GREENWOOD GREATHOUSE

12 km east of Montego Bay, take Greenwood Avenue, the road that climbs from Greenwood Plaza, turn left at Brooks Heights, then turn right at Belgrade Avenue. There you will find a large flowered driveway with all the shades of bougainvillea leading to the massive and perfectly maintained old mansion built in 1760 by Sir Richard Barrett. The solid stone structure contrasts with a warm wood-paneled interior. The period furnishings are a testament to the lifestyle of another century. One enters the house through a huge ballroom containing, among other marvels, ceramics and porcelain and a splendid collection of musical instruments in perfect working order, polyphonies, organs, piano (from the same craftsman who supplied Beethoven, John Broadwood). The two-level dining room overlooks the garden on one side and the sea on the other. The bedrooms on the second level have retained their original furniture. From the immense wooden gallery, the eye is lost on a sea with silver reflections.

Bibliophiles will be seduced by the first editions - including a Dickens - of the large library which contains more than 300 books. Throughout the rooms, portraits allow us to meet the members of this prestigious family. The visit ends with a well-deserved stop at the bar, set up in the former outdoor kitchens. In the heart of the beautifully flowered garden, a collection of carriages from the last century recalls a bygone era.