Feeding Body & Soul ~ My Club Med EXGO Reunion Vacation

The food at Sandpiper Bay was just as expected ~ Excellent!  Thanks to my friend, Sharon, for taking a lot of food photos, too.  I kept eating my desserts before I'd taken a picture of them!  Oops...

Back Story ~~ Twenty years ago this week, I went to work for the international vacation resort company, Club Med.  My first assignment as a GO (what they call those who work there) was working with children guests, in Ixtapa, Mexico.  I had been to a Club Med as a guest myself (at the now-closed village of Sonora Bay) and liked it so much that I decided I needed to work for the company.  It took awhile to get hired, but the wait was worth it.  It was a magical time in my life.  I've worked in many different villages (what they call the resorts), in many different locations in the US, Mexico, the Caribbean and the West Indies.  Working as an Annex (specialty restaurant) Manager, hostess and with kids.  I cherish all the friends and memories that I've made in Club Med, past and present.  Absolutely priceless!  As we like to say... Once a GO, always a GO. ~~

Current Day ~~ Last month, I traveled to ~ Club Med Sandpiper Bay ~ in Florida, for a reunion.  It was not just any reunion, it was a former Club Med GO reunion.  We now call ourselves EXGO's and we had a blast!  Many brought their families and friends with them to share in the event.  A lot of us had called that village 'home', for a season (a period of 6 months) or even longer, so it was great to be back there again.  Since I didn't have to do any cooking for the week that I was there, I took some food photos to share on the blog instead.  Club Med offers LOTS of great food, and the White Chocolate Bread just can't be beat.  Twenty years later and I still crave it...  So, here is a 'snapshot' of my vacation ~ first the food pictures and then the pretty, tropical village photos.

Rise and Shine!  It's breakfast time!

Every morning (after my yoga class) I had a great-big-egg-white veggie & cheese omelet.   Lots of other breakfast goodies tempted me, too...

Out of the pool, it's time for lunch...

After cocktails, it's dinner time...

I ate REALLY well while I was on vacation.  I stuffed myself full of my old favorites and found some new items to love, too.  After all that eating, I'd stroll around the village, enjoying being there again.  It felt just like coming home.  :)  Here are some of the lovely views that greeted me every day...

I had the pleasure to become friends with one of the most wonderful GO's during my vacation, her name is Mary and she is a Sailing GO.  All during my stay, she always had a sincere smile on her face and a caring attitude.  Even when she was off duty, she was always quick to answer any question or lend a hand.  Her enthusiasm for her job was apparent and was much appreciated!  She truly embodied the classic Club Med GO Spirit.  She also provided me with an excellent bit of brush-up tutoring on the Hobie Cat.  Thank you for everything, Mary!! YOU ARE THE BEST ~ YOU ROCK!!  :)

 

Life around the village ~ (clockwise, from top left) the main restaurant, buffet-style service; the adult infinity pool on the St. Lucie River; the view from my yoga mat; feelin' the tropical vibe.  Starting my day off, looking out at this view, was worth getting up early for.

While at the reunion, I saw old friends and made lots of new ones, too.  So many of us have worked at the same villages, just at different times, and we know so many of the same people, that it feels like we've known each other for years ~ even after just a few days.  I look forward to our next reunion ~   See you guys soon! 

Hope you've enjoyed these photos as much as I've enjoyed putting them together.  As a little bonus, as I was getting the links for the post, I came across multiple sites/versions of the recipe for the Club Med White Chocolate Bread ~ that I love so much.  I also found an a now dormant blog site ~ Black Pearls ~ that has some slightly (and not so slightly) outdated (2006 & prior) commentary on Club Med.  The pricing on 'extras' and what is now 'all-inclusive' has changed a lot since the blog was last written, but I really enjoyed the comic wit of the writer & some of the things said were spot on.  (especially since he is writing on experiences that go back to the 90's, when I used to work there)  Check it out for some giggles & a true 'from a guests viewpoint' of the Club.

ThanX GO

It seems quite a few of the villages used to pass out the White Chocolate Bread recipe.  Here are some sites that I've come across that have good instructions/comments from home cooks, talking about what changes they've made to the/their recipe to get it to work at home.  Many of the links are written about Sandpiper Bay, and the one from ~ In Erika's Kitchen ~ was written just a few months ago.  Too bad I didn't think to ask for a copy of the recipe for myself while I was there! :)

For all of you visual learners out there, check out this video taken in the Sandpiper Bay kitchens...

For those who like the written word, check out these sites for versions of the Club Med White Chocolate Bread recipe...

Sami Cone ~ (this is the site where I found the above video)

In Erika's Kitchen ~ from April 2012, in Sandpiper Bay

Love and Olive Oil

The Fresh Loaf ~ comments from home cooks on what worked for them

The Club Med Diet

Check them all out & find the recipe that sounds good to you.  There are TONS more sites out there, so if you still need inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, just search the 'net to your hearts content.  :)