Shore Things Cafe & Craft, Tobago

Driving along the Claude Noel Highway in Tobago, I couldn’t help but smile as I thought about what I was going to order for lunch. When asked where we should eat that day I immediately suggested Shore Things and we were on our way there.

Located on Old Milford Road in Lambeau, Shore Things is not only a café but a craft shop as well. The combination of the delicious food, friendly service, great atmosphere and beautiful shopping items makes coming here such a delight.

Their menu includes salads, sandwiches, pizzas, quiche, crepes, and freshly made deserts, breads and fruit juices! As a vegetarian, I love restaurants that make sure to include a variety of non-meat options and this café does just that! I enjoyed the pumpkin soup, vegetarian chilly with rice and a refreshing glass of fruit juice. I made sure to save some room for their delicious carrot cake! Without a doubt visiting Shore Things should be on your list! Here are some photos from my visit.

The craft shop offers a wide selection of items including local craft, jewelry, paintings and music CD's

The bar area, like the rest of the shop is brightly coloured and full of character

My delicious meal along with the unique menu

One section of the seating area

Freshly baked Carrot cake completes my meal perfectly

Caribbean musicians Rihanna, KES, Machel, Nicki Minaj, Vybz Kartel & Movado pick up Soul Train nods

Though calypso and soca have both made a few "breakthroughs" on to the international musical radar, and reggae has long been part of the Grammy category breakdown, it's been a refreshing change to see the Soul Train Awards change their "Best Reggae Performance" category to a "Best Caribbean Performance" category.

This year, five popular Caribbean artists from Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados have received nominations in that category:

• “Man Down” – Rihanna (Barbados)
• “Summer Time” – Vybz Kartel (Jamaica)
• “Wotless” – KES The Band (Trinidad & Tobago)
• “Bend Over” – Machel Montano (Trinidad & Tobago)
• “Delilah” – Movado (Jamaica)

But that's not the only place that Caribbean stars are shining. Trinidad-born Nicki Minaj also picks up a nomination for Best Hip Hop Song of the Year for “Moment for Life”, alongside Barbadian colleague Rihanna for “All of the Lights” with Kanye West. Rihanna's also nominated for Best Dance Performance for “Only Girl in the World”/”What’s My Name”.

In a few weeks, we'll know who the winners are. This year's show will tape in Atlanta on November 17, but will air in simulcast on both Centric and BET on November 27 at 9pm/8c. Check the videos and songs out below!

The Rock - Toco

When I was a child whenever I visited the rocky promontory at Galera Point, Toco, dubbed by locals as ‘The Rock’, I felt as if I was truly standing on the edge of Trinidad. I could almost see myself at the North Easterly border of the green ill shaped map of the island I had drawn in my primary school copybook. 

I revisited ‘The Rock’ recently and walked the short distance from the Toco lighthouse and marveled at the great views of the Caribbean Sea meeting the Atlantic Ocean and Tobago, which is visible in the distance on a clear day. We couldn’t explore the lighthouse as it was being renovated, so we happily settled on the rock and relaxed. This is one of my mother’s favorite places to visit and within minutes of being there it is easy to see why. The sound of the waves crashing and the soft breeze blowing creates a soothing atmosphere to sit and take it easy while enjoying the view. If you are not the type to sit still this is a great place to explore. During this visit, a small family was having fun climbing along the rock face when they discovered a PVC pipe that went down through the rocks and magnified the sound of the waves. The kids squealed in delight as they listened to the roar of the ocean.

A fun place to take your family, the area around the lighthouse has been upgraded and includes a few seats to enjoy a picnic under the shade of trees, a car park and toilet facilities. Remember to bring a bag to throw away your trash. Here are some photos from my visit.

All images are Copyright 2011 MEP Publishers/Ariann M Thompson

Ariann is ready to reacquaint herself with and in some cases ‘meet’ Trinidad and Tobago. Follow as she travels to different places and interacts with a multitude of faces while ‘Discovering T&T’.