A Trip to the Beach: Living on Island Time in the Caribbean

Reading this book, you are taken to the world of Anguilla, a small Carribean island where it is so beautiful that they don't need a weatherman. The Blanchards started up a restaurant bearing their name years ago on this island heaven and it became one of the highlights of the Western Antillies. In this book, you are taken through their journey, their lives together, of building a restauarnt of a fine reputation. I MUST ADVISE: The book is cannot be fully appreciated unless one actually travels to Anguilla to experience the happy and peaceful mood of the entire island and to actually meet the Blanchards to see how lovely people they are.It can be seen that at the beginning of the novel, it is pointed out that although, yes, the Blanchards had already started a restaurant, Mangoes, before their current one, it would not be discussed for the means of telling the story. Also, just because Melinda and Robert's name both appear on the cover, and just one is the narrator, it does not mean that they both didn't write the book together, sharing their experiences and building the structure for the book.This trip to the beach will be one you never forget....

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!

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!

Along the "Provence" and "Tuscany" genre of books, this anecdotal book takes the reader through a year of dealing with natural and human challenges as the Blanchards try running a restaurant on the upscale island of Anguilla. Having been a visitor to the island many times, I suppose I was somewhat inclined to be predisposed to enjoy the book, but then again I could also have been more critical. It's a pretty quick read, full of local characters, and makes you realize what kinds of things you're up against when you try and do something like this. You'll want to make plane reservations to see the island for yourself when you've finished reading it. It's light reading, perfect for a cold winter day as it transports you to an island paradise that is so idyllic in the midst of today's hectic urban world.

a must read for anyone who has been or will go to anguilla, the island where they have there restaurant. an enchanting and warm tale about a husband and wife who move to paradise to live out their dream. it is full of great recipes from the restaurant, but also just a great story!!!!