Friday, December 4, 2015

Jack and Cora May

Cora May and Jack and their friend Lover-Mae
who runs the Chicken's Nest
Last night, Jen made some new friends in the lobby bar. Jack and Cora May have been coming to Freeport for 25 years, been married for 58, and today, took us on a 3 and half hour tour of the island. They owned property here for a while and have stayed for months at a time. They're just here for a week this time although they recently bought a timeshare in Freeport and will be back for a month at the end of January. They had rented a car for this trip and when Jen was chatting with them last night, they offered to show us around the island today.


best conch fritters we've had - and we've had a lot of conch fritters
Jack and Cora could not have been more delightful, generous folks. Everyone on the island seems to know them and they took us some of their favorite places on the far side of the island - all the way to the West End, which we never would have gotten to on our own. We drove around, stopped for drinks and conch fritters at The Chicken's Nest, one of their favorite bars; were given beautiful shells by a local diver, who saves them for Cora May (she collects them but insisted on giving them to us); and had a beautiful day with our new friends from North Carolina.
Paradise Cove
Heading home tomorrow, back to cold days and colder  nights, but after this vacation of beach, books, bikes, conch, rum punch, a great travel-buddy, and really, the nicest, friendliest, kindest local people I've ever encountered anywhere in all my travels, I think this trip will stay with me for a long time.