Beautiful Barbados

By Patricia Borns, Globe Correspondent

Even if I can't make the Sunday, March 20 turning of Morgan Lewis on Barbados, I'll sleep better knowing that the sugar grinding mill is sailing again. Right, sailing, with a full set designed just for historic windmills by Doyle Sails.

At the height of Barbados's sugar empire in the 1800s, 90 percent of the island's land grew sugar cane, and over 500 stone tower mills turned on the wind. Morgan Lewis was perfectly positioned on a hillside of Scotland District National Park facing the Atlantic Ocean, with arms outspread to catch the trades blowing from Africa. Very few of those mills are left today.

The mill manufactured muscovado sugar, syrup, molasses and rum from about 1727 until 1944 when it ceased to function. Eventually the World Monuments Fund selected it among 100 sites on the planet for urgent preservation. A spokesman said, "The mill offers an opportunity for profound historical and cultural reflection.''

Today Morgan Lewis is sailing again, an example of a superbly built 18th century sugar cane crushing mill, the largest still intact in the Caribbean, The turning is a happy event with volunteers racing to keep the grinders stoked with locally grown cane (watch those hands) and people lining up with plastic jugs for delicious cane juice.

Love the view, check out the crafts, then take a hike to Cherry Tree Hill and St. Nicholas Abbey, or skip down the hill to the beautiful, usually deserted east coast beach

Phone: 246-426-2421
Website: funbarbados.com
Price: $10 (children half price)

From http://www.boston.com/travel/blog/2011/03/morgan_lewis_sa.html