Pappy's Plonk
23 August 2013 | Concord, Grenada
Lynn
Ken and I were ready for a road trip so we could take a pleasant walk in one of our favourite spots in Grenada, Black Bay. We've been there a couple of times, and figured we would introduce a couple of other people to the beauty of this out of the way beach. So, we dragged Paul of "Distant Shores II" away from his editing work, and enticed Keith of "Shadowfax IV" off his boat to join us.
We took the bus up the west coast road to the turn off that I know, and we made the approximately 45 minute trek down to the volcanic sand beach. I admit I made a slightly wrong turn onto the trail, but within minutes we were on the right path. After that it is easy to follow the route down. We passed the old mill and one or two other old estate buildings, including the ruins of an aqueduct to feed the mill, as well as a sign asking passerby's to not take a farmer's crops. The old bridge was the way we remembered it (skewed and twisted, but functional) but the little homemade bridge across a creek was no longer there, so we had to climb across using a fallen tree. When we arrived at the black volcanic sand beach, we were the only ones there, and it was as idyllic as we remembered it to be.
The guys were keen on checking out the cave, where petroglyphs are said to be present, so we continued up that trail to check things out. I had brought a machete in case the trail needed cleaning, but besides a little razor grass, it was very passable. Ken and I were surprised to see that the area close to the cave had been cleaned up. Apparently the plans of the previous Minister of Tourism actually came through, as a rough road had been cut to the cave to make access much easier. I still prefer the path through the valley, as it is much prettier.
We pulled out our flashlights and entered the cave. The bats were still there (flying rodents {{shudder}}) but Paul thought they were quite neat and spent time trying to capture them on video. We didn't see the petroglyphs, unless the "Johnny loves Sally" inscriptions in the rock at the entrance count. The cave is still remarkable for the little piece of local history it represents.
The consensus was to take the new road/path back to the main road. It was a pleasant, and much easier, route back. We passed farmers working with their crops, and chatted a bit with people whose homes were adjacent to the access. It also provided some nice views of the south part of the west coast.
When we arrived at the main west coast road, we settled down to wait for a bus. As we were waiting, an elderly gentleman came up and started chatting with us. He is Mcleish Langaigne, better known as "Pappy" and the proprietor of "Pappy's Produce". Pappy's claim to fame (which earned him a write up in the Toronto Star, which he is happy to share with you) is that he makes wine from local ingredients. Local grape, bois bande, nettles, and a host of other things can be his ingredients. The "Punch a Cream (or crème) is like Bailey's Irish Cream, but with some Grenadian spices thrown in to give it a local kick. Pappy plied us with sample after sample, with Paul and I bravely trying each one, while Keith hid outside, and Ken tried little samples from my glass. Two bottles of Punch a Crème were purchased, and a bottle of bois bande wine; we had to buy something, after all. Someday we might even open them. I confess the bois bande wine worries me, as I am not sure how wine made from a type of wood is going to taste (that's one of the ones we didn't sample), but the nettle was very dry. Maybe I'll just give it to Ken, as bois bande is known to be "good for men" (nudge nudge, wink wink). The tamarind liqueur may have been a better idea, but that lowers blood pressure, something definitely I don't need.
We loaded up our purchases and caught the next bus back to the city, thankful that the alcohol content of most of the offerings was only around 12%. It could have been a woozy ride back. We all made it back happy, and none the worse for wear.