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Summary: Living the Dream
Review: Reading this book was like a visit with a good friend. I found myself reading much slower as I neared the end of the book because I didn't want it to end! The Blanchards detail the good and the bad and the inconvenient things that go along with living on an island in the middle of the ocean, but never in a boring way. I was ready to hop on a plane by the fourth chapter! You will enjoy this book---great to take to the beach!
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Summary: Didn't want the "Trip" to end!!
Review: I envy the enthusiasm and energy to fulfill all the Blanchards dreams. I appreciated the Blanchards sensitivity towards all the people they met in Anguilla and how they made the tiny island their home. I've read many books about the Caribbean and enjoyed this the best.It was easy to associate myself with the book and Anquilla after spending a memorable day there myself. As a frequent visitor to St. Martin, I would one day like to return and have dinner at Blanchards. I encouraged my wife to read "A Trip to the Beach" and hope she'll feel the same way I did after reading it.As I read, all I kept telling my wife was, "I don't want this book to end". She interrupted me several times to look at the great recipes. I think the book describes the tranquility and unhurried life on Anguilla very well. It makes me want to return. I only wish, that someday, we will be able to spend time connecting with the people as they did, rather then doing the tourist thing. I am looking forward to an update. I think "Tales from the Beach" should be their next book title.
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Summary: Takes Me Back to Island Time!
Review: As a Caribbean traveler, I couldn't put this one down! The Blanchard's have managed to transport you to Anguilla, and give hope to everyone that's ever dreamed of buying a place in the tropics! Reading about familiar places always makes a story more interesting and this one adds the ups and downs of my fellow New Englanders as they try to fulfill their dream. I also enjoyed getting to know the many friends and employees they describe in such a way it makes you want to hop a plane and meet them too. I was disappointed when the story ended..I could have read on and on. It really took me back to "island time" which is the best part of visiting the Caribbean! Great reading!
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Summary: A great read across the board
Review: My husband and I traveled to Anguilla in early 1997 and have since had no desire to go anywhere else in the Caribbean. We went back in 1999 and are planning another trip in April. Since it is a fairly unknown island (or used to be) I was very surprised when I heard this book being read on NPR and immediately bought it. This is a great read if you have ever been to Anguilla...it brings the beaches, the people and the atmosphere right back. It is a great read if you want to go to Anguilla...it gives you an accurate and fun portrayel of life on the island. This is a great read if you ever wanted to cash it all in and run away to the islands or live whatever other dream you have but never though you could live. Finally, it is a great read just for fun. The anecdotes and stories are great, ranging from funny to dramatic, and the colorful characters make you laugh out loud. The recipes they include make your mouth water and add an extra bonus to the book. I can't wait to get back to their great restaurant and maybe even try some of those recipes on my own! I am sure you will enjoy the book as we did.
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Summary: Just Like Being There!
Review: I have never travelled to Anguilla. Now that I have read Melinda and Robert's book about their adventure of starting up Blanchard's Restaurant there, I feel at home there already! I enjoyed the people we met personally who helped them in their venture. It is always wonderful to "meet" people who give up all of their world's possessions to start over again to make a dream come true. This book gives the reader the courage to do just that.As you read, you feel the highs and lows of their attempts to do just that: establish a new family home and business in a beautiful part of the world: The Caribbean. They chose the tiny Island of Anguilla and in a very short time became family to all who lived there. Youll will laugh alot at the antics of their "highly qualified staff". I especially loved the inclusion of recipes they conjured up to suit the natural foods that they found on the Island. When you read this book, I think you, too, will want to travel there and taste the flavour of life overlooking the turquoise bays. What is your dream? Will you have the courage to make it come true? Read this book. You will love it!
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Summary: Going back to Anguilla and Blanchard's, with book in hand...
Review: My wife and I are going back to Anguilla for our 3rd time in 5 years! We have fallen in love with the island, the people, the laid back culture, and of coure, the Blanchard's and their restaurant! It is truly a magnificent restaurant, on a magnificent beach, on the most amazing island in the Caribbean! We consider no other place in the world when planning our Spring getaway! Although I am breaking my vow to keep Anguilla a secret from the rest of the world, if you do go, do me a favor, and keep it to yourself!
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Summary: A Foodie's dream vacation spot!!!!
Review: This is a marvelous book! I have been to St. Thomas and St. John, so I know all about their beauty but now I MUST take a trip to Anguilla to visit that magical island and to eat at BLANCHARDS!!!! Through this wonderfully written tome, I have fallen in love with this beautiful place and immediately upon finishing the book searched for the email address for Blanchard's, printed off their latest menus (!) and emailed the Anguilla Tourist Board so that I can begin researching my trip! This accounting of Mel and Bob's dream and how they achieved it is superb - you feel as though you go through each step with them; the agonizing ritual of ordering and receiving ANYTHING for the house or the restaurant; the warm, wonderful, colorful people of Anguilla who took Mel, Bob and Jesse into their hearts and their lives; the sheer hard work they put into the creation of this wonderful restaurant; the horrific hurricane that basically wiped out 2 years work - and more is in this hard to put down book. As a confirmed foodie myself, I feel as though I tested all of those recipes with Mel and WISH for the day that I can taste her creations myself - in person! The only thing that could have possibly made this book any better would have been to have color photos of the creation of this restaurant! That is the only downside to the book at all - you don't want it to end! Next step - get myself to Anguilla and have meals (lots) at Blanchard's!
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Summary: Caribbean Dreams, Island Ways...
Review: Mel and Bob Blanchard have done what I feel many wish they could...just leave it all behind for that dream of a house overlooking the unbelievable Caribbean water. Their baptism into the island lifestyle will have you giggling and crying at some point during your read because they are sharing some very amazing experiences as they follow their dream (with more than a few potholes along the way). I loved this book and really want others to realize the charm of the Caribbean, beyond the beautiful beaches and in her lovely, warm, wonderful people! Having experienced this firsthand in my life, I was so thrilled to read a book that really conveyed that message. It will captivate you! I only now must figure out when I can make MY trip to Anguilla that I have wanted to do for several years. I know the trip will have been worth the wait!
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Summary: A great book to bring to the beach
Review: As I was getting ready for our honeymoon in Anguilla, I told my wife I was going to pick up some books for the trip... We needless to say I accidently stumbled across this gem of a book. I started reading it before we left, and I could not put it down... After arriving in Anguilla I finished the book and convinced my wife to read it. Anyways, if you have ever been to Anguilla or are planning a trip there, this book is a must read. When we went to Blanchards on Christmas I already felt like I knew the entire staff. And after tasting their food I could not wait to get back to the states to try the tuna receipe.
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Summary: Anguilla & Blanchard -or- Jerk Chicken Meets Escoffier
Review: Thank goodness that, in addition to Free-Range Chicken Breast with Wild Mushrooms, Melinda and Bob Blanchard can turn out a great story too. No two dimensional, "my struggle to success" fluff piece, A Trip to the Beach is a rich, spicy broth blending the Blanchard's determined efforts to establish a culinary toe-hold in beautiful Anguilla (British West Indies) with the beautiful, determined Anguillans who helped them make it happen. Anguilla is no "Disney World" stage set of all-u-can-eat buffets, blender drinks, and canned calypso. Rather it is a fiercely independent, sophisticated island culture struggling hard against pressures of the fast-buck, big money outside world to preserve and protect its astoundingly beautiful physical and cultural assets. The idiosyncracies of the culture are the attraction for the Blanchards to Anguilla and, at the same time, the source of the sometimes excruciating obstacles to executing their modest plan to open a pleasant resaurant with a good wine cellar in a place they love. With an intimate, forthright voice, Melinda Blanchard takes the reader through a highly personal journey from their Northeastern roots to the realization of their dream - feeling like a "belonger" in their beloved Anguilla. A Trip to the Beach will appeal to both beginner as well as the seasoned Anguilla "expert". I have enjoyed 6 visits to the island (and to their divine resaurant) and the Blanchard's richly portrayed characters, and colorfully detailed experiences took me that much deeper into a people I already love. Enrich someone's life by giving them this book. Or better yet, give it to your spouse or significant other (as my wife did) as bait for a longed-for trip to this special place. Or just buy it for yourself, put your feet up and lose yourself for a while in a story with a lot of heart, a lot of humor, and some really yummy recipes. You'll feel like a "belonger" too!
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