Anguilla, Pt. 3: Duck, Duck, Truce

That evening, it was time to clean up for happy hour with friends at the new Quintessence.

Q is lovely, with a private, tropical mansion feel and stunning artwork at every turn.

Indeed, Q's web site states, "Built stone by stone over a 10-year period, this fortress includes priceless Haitian art and antiques, all selected by famed owner Geoffrey Fieger." One can only hope to be so rich as to need to build a fortress, er, resort to house one's priceless art collection.

But all of that paled in comparison to the FREE MEATBALLS at happy hour, which gives FREE BACON happy hour a run for its money.

With meatballs on the brain, there was only one place to go for dinner: Dolce Vita.

We decided on our "usuals" -- the spicy seafood pasta and the pillowy gnocchi -- but when the dishes arrived, I was disappointed to see that they looked a bit smaller than usual.

That's because, unbeknownst to me, Abbi had planned a veritable feast for us . . . and the pasta dishes were just the appetizer.

That's right, an entire duck. Roasted to crispy-skinned perfection and served with an a l'orange sauce prepared tableside that was so good I was tempted to chug it right out of the gravy boat.

We tried to finish two bowls of pasta and an entire duck and the tiramisu, but even I knew when it was finally time to surrender. And so a smiling JoJo enjoyed the leftovers.

Also smiling? This handsome little guy at the next table, Luciano, who charmed all of us with those big eyes and sweet smile.

The next morning was moving day (or, more accurately after our indulgences at Dolce Vita, moving slowly day). We took in a final sunrise before departing Octagon.

We were eastbound for Periwinkle Villa by the Sea, a lovely villa tucked away in Island Harbour. Because the friends who own this villa are sweet and charming and generous, I think the less I say about them the better, lest they discover that way lower-maintenance and less-gluttonous guests than the likes of me and Angel would also love to arrive on island to views like these . . .

. . . and to homemade biscotti on their pillow.

Periwinkle is cleverly designed with three levels, each of which houses, well, an entire house. We stayed on the middle level, which kept us close to our hosts but also afforded each couple plenty of privacy.

We enjoyed a gorgeous sunset together before setting off for dinner.

Have you eaten at Ben's yet? If not, then not only are you missing out on the island's best pizza, but you're also missing the chance to completely carb out by adding a side of cheesy au gratin potatoes.

Plus there's the fun you'll have trying to wrap your head around the fact that Ben's food rivals that found in any Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris . . . but in a no-walls shack with an outhouse.

After dinner we popped over to Lime Keel for a nightcap.

Lime Keel may be tiny, but with a whopping four shots of rum per glass, their drinks are not.

Maybe they should have named this place Lime Keel Over?

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