St. Martin – Day 9 – Flying Home
Last day in St. Martin – well, partial at least. It’s Mother’s Day today, and I feel bad that we’re spending with neither mine nor SQ’s. We had to be out of the room by 10am but our flight wasn’t due to leave until around 4pm. After asking for a late checkout we packed up and headed toward Maho and Simpson Bay for some lunch. Mainly because that’s the direction of the airport. We were going to give Ric’s Place a try but changed our minds after checking out the inside. It’s basically a cliche sports bar supplanted in the Caribbean. Not what we came for. So we drove back to Sunset Beach Bar (next to Bliss), in Maho Bay. While this seemed to be another cliche altogether, it’s a pretty unique experience. It sits at the end of the runway for the Princess Julianna Airport and you can see all of the planes land and take off. There’s nothing quite like eating a burger and drinking a Rum Runner while being deafened and shaken by the back end of a jet ready to take off. The food is so-so and the drinks need to be blended up a bit more, but hey – topless girls drink for free (or so the sign says)! I assume that is an evening thing since we didn’t see any while we were there. Legend has it that in high season the girls flash the pilots as they are coming in to land on the runway. This all just kind of sums up the Dutch side for me….
We were still way early at this point, but after melting in the Caribbean sun we decided to head for the air-conditioned airport. The rental car return experience with Lesley Bruce of Kenny’s Car Rentals once again couldn’t have been easier. We were early so we had to call him to meet us, and he was at the airport within ten minutes. We checked in (my bag was overweight, but they didn’t charge me!) and made it through security very quickly. The airport has a decent selection of shops so we snagged some adorable bottles of Ma Dhoudhou (flavor-infused rum) for ourselves, my parents and our best friends back home. I also somehow ended up with candy and a T-shirt for Syd, and a very overpriced zip-front sweat shirt hoodie for myself – with ‘St. Barth’s’ stitched across the front. Not that I’ve been to St. Barth’s…yet. SQ gave me a hard time, but as soon as I whipped it out to put on (cold in the airport), he was now jealous of my ‘cute sweatshirt’ and had to have something for himself.
One last BBC at the airport tiki bar and we boarded the plane. After all the great food I’ve had all week I’m now left with a $5 snack box on the US Airways flight back to Charlotte. If we didn’t miss Syd so much we might not have come home at all. SQ even jokingly suggested trying to jump on the wrong plane, an Air France non-stop headed back to Paris. Maybe next time…
St. Martin – Day 8 – Wedding
We don’t have much time out today since the wedding is at 4:30pm. I decided I really wanted a ‘C’est La Vie’ T-shirt so I talked SQ into ‘zipping back to Philipsburg.’ No small feat normally. We stopped at Zee Best in Simpson Bay for breakfast – wow, incredibly yummy!! SQ had some egg dish and I had the banana almond french toast, made with their homemade croissants. The orange juice is literally freshly squeezed right when you order, great coffee too. They also bring you a basket of fresh baked pastries, you just pay for what you eat. As if I didn’t already have enough food. It was nice to sit outside, but the views weren’t all that spectacular. Simpson Bay is a bit tacky and dumpy, disappointing.We had no problem getting into Philipsburg, again taking our ‘back road’ into town. We browsed through a couple of jewelry shops, I got my T-shirt, and SQ finally found a nice white linen button-down shirt. He had been eyeing the one on a very dapper French guy earlier in the week, so he’d been hoping to find one. We left town going out towards Oyster Pond and Dawn Beach, and stopped to check out the new Westin Resort. It was not something that appealed to us, very American looking with zero charm. I later found out that the locals call it ‘The Compound’, I supposed because it does give you that impression looking down on it from the top of the hill. Not a spectacular first view of the place. The location is also in a very inaccessible spot, but the marina and bay at Dawn Beach are very pretty with all the boats bobbing around. We stopped to take some photos, then drove over to Grand Case again for lunch. We had decided on Sunset Cafe, which is on the grounds of Grand Case Beach Club. The resort itself is very pretty, lots of charm, and sits at the north end of Grand Case. The restaurant was cute and had great views out to the ocean, but the food was rather unremarkable. We finally had a less-than-outstanding meal on the French side. I ordered the flank steak sandwich with onions on a baguette, and a side salad. It was not bad, but not great either. SQ got the club sandwich with fries, then complained that these were the worst fries on the French side. He’d been getting hand-cut fries at every other place. It made him just downright mad. He then whined about it the rest of the day.The restaurant was slow – running on island time – so we had to beat a path back to the condo to get ready for the wedding. I had made an appointment at the Marie Antoinette salon (on Sapphire property) for a hair styling, but they did nothing like I asked…I even had a picture! But the pedicure was lovely, and I think the cheapest one I’ve ever paid for. The wedding was on the beach – literally, about two feet from the waves – out in front of the bride’s villa, Villa Little Jazzbird. I’m only giving the names in case anyone ever reads this and decides to research these villas, they are absolutely spectacular. The reception was at Villa Mes Amis, the largest on the island. I could not even put into words how amazing this place was. It literally took your breath away. It sits way up on the cliff overlooking Baie Rouge and was made up of three separate structures. I really could have stayed all night on the upper balcony just staring down at the water, and the lights in the distance. The villa had eight bedrooms and a gorgeous heated infinity pool. You just knew someone was going to end up that before the night was over. And they did – about half the wedding guests, including the bride’s father, jumped in while still fully clothed. The reception was also catered, and I had lobster tail again but it paled in comparison to the lobster at Karibuni (Ilet Pinel). We left after they set off a stunning fireworks show, around 11pm. Flying home tomorrow 
St. Martin – Day 7 – Orient Beach
We stopped for breakfast this morning at a very charming place called Sarafina in Marigot. They have an onsite bakery and the pastries were outstanding. The staff weren’t quite as smiley as in other places, but they all wear these cute little outfits and straw hats that make them look like they should be lining up in a Madeline book. I felt like this was the best deal we’ve gotten so far on food, other than the lolos. We purchased two croissants (huge!), a pear tart of some kind, a Quiche Lorraine, two coffees and a large bottled water for $14. We made it into Marigot a bit earlier this morning so no problems with finding a parking spot. By the time we left town it was packed, cars were double-parking and traffic was very stop-and-go.
We made our way over to Orient Beach – our favorite spot when we were here 14 years ago. The island dogs continued to be amusing, saw a German Shephard by the road this time wearing a very large sleeveless T-shirt. Orient Beach was very disappointing in several ways. The beach is covered with chairs and umbrellas, and the price to rent them is a ridiculous $25/day for the set. It’s a much more crowded beach and the shoreline seems to have changed dramatically since the hurricane several years ago. You can pay to participate in any kind of water activity you choose and there are Americans everywhere. The surf is much more gentle than Baie Rouge however, and the breezes are better. The conversations going on around us are hilarious, but the beach vendors are even more annoying here. I could see Pinel off in the distance – I want to go back over there! The sand on Orient is still great, very powdery white and soft.
After lounging on a chair for the afternoon, and watching a scary cloud come very close to shore, we went back to the condo and finished off my pizza from the night before, along with the bottle of Pinot Noir we had purchased at La Gout du Vin earlier this week. The evening’s activity was the rehearsal dinner for the bride and groom, at the bride’s parents’ villa (Marine Terrace) – down a street in a gated community in Terre Basse. This was a catered event, most appetizer-y food, so I won’t go into anything here.
St. Martin – Day 6 – Marigot
Slept in a bit today, then headed into Marigot to do some shopping. We were both a bit burned from yesterday (I was even under an umbrella all day!) and needed to give the beach a rest. After two days of being lazy in a chair I needed to do something. We couldn’t believe all the huge tour buses that had clearly brought cruise ship passengers to Marigot for the day. We had a difficult time finding a parking spot, and when we did the car was angled funny so SQ was nervous all day that the rear view mirror would get knocked off. The West Indies Mall was our first stop. This is a marble behemoth (at least for the Caribbean), but the shops selection wasn’t that incredible. We walked by the water and almost stopped at La Vie En Rose for food, but the staff was fairly rude so we opted out. With all the obnoxious Americans taking over I’m not sure I can blame them. We walked to Marina Royal, which was much quieter, and checked out Tropicana. The menu looked great but they didn’t open until 12noon. I was starving, that granola bar earlier in the morning just didn’t do much for me. So we walked over to Bistro de la Gare to kill some time by drinking a Leffe Blond.
The staff working at Tropicana are so nice and welcoming. Cristophe was our server and he made some fantastic recommendations. SQ had the veal special, I had the lobster bisque soup, and we split a half bottle of Rose wine. Once again, the food was amazing. We decided to splurge on a dessert, so we got the special for the day – a chocolate mousse cake (more mousse, light crunchy bottom, very light) with mango coulis and a scoop of coffee ice cream. After ALL that Cristophe brought us two shot glasses and a whole bottle of banana-infused rum. On the house, all you care to drink. I had two shots and then attempted to shop. My legs felt like lead, and it was so hot outside. We decided to go back to the condo for a nap, and we almost overslept through the cocktail party at Bliss for the bride and groom – they were the whole reason we were in St. Martin!
Bliss is an uber-chic nightclub right outside Maho, and the bride’s parents had rented it out exclusively for the wedding party and guests for a couple of hours. As we walked up and saw the velvet ropes and bouncers I knew this was not the place for me – a bit too Miami/South Beach. But they had tons of hors d’oeuvres and an open bar. The whole club is completely open-air, beautiful heated swimming pool, and there are large plantation beds and couches kind of scattered everywhere. Probably the best thing about Bliss is the sunset view and watching the airplanes come in to land at the airport close by.
There were some grumblings for dinner around 7:30 or 8pm and a group of us started to walk over to Sunset Beach Bar. When one of the wives found out there was no reggae tonight, but rather a ‘muscle man show,’ I talked them into going back over to Grand Case for food. We all met up at Blue Martini, which is on the non-beach side of the main road, but has beautiful gardens. We grabbed two large tables, and seemed to be the only patrons. Were we early, or late?? Hard to tell at this point, but I hoped the food would be good since I snookered everyone into coming here. Someone in the group ordered the ‘Land and Sea’ salad for the table to share. It was absolutely huge and had quite a bit of shrimp, scallops and duck breast in it – delicious! I ordered a ‘Funghi’ (mushroom) pizza, which turned out to be enough food for four people it was so large. But it was so yummy! SQ ordered the Pork Mignon, and he wasn’t crazy about his dinner, but everyone else seemed to love theirs. Good, I’m off the hook… The atmosphere is nice, it’s quiet but not sure what it’s like in high season. The hookah pipes on several of the tables were pretty funny. And more dogs running around, no shock, they seem to be everywhere. I also got another couple of rounds of Leffe Blond – yum!
St. Martin – Day 5 – Marigot and Baie Rouge
We drove into Marigot this morning in search of breakfast. I was tired of eating granola breakfast bars, but food here is very expensive and you could easily blow $50 by lunchtime. We wanted to eat at Zee Best, which has a branch on Simpson Bay and one I saw passing by in Marigot. They weren’t open so we went to a place called The Croissanterie. SQ and I both ordered crepes, mine was filled with bananas and oranges and topped with chocolate sauce. They were yummy, and the coffee was great too.
After breakfast, we drove back to Baie Rouge beach, also on the French side, to camp for the afternoon. The price to get the two-lounge-chair/umbrella combo here was the same as on Pinel – $15 for the day. The surf on this beach was incredibly strong, not a great beach for kids. At times the waves were so strong they came all the way up under our chairs, and we were nowhere close to the edge of the water. I did get in the water, but the undertow is so powerful I felt like I might be dashed on the sand. I just ended up with a bathing suit full of sand. SQ had fun bodysurfing with a couple of older gentlemen from England, who I called crazy after watching them all day. I’ve heard the snorkeling is good here, but I was too afraid of floating out to sea to do it. This beach is a definite change from the calm waters and packed sand of Pinel. The people here today also seem to be primarily American. There are two beach bars – Gus’s and Chez Raymond. The beer is cheap, $2 for a Red Stripe or similar, and the 80’s tunes are cranking here too, though of a more subdued variety than last night at Calmos. A beach peddler kept coming by, trying to sell her things similar to the beaches in Mexico. It irritated me…I instantly wanted to go back to Pinel. It did rain for about 5 or 10 minutes, but it’s so hot it seemed to dissipate as soon as it touched your skin.
We decided to take a walk up the beach, and it became very ‘clothing-optional’ the further along we went. The sand was very difficult to walk in, so we headed back for food. The late lunch/snack we had at Chez Raymond was outstanding. Another delicious plate of grilled ribs with some sort of yummy spice on them. The two blokes from England seemed to be continuing their quest to not let the waves get them, and now were doing cannonballs into the surf. We bailed out around 3pm, still attempting to get the sand out of our swimsuits. It was just like the consistency of birdseed and sticks to you like glue even when it’s dry.
Back to Sapphire for showers, then over to Grand Case again for dinner. We had a reservation at the Fish Pot, one of the best restaurants on the island according to reviews. They weren’t busy when we arrived, and there were only five tables of diners the whole time we were there. But this isn’t exactly high seasone either. The restaurant is gorgeous, and sits up off the beach so you have great views of the ocean, and of the island Anguilla off in the distance. Our very friendly waitress was Isabelle, originally from Bordeaux. SQ and I split an Onion Soup Gratinee, which was outstanding. Then I had the red snapper with a vanilla sauce for dinner, while SQ had chicken stuffed with shrimp. This was the best meal we’ve had on the island so far, and probably one of the best we’ve ever had anywhere. SQ was ’tisked’ for not ordering a glass of wine, but amused himself by sprinkling bread crumbs into the bowl on our table with a goldfish in it. So typical!! Isabelle also gave us a great recommendation for a boat to Anguilla, should we desire to go. I did, but I wasn’t sure if we would have time now, with all of the wedding festivities coming up.
We walked through the shops up and down the main road of Grand Case – they stay open until around 10pm. I wanted to go for a drink at Blue Martini (they have Leffe Blond on tap!). SQ preferred to go back to the condo. So we went back and called it a night.
St. Martin – Day 4 – Islet Pinel
We planned to go to Islet Pinel, a tiny island visible from Orient Beach, on the French side. It was a bit cloudy in the morning, we were hoping it wouldn’t rain. We left the condo around 10am, needed to get to an ATM for cash, but were told there are none on the French side. A few raindrops started to come down as we were driving through Marigot so we almost stopped, making a shopping day instead. But we kept driving, and were rewarded with bluer skies on the other side of the mountain. We parked in Cul-de-Sac (a town name, that’s not just generic :->) then boarded the small ferry to Pinel. It’s $6 per person round trip, and was so incredibly loaded with people we felt like Cuban refugees trying to make it to America. I was hoping the boat wouldn’t sink before making it just to Pinel. The boat ‘captain’ was pretty salty but seemed to loosen up as we docked at Pinel. Yeah! We made it! There were padded beach lounge chairs and umbrellas all over the beach – $15 to rent a pair of chairs and umbrella for the day. So we parked our things, paid the overly chatty money-collector (not sure what his actual job title was, and he seemed to be more interested in sleeping than working). As more people showed up on the island we seemed to become surrounded by more obnoxious Americans by the minute. All the quiet Europeans (mainly French) were off to the other side. Note to self…
We did meet a very nice couple from Grand Rapids, MI who’ve been coming to St. Martin for the past eight years.
The drinks on Pinel are expensive, but still more reasonable than New York City, so I won’t complain. There are two restaurants/bars on the island, but a third was under construction while we were there. We chose to eat at Karibuni (I had read about it in Conde Nast Traveler magazine), the oldest beach bar on St. Martin. I desperately wanted lobster, but at the price they were charging – 6 Euros per 100 grams – it needed to be a small one. The dollar is so weak against the Euro right now, it makes everything so much more expensive. Our sweet waiter went digging through the crates of live lobsters floating just off the dock and ended up getting pinched by one. I felt bad, but he finally found one that was only going to cost us $45. SQ and I decided to split it for lunch. The waiter brought us both a salad and all of the side dishes, so it was actually pretty filling. And it was absolutely the best lobster I’ve ever had in my life. They split it and grill it, then serve the lobster with sides of butter. After we were finished eating, we were served shot glasses of banana-infused rum.
It got a bit cloudy again…but the breezes were so nice, and it was so relaxing to just hang out on a chair all day (something I find hard to do normally). We ended up catching the second-to-last boat back to Cul-de-Sac. We were told if you miss the last boat at 4:30pm they don’t come back for you, and you spend the night with the islands only residents – wild goats. We drove back to Sapphire for showers, then over to Grand Case for dinner. We chose a place called Calmos Cafe for dinner, and it didn’t look like much from the front, but it does sit right on the beach in Grand Case. The diners seemed to be primarily French, and they were very busy. But they did fix us up with a couple of tiny tables and plastic Adirondack-style chairs literally right on the beach, which is where most of the tables are. We were very close to the surf, and ended up with a very smile-y waiter named Nikol (sp?), originally from Biarritz. ‘Surfing is my region!’ he told us in a very excited voice.
SQ and I both ordered cheeseburgers and Rum Punch, a drink that’s seemingly a specialty of St. Martin. These were some of the best burgers we’ve ever had. Who knew the French could cook a hamburger so nicely? The atmosphere was great, very dark and primarily 80’s tunes being played. The funniest thing was the Black Lab dog who kept chasing a crabs all over the sand. He apparently didn’t want to eat them, but just thought they were toys. There were also lots of adorable children of the French families camped at the restaurant for the night (no wonder it’s hard to get a table!). They ran around playing in the sand and the gentle waves, good entertainment so the adults can talk the night away. To cap off dinner we each had a BBC (Baileys Banana Colada), another St. Martin specialty drink. It was so good, but more like a dessert. Nikol gave me the traditional French cheek kisses and told us we needed to come back. We’ll look for him when we go back next year.
St Martin – Day 3 – Philipsburg
We got a late start out today, on purpose – there’s only so much shopping you can do in the Caribbean (yes, I know this is contrary to what any woman reading this is thinking). We had a dinner reservation in town, didn’t want to drive all the way back to the resort then back to town again. The drive into Philipsburg can be brutal and filled with a frustrating amount of traffic, but we got some pre-trip advice from mom and dad on ‘the road less traveled’ into Philipsburg. We were a bit disappointed once we did make it in. The capital of the Dutch side has become overrun with jewelry stores – no doubt due to the ever-increasing number of cruise ships that come into port now. I remember there being a number of jewelry stores 14 years ago, but they seem to have multiplied like rabbits since. Front Street, the main road going through town, is a riotous mix of locals and cruise ship tourists.
We went straight for our chosen lunch spot, Saveurs de France, which is a little French deli that seemed to have popped straight out of Paris. This gave me the opportunity to try out my French again. And so I proceeded to order a Ham and Gouda on baguette in very slow and stunted French. but the owners were gracious and put up with it. SQ’s accent was worse, so then I felt better. I also discovered my now second favorite beer ever – Leffe Blonde, from Belgium (I just can’t put anything above Guinness). We were the only non-French customers, and in true European fashion had to ask for the check. I also had forgotten how much better cheese tastes outside the U.S.
On to the adorable Belgian Chocolate Shop, which was just across Old Street (really more like a pedestrian alley). We purchased a mixed box of 9 pieces for $12 – and then gobbled them all up in under two minutes. The chocolates were incredible, and Beatrix (the owner) got very upset when SQ suggested she was potentially comparable to the chocolate shops in Marigot. She told us they all imported their chocolates, then charged much more for them. Hers are all made fresh on-site. Even if they were double the money, they would still be worth it.
After a two hour playtime with the jewelry in Touch of Gold (see Haru, she’s excellent!) we made our way to the Guavaberry Factory for a Guavaberry Colada. These were SO delicious, but very large, so one would have been enough for both of us. Then SQ was on the hunt for a linen shirt like he saw on the very dapper French guy eating next to us in the deli at lunch. We finally found one on Back Street, which has several shops as well, but seems to cater more to the locals than the tourists. Over at the Faconnable shop back on Front Street (Rose Street Arcade), we received a lesson in island growth, tourists and politics from the ladies working in the store.
It was almost time for our dinner reservation at Passanghran House. We arrived a bit early, I had had enough shopping and the shops were starting to close up anyway. There were no other diners, they weren’t ready for us and not all that accomodating either. However, the building is really, really beautiful and the back opens up right onto the beach. We finally got our table, and there only ended up ever being two other tables of people the whole time we were there – a lone diner and one other couple. The server didn’t seem like she wanted to be there and the food was unremarkable. We split a French Onion Soup, then a grilled Wahoo with garlic butter sauce. The fish was fresh, but overcooked, and the sauce was very bland and flavorless.
We attempted to make our way to Orient Beach in the dark, and shockingly found it. Our goal was to find one of SQ’s bosses, the groom! Amazingly, we found him too in the sea of restaurants new to Orient since we’d been there before. We spent some time at La Chapelle, which is kind of a sports bar place. We didn’t eat here but the food looked good, and we wished we’d not already had dinner. At this point our French lunches are far out-pacing our Dutch-side dinners.
St Martin – Day 2
Slept in a bit today, then we took off for the Old House/Rum Museum, which is on the French side in the Mont Vernon area. We drove all the way over and they weren’t open – a potential downside to visiting in low season. Two dogs on the property chased our car around while we attempted to get some outside shots of the house. We decided to drive over to the Butterfly Museum…maybe the Rum Museum just needed some time to open? We chatted with a couple from Tampa in the gift shop while a tiny lizard started to attack SQ’s foot. I think all of FL must be in St Martin right now! We drove over to the Orient Beach entrance…I wanted to see if my favorite beach from before was still just as beautiful. We had heard the hurricane from several years ago had changed some things on the island, including Orient.
Back to the Rum Museum, still not open. We decided to check out Plantation Mont Vernon instead. Their marketing seemed a little cheesy and overly touristy, so I didn’t have high hopes. It was expensive to get in, but surprisingly cool. For $14 you get a talking handset which tells you about the plants, and the history of coffe, sugar and rum production in the West Indies. The main house dates back to the 18th century, but isn’t open on the inside to the public yet. The whole complex sits up on the side of a mountain, and the views of Orient Bay were just incredible.
Have I mentioned how hot it is?? Next stop for us was Grand Case, a cute little village that consists mostly of restaurants. They have a reputation for being the culinary center of the island – yippie!! Today we were searching for a lolo called Talk of the Town. Lolos are very casual BBQ places, they are cheap and the food is outstanding. A lovely French family from Brittany sat at the table behind us and their little boy of about 3 or 4 seemed just fascinated with SQ, stared at him through the entire meal. They were quite excited to get the results of the French Presidential election today at 2pm. We ate at a lolo on Orient Beach while here before, and the ribs were just as good as I remembered them to be. Another local had set up old-fashioned ice cream churns and was selling Banana, Coconut or Chocolate. The lolos were offering one dollar to one Euro exchange for using cash. I had heard this deal could be found fairly frequently on the French side in general…we’ll see with the dollar so weak right now.
Our next agenda item was to hit Loterie Farm, which sits at the base of Pic Paradis, just a bit north of Marigot. There is a highly rated restaurant here, Hidden Forest Cafe, but it’s pricey and we had already eaten. This may be one to hit when we come back next year. The zip line was a popular activity, but seemed a bit tame for us compared to the canopy tour we did in Costa Rica last year, so we couldn’t justify the 40 dollar/person price. We did decide to pay the 5 dollars each to hike up the side of the mountain. This is not an easy hike!! It took us about an hour total and was very strenuous. Did I mention how hot it is?? I wasn’t feeling so bad about the ribs, fries and ice cream I consumed for lunch after this. For all your hard work you are rewarded at the top of climb with some of the most amazing views of Marigot, around to Orient Bay and out across the ocean. I was disappointed not to see any monkeys, but got my fill of lizards! By the time we reached the bottom even I could smell myself…I desperately needed a shower.
After a rest back at the resort, and a cool shower, we drove to SkipJack’s for dinner. They are located on Simpson Bay, Dutch Side of the island, and I had read they have fresh seafood. As my goal was to eat as much seafood as I could possibly get while here, this sounded good to me. As a sidebar, while driving over we were struck by how much the Dutch side of the island has changed in the past 14 years, and not for the better in our opinion. The number of casinos is just so disappointing. I guess passing the giant building with ‘Bada Bing’ on the side sent me a little over the edge. In contrast, the French side seems to have just gotten more charming with time. Back to SkipJack’s…happy hour was on, but being Sunday the place was really dead. The Rum Punch (a specialty on the island) seemed a bit tame at first, then they just about knocked me out of my chair. Daniel, the bartender, was great but he is trying to get back to FL to be near the rest of his family. The food is definitely fresh, but not overly adventurous. If you order either Maine or Caribbean lobster you get to pick it out from the live tank. I went with crab-stuffed shrimp, and it was OK but not memorable. We did sit by the water with great views of the mega-yachts anchored in the bay.
We are off to Philipsburg tomorrow…the capital of the Dutch side!
Departing for St Martin Today
I woke up late this morning because I set my alarm clock incorrectly…for those who know me, this is NOT normal. I was left with one hour to get ready and finish packing – STRESS!! But it’s like Christmas, it’s been 14 years since hubby (SQ) and I have been to St Martin. This was our honeymoon destination courtesy of my very generous parents, and now we’ve come back for our friends’ wedding.
I really don’t like Dulles Airport, but it wasn’t crowded for a change (we had a very early flight). Five people in the security line and some loser decided he needed to jump in front of me to get through the metal detector. The TSA agent said I should have kicked him where it counts. I would have been irritated, but I was headed to St Martin…karma was probably sending him to Boise. Our flight down was on United, my domestic airline of choice for the moment. Coach seating was atually not too bad and we actually scored a couple of blankets. Very interesting girl sitting next to us, all alone and slept the entire four hour flight. The group in front of us was very chatty, drank A LOT, and spent most of the flight trying to get everyone on the plane to meet up at Cheri’s that evening (on the Dutch side of the island). Between that distraction and the screaming child two rows back it was difficult to write. Who brings kids to St Martin??
We landed 40 minutes early (bonus!) and met up with our car rental agent, Lesley Bruce (Kenny’s Car Rental) – “Smartest Man on the Planet”. This is the most efficient person I’ve ever met in my life! If you ever get the chance to travel to St Martin, call him for car rental. The car was in better shape than most on the island, the price was highly competitive, and he had us out of there in 5 minutes.
We are staying at the Sapphire Beach Club, which is where we own a timeshare week. It’s sits on Cupecoy Beach, right on the border between the Dutch and French sides of the island. The drive over from the airport reminded why I wasn’t as crazy about the Dutch side when we were here before. And now it’s worse. Maho reminds of a mini-Las Vegas in the tropics, which just isn’t my speed. Maybe I just need to see it at night??
We were early to Sapphire and our room wasn’t ready, so we dropped our bags and headed to Marigot, capital of the French side. We chose La Belle Epoque for lunch based on a guidebook review I had read. It sits right on Marina Royale in Marigot, great atmosphere but lots of very loud French music seemingly from about 1985 blasting from unknown speakers somewhere on the marina. Between songs I was picking up some discussion on the upcoming presidential election in France, even with my limited high school French. I ordered the Steak Au Poivre with shallots sauce, rare, and a proper glass of Rose. SQ decided that sounded too good to pass up and ordered the same thing. The food was superb, guidebook didn’t steer me wrong. I wanted to inhale the shallots in spite of myself. And French butter is, even on the worst day, so much better than any butter we can get in the U.S. And we had visual entertainment as well – some crazy French guy dancing behind us, in front of the water.
After lunch, we walked down the street to La Gout du Vin. This is the most charming little French wine shop, very friendly and knowledgeable owner. She helped us pick out a great bottle of Pinot Noir (my fave!), then we discussed her trip to California last year and her opinion of CA wine…
Back to the room for a brief nap. Well, hubby slept a bit longer than I did. We went down to check out the ’superette’ onsite at Sapphire. This is just code for ‘tiny grocery store with dim lighting and bad selection.’ I don’t really know what I thought I needed, I brought enough sunblock for at least four people. Eventually we figured out how to get to the Cliffhanger Bar, which literally hangs on the side of the cliff at Cupecoy. I thought we could walk there from Sapphire, but that didn’t seem to be the case. I asked Janelle at our front desk about it, she said she wouldn’t walk down the street, at night and in the dark. She’s a local, I decided to take her advice. It’s low season, there wasn’t a lot of action at the Cliffhanger, plus it’s really tiny. We had missed the sunset and SQ’s belly was hurtin – he needed food. So we had Rum Punch, then drove to Cheri’s in Maho. They have a really crazy show at Cheri’s with a group called Sweet Chocolate (remind anyone of a certain Eddie Murphy movie?). It’s a bit touristy but it was silly and entertaining. The food was just OK, but Cordell Stuart at the bar took great care of us. I think we split a seafood plate with shrimp, lobster and fries. Some Cuban dance group came out around 9 or 9:30pm and performed in the middle of the street. I’m not sure if they are connected with Carnival, which ended today.
Back at the room now, need to figure out what to do tomorrow. This is why my mother-in-law has dubbed me ‘The Fun Nazi.’ I think this is an insult in most of the civilized world, but from her it was the highest of compliments. It has stuck, I think I kind of like it now.
End of Day One and SQ has already lost one of our room keys…
