Morning Glory Three

 

"Morning Glory Three" - ©A. Derek Catalano

 

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Morning Glory Fence Post

 

"Morning Glory Fence Post"

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

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Gold Coconuts

Loaded Gold Coconut tree in Nassau.

 

 "Gold Coconuts" - ©A. Derek Catalano

 

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Afternoon Morning Glory

 

"Afternoon Morning Glory" - ©A. Derek Catalano

 

Taken around 4:30pm on a Sunday afternoon.

Montagu Beach with Bathing Seagulls - 4K HD Wallpaper

 

"Montagu Beach with Bathing Seagulls"

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

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242Day Celebration Meal

 

242Day Celebration Meal - ©A. Derek Catalano

 

Pan fried bread, fried Snapper, chunky conch chowder.

 

 

 242Day Guava duff - ©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

#242Day #CelebrateBahamas 

Offshore Tall Ship - AI Redo

One of my photos I redid with AI. Done as an oil painting and added the ship and seagulls.

"Offshore Tall Ship" - AI Redo - Oil painting

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

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"Harbour Island Pink Sands Beach HD Wallpaper"

Original photo - ©A. Derek Catalano

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Offshore Storm - AI Redo

 I had a pic of a storm I took some time ago and made it a black & white in Adobe Photoshop. Then I used AI to colorize it and add lightning bolts.

 

"Offshore Storm" - AI Redo
©A. Derek Catalano

 

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 "Offshore Storm" - B&W Photo

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

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"Versailles Gardens, Paradise Island"

©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

The Versailles Gardens of Paradise Island: A Tropical Synthesis of History and Art

 

Introduction

Located on the narrow stretch of Paradise Island in the Bahamas, the Versailles Gardens represent one of the most remarkable architectural and horticultural feats in the Caribbean. A multi-tiered masterwork of landscape design, the gardens serve as a lush, formal sanctuary that leads toward the crowning "Cloisters"—the physical remains of a 14th-century French monastery. While the Bahamas is primarily celebrated for its turquoise waters and coral reefs, the Versailles Gardens offer a profound counter-narrative, blending medieval European stonecraft with the vibrant, untamed beauty of the tropics.

Starburst Bush

 

"Starburst Bush" - ©A. Derek Catalano

 

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"Starburst Bush" - ©A. Derek Catalano
 
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Poinciana Flowers Close Up

 

"Poinciana Flowers Close Up" - ©A. Derek Catalano

 

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Totin'

 

I bin totin' on Christmas day. 😊

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

Related article: A Look at Bahamian Cuisine

Minnie the Cat

 

"Minnie the Cat"

 ©A. Derek Catalano

Sunrise Crab - PC Wallpaper

 

"Sunrise Crab" - Bahamas AI Art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

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Cat Island Flour Cakes

 Cat Island Flour Cakes - ©A. Derek Catalano

 

My son Christopher Catalano brought me back some of those World Famous Cat Island Flour Cakes from his visit to Cat Island. Never had them before. So delicious. The perfect blend of flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.  😊

Derek 

Related article: An In-Depth Look at Bahamian Cuisine

Related poem: Grits in da Mornin'

Montagu Beach

 

"Montagu Beach" - ©A. Derek Catalano

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.

 

 "Montagu Beach" - ©A. Derek Catalano

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Yellow Elder Spill

Gaol Alley, Nassau, Bahamas

 

"Yellow Elder Spill" - Video

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

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  "Yellow Elder Spill" - Video
 ©A. Derek Catalano
 
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"Yellow Elder Spill" - Video
 ©A. Derek Catalano
 
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Related poem: The Yellow Elder: An Ode to Bahamian Gold

 

 Fort Montagu, Nassau, Bahamas. - ©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

Fort Montagu: Nassau's Oldest Coastal Sentinel

Perched gracefully on the eastern shore of New Providence Island, Fort Montagu might be the smallest of Nassau's remaining historical fortifications, but its significance is arguably the greatest. As the oldest fort still standing in the Bahamas' capital city, this limestone bulwark is a testament to the island’s turbulent colonial past, playing a critical role in battles and diplomatic chess games that spanned two major conflicts.

If you’re seeking a slice of history paired with stunning coastal views, Fort Montagu is an essential stop on your Bahamian journey.

Yellow Elder - National Flower of The Bahamas

 "Yellow Elder" - ©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

The Yellow Elder: An Ode to Bahamian Gold 

 

Upon the arid limestone, where the spray
Of ocean kisses coral every day,
There stands a bloom, a bush, a sunlit tree,
The heart of all the bright Bahamian sea.
The Yellow Elder, or the Ginger-Thomas,
Whose glorious gold no shadow can embarrass.
Tecoma stans, the name the botanist knows,
But to the islands, it’s the light that glows.

It wears the crown, the emblem finely spun,
The chosen symbol of a nation's sun.
No fragile bloom that seeks the humid shade,
But one in tropic glory fiercely made.
From Bimini's shore to Inagua's south,
A golden trumpet at the summer's mouth,
A sturdy sentinel of vivid green,
The brightest standard ever to be seen.

The petals cup a sunshine soft and deep,
Where nature's purest, richest pigments sleep.
A bell-shaped treasure, trumpet-like and proud,
It clusters thickly, lifting past the cloud
Of darker foliage, saw-toothed, serrated bright,
A canvas painted in the day's full light.
A hundred suns upon a single spray,
To chase the slightest gloom of doubt away.

Bush Medicine Pot

 

"Bush Medicine Pot" - ©A. Derek Catalano

 

 Bro-in-law preparing to boil another batch of bush medicine to drink.

We have a tradition of using homeopathic remedies in The Bahamas and Caribbean.

 

Using these leaves:

Moringa
Guava
Avacado
Soursop

 

After boiling, pour in a cup and drink it down.

Good for various ailments and keeps you in good health.

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Related pic: Bush Prep

Related article: Bush Medicine in The Bahamas