house guests.5

Finally! My parents made the house guest list. I missed them so much over the past few months - especially during the holidays - that I couldn't wait to hug their necks and kiss their cheeks! They were just as excited as me, primarily due to the sub-freezing Pennsylvania weather they escaped. We scooped them up from the airport where they were singing the praises of their direct flight from Newark (you can't beat a four-hour travel plan), freshened up, and headed over to Ristorante Pappagallo. One of the more highly-recommended restaurants on the island, the menu, service, and ambiance did not disappoint.

Red Snapper for me again. Just lovely.

Mom got the Tiger Shrimp - INCREDIBLE

I hate to make this whole post about food, but the truth is that when guests visit during busy season (aka: prime tourist season), most of what we do with our guests is eating. So here comes evidence of the week-long feast:

We ate in as a family one night. Mom and Nate grilled chicken and lobster, while I roasted broccoli, baked garlic bread, boiled pasta, and fried conch fritters.

The position of that knife makes it obvious. He caught that.

I didn't quite follow the recipe (shocking I know)...but they were yum.

Nothing follows up a big meal like some football. (American. Duh.) Dad's really not a big sports fan, but being on an island relaxes everybody enough to go with the flow. Plus we don't get Fox News, leaving him with the likes of ESPN.

My parents were, as expected, really easy guests. Give them a comfy bed, decent sunshine, a few snacks, and regular coffee, and they're happy as clams.

Need proof? See Dad's face.

"Burgers as Big as Your Head" - shocking.

A teeny-tiny photo shoot on Camana Bay's Lilly Pulitzer outdoor furniture followed...

I tell you, this was a test-the-camera-settings shot.
The woman needs no pose to take a fabulous photo.

Okay, so eating wasn't the only thing Mom and Dad busied themselves with all week. Dad successfully drove my little island car around every day, both of them hitting up the Dolphin Cove experience, taking a walk on Seven Mile Beach, flying around the island in a helicopter, and making several trips to Fosters Food Fair.  They also explored the many trails in Barkers National Park, made friends with the kiters, and even took me to and from work.

Mom - just one of the kiters

But besides all the touristy things, Mom and Dad did little things around the house to help make our lives easier. Like one day, I came home from work to find the refrigerator rearranged. Was I upset? Heavens no! The new way was much better. I just can't find the bottled water yet. Then another day, after Mom found out that we don't really eat dinner during busy season in favor of finding a few things to munch on when we get home late, she prepared a (pie) plate of fresh fruit and yogurt dip to satisfy our palates while catching up with them on the day's events.

I told Dad when he arrived that I needed his gardening advice to get my cherry tomatoes planted. He saved me a few steps and planted the seeds himself. (Who was I kidding anyway - without his push in the right direction, it would have taken me until July to accomplish this easy task.)

I'm proud to announce that three of the seedlings have emerged already!

But enough of this narration, and back to our feasting. No trip to Grand Cayman is complete without a stop at Calypso Grill for their famed Sticky Toffee Pudding. We're just happy to have a frequent excuse to go.

Smiles all around - for S.T.P. and for well-developed tans.

Dad's favorite food group is what he calls "meat and potatoes" - basically, a steak house. Some of the best steak on the island can be found at Copper Falls Steakhouse. Dad likes his steak on the rare side of rare, so he appreciated Copper Fall's motto: "A rare steakhouse, very well done." But since we were there on a Friday night, the restaurant also served bbq ribs (only available Fridays and Saturdays). NS and Mom took the plunge, and the whole table was amazed at how delicious (and un-messy!) the ribs tasted.  Sorry, no pictures of the food; we were busy enjoying.

Dad and his skin now qualify as island natives.

Before I could even digest all of the above, it was time for Mom and Dad to return to snowy Pennsylvania. I think they enjoyed their visit, and I know that NS and I sure did. I'm pretty sure they'll be back, because Dad already has a list of things to remember to do or to pack for the next time. He's brilliant.

The only disappointment of the week is that Jaydee, the family dog, couldn't visit the island with my parents. But my sisters kept her busy at home so she wouldn't lose muscle tone while Dad was walking the paths of Barkers rather than the frozen roads of PA:

(Per Dad: Please note the high tail position and smiling face. Now that's a happy, healthy treadmill-running puppy.)

Oh yeah, I almost forgot: Mom brought me a belated Christmas gift - a laminated copy of our "Guest Guidelines" to place in the guest room.

Her timing couldn't have been better, because if you'll excuse me, I have to run to the airport to pick up the subject matter of "house guests.6". The good times just keep on coming!