A montage of photos from today’s Roseau street parade marking the official opening of carnival season 2012.

The last Friday of the month has seen Dominica reggae artists Nelly Stharre and Trevy Felix playing accoustic tunes until the early hours at Zam Zam Cafe. Laid back and relaxed, attracting a mix of locals, independent travellers and yachties who are anchored just off the beach, Zam Zam has become one of Dominica’s coolest nighttime venues. If you don’t know them yet, here’s Nelly and Trevy playing Dread Act at a little house in the country.

I am currently writing an article about Belmont Estate in Grenada and I remembered this short clip I filmed of a farmer splitting cocoa pods with his machete for another, sitting on the ground, to scoop out the wet cocoa beans for processing. I was entranced by the fluidity of motion – and the fact he didn’t chop off any of his fingers, of course! Coincidentally here is news of a new film about my friend, Mott Green, who set up the Grenada Chocolate Company, just up the road from the Belmont Estate in Hermitage. It is called Nothing Like Chocolate. The website is www.nothinglikechocolate.com.