We enjoyed our time in New Plymouth, on Green Turtle Cay, tremendously, so
this blog entry will be devoted to some of the things that we found interesting
about the town. After the American Revolutionary War, many of the people who
had remained loyal to England fled to other countries, primarily the Bahamas and
Canada. New Plymouth was one of the Loyalist settlements that was established
during this era. The Loyalist Memorial Sculpture Garden contains 25 bronze busts
of Loyalists that came to the Bahamas, with the focal point being this statue
showing Loyalist and slave women, representing the ancestors of the people who
currently reside in New Plymouth.
In the 1800's, many families moved from New Plymouth to Key West, taking their
homes with them. Currently, New Plymouth and Key West have been declared
sister cities, and, after a hurricane, a group from Key West came to New Plymouth
to see how their sister city was faring. During the visit, they rejuvenated the
cemetery, fixing the fence that surrounds the property. As you go down the hill
into town, the cemetery is now a prominent feature. Exploring the cemetery was
fascinating, and we soon learned that Lowe, Roberts, Curry, McIntosh and Sawyer
were all very common family names. Many of the businesses in town included the
family name of the people who started them. This wasn't always possible, an
example being Sid's Groceries. Sidney Lowe started Sid's, but we're assuming that
Lowe's Food Store already existed, and he wanted these stores to be clearly
distinguished. Sid's is now run by a son and daughter of Sidney Lowe, and you
can hear, in their voices, that they still miss him 13 years after his death.
During one of our visits, we had lunch at Plymouth Rock Liquors and Cafe. We
bought lunch and a 6-pack of Bahamian beer, to go. We could have also bought
some of Tom's favorite Barbados rum at about 75% of what we pay in the states.
This combination of businesses fascinated us, and I decided that the specialization
that we have in the US is way over-rated.
After the liquor store and cafe, we stopped at Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar, the home
of Goombay Smash, better known in the states as a Bahama Mama. Miss Emily's
granddaughter served us, and supposedly, the family has kept the recipe a secret
and they make it in gallon jugs in their house each day. We each ordered an
original recipe Goombay Smash and drank them at a picnic table outside the bar,
overlooking the town basketball court. Since neither of us had ever had a Bahama
Mama, we couldn't compare the original to what is served in other parts of the
world. It reminded us of a lot of other juice and rum drinks, but I felt that I to
have one so I could tell my friend who loves Bahama Mamas.
Thanks for your hospitality, New Plymouth!
Joycethis blog entry will be devoted to some of the things that we found interesting
about the town. After the American Revolutionary War, many of the people who
had remained loyal to England fled to other countries, primarily the Bahamas and
Canada. New Plymouth was one of the Loyalist settlements that was established
during this era. The Loyalist Memorial Sculpture Garden contains 25 bronze busts
of Loyalists that came to the Bahamas, with the focal point being this statue
showing Loyalist and slave women, representing the ancestors of the people who
currently reside in New Plymouth.
In the 1800's, many families moved from New Plymouth to Key West, taking their
homes with them. Currently, New Plymouth and Key West have been declared
sister cities, and, after a hurricane, a group from Key West came to New Plymouth
to see how their sister city was faring. During the visit, they rejuvenated the
cemetery, fixing the fence that surrounds the property. As you go down the hill
into town, the cemetery is now a prominent feature. Exploring the cemetery was
fascinating, and we soon learned that Lowe, Roberts, Curry, McIntosh and Sawyer
were all very common family names. Many of the businesses in town included the
family name of the people who started them. This wasn't always possible, an
example being Sid's Groceries. Sidney Lowe started Sid's, but we're assuming that
Lowe's Food Store already existed, and he wanted these stores to be clearly
distinguished. Sid's is now run by a son and daughter of Sidney Lowe, and you
can hear, in their voices, that they still miss him 13 years after his death.
During one of our visits, we had lunch at Plymouth Rock Liquors and Cafe. We
bought lunch and a 6-pack of Bahamian beer, to go. We could have also bought
some of Tom's favorite Barbados rum at about 75% of what we pay in the states.
This combination of businesses fascinated us, and I decided that the specialization
that we have in the US is way over-rated.
After the liquor store and cafe, we stopped at Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar, the home
of Goombay Smash, better known in the states as a Bahama Mama. Miss Emily's
granddaughter served us, and supposedly, the family has kept the recipe a secret
and they make it in gallon jugs in their house each day. We each ordered an
original recipe Goombay Smash and drank them at a picnic table outside the bar,
overlooking the town basketball court. Since neither of us had ever had a Bahama
Mama, we couldn't compare the original to what is served in other parts of the
world. It reminded us of a lot of other juice and rum drinks, but I felt that I to
have one so I could tell my friend who loves Bahama Mamas.
Thanks for your hospitality, New Plymouth!
New Plymouth
Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas
http://g.co/maps/ug44r
P.S. by Tom
From this post you would think all we do is drink - not true, we only have an occasion drink, but they always seem memorable here.
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