I suppose I’m lucky it rained so much of my stay in Jamaica over the Presidents Day long weekend. It forced me out of the hotel and helped me select non-beach oriented excursions.
My first adventure was a visit to Nine Mile, Bob Marley’s childhood home. I felt a little like Debbie Boone jamming with the Rastas but the truth is, we share more similarities than differences once we start making music. One love, people. One love…
The next afternoon I went to Firefly , Noel Coward’s retreat where he spent 3 months of the year entertaining friends like the Queen Mother and working. The tour guide was pretty relaxed. I got to sit in Coward’s living room chair, rub my hands against his desktop, play his piano and leaf through his books and record collection. Though Coward is best known for his witticisms and for plays like “Blythe Spirit” and “Private Lives,” I was equally impressed with his paintings, which are reminiscent of Gauguin. What a prodigious talent!
It finally stopped raining as I went to the airport to return to NYC. I came home without a tan but with a much longer lasting sense of inspiration. I also came home with a beautiful new guitar that I picked up in Ocho Rios! Trust me on this: music is a great way to make friends wherever you go.
