Island CultureNassau Paradise Island's Colonial CharmBy Heather Boynton
Downtown ArchitectureOn an island that has been alternately visited by marauding pirates, Spanish invaders and Prohibition-era rum runners, the history that rustles the garden leaves the loudest on Nassau Paradise Island is that of The Bahamas' 200 years of British government. Peter and I have packed light, so we hop a taxi from the airport to Rawson Square and start our trip with a carriage ride around downtown Nassau, taking in the Colonial charm of Nassau's English Georgian-style architecture and just enjoying the refreshing breezes off the water. If we were feeling more ambitious, we could have joined one of the Ministry of Tourism's walking tours through downtown ($10 per person) or picked up materials for a self-guided tour. A Historic Inn
Dinner at Graycliff
Horseback Riding on the Beach
Conch and JunkanooAfter a casual Bahamian lunch of cracked conch and fried snapper, we take our time wandering Nassau's back streets, stopping in at the Bahamas Historical Society Museum ($1 admission) and the historic Christ Church Cathedral. On our way to the National Art Gallery, we stumble on a Junkanoo group warming up for a "rush out." We're surrounded by trumpeting and drumming as the group walks out of the lot and down the middle of the street. A minute later, the parade is gone. The National Art GalleryThe beautiful, circa-1860s Villa Doyle (originally the residence of Sir William Doyle, Chief Justice of The Bahamas and the first Bahamian to be knighted) is now home to the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas. The gallery opened to the public in July 2003, and supports local arts community initiatives like the "Playground Project," in which small groups of students or professional artists collaborate on site-specific installations. Think the view from the front lawn looks like a Winslow Homer painting? As we learn from the current exhibit, which represents the entire span of Bahamian art history (with an emphasis on the contemporary), Homer did in fact do much of his painting here in Nassau. The view, the building, the art - it's so romantic, I'm thinking that Peter must be overwhelmed with his love for me at this moment. He buys a cool t-shirt from the gift shop instead. A Romantic EndingSunday - and our return flight back - sneaks up on us before we're ready for it, but there's still one thing we've got to do: Go to the beach. We had talked about snorkeling out on Love Beach, but decide instead to just take it easy on a quiet stretch of Cabbage Beach, across the bridge in Paradise Island. As we're walking hand-in-hand on a white ribbon of sand along the turquoisey sea, Peter sighs and says the words I've been waiting to hear: "I just love this place." Well, not the exact words. But if it gets me another weekend like this in Nassau Paradise Island, I'll take it.
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Don't get me wrong. I love long walks on the beach just as much as the next girl. It's my boyfriend who tends to be the problem - he'd take Somewhere Historically Significant over Anywhere Beautiful hands down. So when we started thinking about a tropical island getaway, I was worried we weren't going to make it past the airport. That is, until he suggested a trip to Nassau Paradise Island.
We had booked a room at Graycliff, originally the residence of "gentleman pirate" Captain John Howard Graysmith and host since then to a distinguished roster of visitors, from Al Capone to Winston Churchill. Just a few blocks from bustling downtown, the inn sits high on a hill overlooking the bay, with the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas just down the street and the Government House about a block away in the other direction. Peter really likes how the high wall enclosing the inn and grounds incorporates a piece of the oldest church in The Bahamas, which was built in 1694 (and destroyed by the Spaniards nine years later). I'm more taken in by the smells coming from the kitchen, the doors to the wine cellar we pass on the way to our room (it's the second or third largest cellar in the world, depending on whom you talk to) with an inventory of 250,000 bottles from over 400 vintners in 15 countries, and the lush foliage cascading from the gardens.
If there's an old-school scene on Nassau Paradise Island, Saturday evening at the Graycliff Restaurant is it. We relax over champagne cocktails in the lounge and watch the elegantly dressed guests of a private party wander in, while the piano player - a ringer for Billie Holiday - lets old show tunes drift out of the baby grand in the corner. My wine-loving boyfriend is in heaven for about 20 minutes with the behemoth wine list (almost 100 pages) before our sommelier offers a few specific recommendations and thankfully takes the list away from us. The windows in the dining room are open slightly, and you can hear the gardens rustling just outside. There's candlelight, and pressed white linens, and Peter has secretly ordered me a soufflé for dessert. It's past 11 by the time we finish our digestifs in the lounge and retire to our room.
Like any good girlfriend, I've arranged a trial by fire for my beloved early the next morning. Duke from Happy Trails Stables picks us up at eight o'clock sharp, and on our ride over to the south side of the island tells us a lot about his "famous" horses - some of whom have had a lot more screen time than my actor friends. Duke's 30 years of experience is comforting to Peter, who's never been on a horse and is wary of the idea of trotting along the beach on one. I tell him it's easy, pretend I've never seen a hoof pick and let Duke run through the drill with both of us. The horses they've picked for our group are gentle and easygoing, and even Peter seems to be enjoying the saltwater we kick up while walking through the waves.