The Good Hope Great House is a great example of Georgian architecture. This is the original 1755 building. - PHOTOS BY CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
AHHH! We started getting that feeling as The Gleaner bus wound its way through the St. Ann countryside. Leaving behind the sweltering heat of a May morning in Kingston, our pulses seemed to slow.
Then, as we drove through Davis Town and Chalky Hill, catching glimpses of soothing blue waters and white sand gleaming in the distance, we could feel the tension dissolving.
But the best was yet to come.
Along the north coast we made our way through Runaway Bay, Discovery Bay, Duncans, heading towards Falmouth, the Martha Brae River and, our destination, Good Hope Great House.
From Falmouth the signs appeared, 'Slow Good Hope set in a peaceful valley of 2,000 acres'.
ROAD TO PARADISE
We weren't exactly sure where the 2,000 acres started, but we knew we were on the road to paradise when the scent of pimento and oranges sent our senses into overdrive. On either side of us, and as far as the eyes could see were orange trees.
We kept on driving into 'the middle of nowhere' until we came upon the stables and the path leading to the 250-year-old great house.
We spilled out of the bus to be greeted by an orchestra of screeching crickets, broad grins from Sales and Marketing Manager Linda Lee Burks and Manager Reshma Jagon, AND glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice and the best lemonade we've ever tasted.
Ahhh!
Still, it was just the start of the Lifestyle team's day of peace.
But first things first. As we made our way to the front of the house, crickets in the background, I confess that I did utter the words: "Oh, it's so great to hear the sound of the birds."
I was swiftly corrected amid scornful giggles. But I wasn't backing down. Who's to say I didn't hear birds. The entire place is a welcome mat for the feathered ones.
Thankfully, the others were soon distracted by the awesome view overlooking the Queen of Spain Valley and the layers of the blue/green Cockpit mountain range. Freelancers Shelly-Ann Thompson and Keisha Shakespeare immediately threw themselves into the hammocks dotting the lawn and could only be enticed to leave with the promise of lunch in the garden. (Read more about the food, the cooks and the kitchen at Good Hope in Thursday's Food section.)
Traipsing across the wooden floors and out to the gardens, we made our way to lunch under a canopy of leafy green trees and plants.
After lunch, I really wanted to just throw myself on the swinging bench by the lily pond and sink into blissful oblivion for the next six months. The special bird sanctuary with the feeders, baths, and bird 'toys' were just a few steps away.
With Shelly-Ann Thompson and Nashauna Drummond checking out the kitchen; Keisha Shakespeare, contemplating her horse ride; and photographer Carlington Wilmot snapping away, I felt compelled to at least pretend to be doing something. I pulled myself out of my reverie to explore the area around the garden, lily pond and bird sanctuary.
The rest of our day included horseback riding, a visit to the waterwheel, and a stop at the pottery barn located on the property and operated by David Pinto.
Grace Cameron
