restaurant.
As Paul glided effortlessly through an eclectic catalog of classics and standards, the ladies availed themselves of the wonderful menu. The appetizers sampled included a bean/corn cake accompanied by modest dollops of piquant chili paste and a generous helping of cilantro sour cream to cool subsequent fires... the bruschetta du jour featured brie and prosciutto with a sprinkling of herbs... and the conch fritters and their fruit/curry remoulade danced on the tongue.
The time flew by, and before you knew it, the desserts were on the table - all shared the warm, buttery bread pudding and an astonishingly beautiful vegan cake that tasted as good as it looked. Cool glasses of limoncello accompanied the sweets (thanks Connie!).
For good times, fantastic service and a varied menu with something to please just about everyone in your party, Northside Bistro is highly recommended by Anita... maybe you'll see her there sometime, gazing lovingly at that vegan cake (she made an impressive dent in it, took the rest home for later)!
The local crowd has this place on lock - reservations highly recommended! www.northsidebistro.com.
I booked a boat BVI trip as a surprise gift for my husband for our Anniversary. The original plan was to go to Jost Van Dyke only but I saw the option to go to other islands for a minimal additional cost. I thought it would be more enjoyable to do multiple stops so I booked it. When the day came, we arrived at the Marina 7:00am sharp and arealized we had no passports. The Captain was nice enough to allow us to rush home and hurry back. Thankfully we only lived approximately 15 minutes away and he took my cell number to ensure we got back in time.
After the Baths, we went to Marina Cay where our delicious lunch was preordered and ready for us when we arrived, thanks to the First Mate.
After we had eaten our fill, we took off to go snorkeling. This was quite an experience for us both because neither of us have ever gone snorkeling. I am not a confident swimmer, so I really appreciated it when the First Mate took me out and stayed with me the whole time so that I could enjoy the tropical fishes and coral.
After snorkeling, we headed over to our last stop, Jost Van Dyke, where I got to put my short swimming lesson into practice because we had to swim to shore due to lack of a dock. While on Jost Van Dyke we got to walk the beautiful, white, sandy beach; food and drinks were available, and we lounged in the hammocks under the palm trees or in beach chairs. When it was time to go, we swam back to the boat to head back to St. Thomas, stopping in St. John to clear customs. This trip was definitely worth doing and I have no regrets.
The Captain and First Mate were very knowledgeable about the islands we passed on our way to the destinations and gave us some interesting history about them. On top of that, they made sure all of our needs were met, our thirsts were quenched, and our bellies filled. I would definitely do it again.