Antigua, WI
The island of Antigua was explored by Christopher Columbus in 1493 and named for the Church of Santa Maria La Antigua. Antigua was colonized by Britain in 1632 and has a rich past as a naval outpost of the Royal Crown. During the morning we chose a tour to experience locals living close to the earth. Our first stop was at the Smith Estate which in colonial times was a thriving 800 acre sugar cane plantation. Forty years ago, sugar cane became uneconomical to produce and tourism took its place. The green fields above are now used to graze cattle and sheep. We met Mrs. Hall, our host for the morning, at the door. The home was quite modest by American standards, but luxurious for the Caribbean. In its day, this was the plantation owner's house. Inside the house we found a plethora of collectibles and memorabilia accumulated by the family over the 50-plus years they have lived here. ...