Well ten days on Orient Beach came to an end on November 23rd. Although we rarely stray far from the beach I thought I might share a few of the moments. We flew US Airways out of Buffalo and changed in Charlotte. Good connection. Good flights. Everything right on time and our luggage made it.

We rented from Unity and they were there to greet us. No, we didn't get an upgrade to a new Yaris, we got the Corolla nobody wants to steal (which can be a good thing) but the price was good and the service is consistent.

Yes, it's a bit of a shock to see the exchange rate but even with that I think we did very well. Part of the problem for restaurants and the likes on the French side is that the French Government is staunchly committed to the European agreements they are not able to shop for cheaper suppliers and everything they buy is in Euros. This obviously gives them less latitude in offering deals. When the true rate of exchange is hovering around $1.48 you really can't expect to see honest one-for-one exchange. There was one bar, I think it was Kokomania on the busy strip at the south end and they had a one-for-one exchange sign but, hello, the prices are really high and it wasn't a deal.

I think one of the best deals by far is Grain de Sel in Cul de Sac. Great little restaurant with very generous servings of fresh and delicious food at very, very good prices. All that and I think we were charged maybe 20% which was the best of any of the restaurants. Their Salade Mixed is great and only 8 euros. Pasta was the same price and more than we could eat. We couldn't eat that will at home for nearly the same money. Tap Five pizzas were still very good, especially the Quatre Saisons which was 11 Euros. Mind you, Tap Five charge 40% on the dollar. The majority of restaurant were at 30%. La Piquant (not sure if that's the right name, sorry, but they are the pasta/pizza place behind the Safari Grill). They have a fabulous goat cheese salad that was about 15 dollars and worth it. The absolute best meals we had were at Planet Orient. Alex, the chef, is brilliant. Main courses ran between 16 and 22 Euros and you can add 30% to get to dollars. The seafood risotto was amazing; his fish soup special, amazing. And we had great French wine for about 19 Euros a bottle. My wife is getting a little bored with me telling everyone how great Zoe, out waitress was but I can live with that. She was wonderful and funny and very efficient. Now, I am hungry again. Darn.

Yes, the beach is skinny in spots, notably down toward The Club Orient end and there were sections limited to on lounge depth. But if you go to Happy Hour at the Perch Bar the breadth of sand becomes less of an issue. Everyone has their own favourites but the Frozen Passionfruit daiquiris deserve special mention I am thinking.

For those who were wondering about au naturel options, yes, things have changed. The nude section of Coco is a mere memory. Mind you there are lots and lots of people out in the mornings for the a stroll and there were a number of days people found discreet spots to get that total tan. On the weekends when there are lots of families there then it is more discreet, which is cool.

On one previous visit we went to Philipsburg. We were there maybe twenty minutes. So we decided to give it another chance. There have been major improvements and it was interesting although not compelling. (We don't go to shop so it's not magic and there are way too many jewellery shops anyway). But if you go and come across Old Street which is sort of cute in a trendy way, there is Saveurs de France, run by a woman who live in Orient beach. Great baguette sandwiches that are about twice as big as you need so you get something to take home. We had ham and brie sandwiches, fresh made, I had a beer, my wife had a bottle of water. It was $16.00 and delicious. Great value and a lovely casual ambiance.

Oh yes and there are always ribs at Grand Case for a few bucks and fresh baguettes almost any time of day, grab some cream cheese and cheap wine and that delicious French butter. Okay, I have to stop now or I will go into withdrawl.

Hope this helps. If you have any questions, fire away.