Description: John and Katy Duckworth’s cottages are located at Governor’s Harbour in the middle of 110 mile Eleuthera in the Bahamas. The Duck Inn includes Flora Cottage where we stayed. It consists of 4 bedrooms, a full kitchen, front porch and back terrace with an airy living room including a TV with more channels and better reception than we get at home! The décor is an eclectic mix of antiques and island wicker with a modern functional kitchen.
The cottage sits on a hill at the midpoint of sleepy Governour’s Harbour. The garden is full of fruit trees, tropical plants and orchids in hanging pots. The orchids were dormant but the Duckworth son is a breeder and supplies Nassau, the major island in the Bahamas.
"Help yourself to all the carambola you want," offered John. Carambola is the official name of star fruit. I learned that you slice it into little stars and sprinkle a bit of sugar and stick in the fridge for a short time and get a delicious, juicy treat. John asked the gardener to capture some fruit in the mesh basket fixed to the end of a long pole. They were delicious. Other seasons offer other treats including a date palm tree.
My husband spent hours in the clear turquoise water of the harbor fishing for bonefish. When caught they can zoom along at 20 mph. Alas, we don’t know form first hand experience because they eluded the fly fisherman from Connecticut. But it was fun to cast into the warm shallow water and enjoy the sun thaw out our frozen New England bodies.
The harbor faces westward and people come down the hill and balance on the cement curb to admire the sunset while nervously peering backward to watch for cars. It takes some doing to adjust to driving on the left and to know which way to look for oncoming traffic as you walk or bike along.
From Governor’s Harbour it is possible to reach either the Northern tip, Harbour Island or the Southern tip at Lighthouse Point. Each trip takes a leisurely 3 hours if you stop to explore pristine, isolated salt ponds and tropical fruit stands, straw shops and charming home based bakeries.
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