Here is a disjointed trip report from our week 9 stay at Royal Palm. We are long-timers who took newbies with us. Although my friend took photos of every plate of food he saw, I won't be doing a detailed, chronological report, I will just hit some high points.

1. This trip involved sand gravity like none we have taken. Usually, it is a different beach each day; different restaurant each meal ,etc. With close friends, they weren't shy about letting us know what they enjoyed. This resulted in three days at Orient, two of them at Kakao. Two menus there; decent food. My wife could spend every minute of every trip on Orient (well, maybe a half-hour at the David Yurman store in Marigot...), so there was no push back.

2. We ate at Lee's several times; we usually eat there the first night. We have been eating there since it was the only place on that part of the road. I really think Lee has upped his game, perhaps due to the competition. The indifferent waitresses are gone, and the food was really excellent. I had mixed seafood grills, and they were uniformly outstanding. You now get to pick your sides, and they were plentiful and tasty.

3. The new traffic roundabouts are a revelation. They really help, particularly at the intersection at the road to Phillipsburg from Cole Bay. I'm not sure which is more remarkable; the roundabouts or how fast they were built. I don't recall them even being started 50 weeks ago. I think the traffic situation is marginally better from last year, which reverses a trend.

4. Le France in the Marigot marina - Wow! Outstanding food. I think it was a sportswear shop last year. Very impressive. I will miss the creperie that used to be in the marina.

5. Mario's remains my gold standard. Although they forgot my dessert, the ladies laughed until they cried when I held up my empty plate, and I was given a nice aged rum on the house. The food is simply exquisite.

6. The lady who came with us had the stomach virus the first day, and limited herself to grilled chicken basically all week. Her own winner in the Grilled Chicken cook-off......Rosie's, by a neck over Sky's the Limit and Chez Raymond. Raymond's seafood brochette was very popular. We spent an entire day there and our last couple of hours before departure.

7. Speaking of Sky's the Limit, the food platter was really outstanding. Many items, all of them good, and a price that brings you back again and again...

8. The new food store by Billy Folly road has been mentioned by others. Very convenient, decent selection. I still bought my "bring back" rum at the Super Marche in Cole Bay, but the new place is all we needed for breakfast, snacks and cocktail hour.

9. Didn't get there this year- Mark's, Pinel, Oyster Pond, Phillipsburg, an outboard trip around the island, many others.

10. Royal Palm now has wi-fi. The router is in the upstairs bar; the signal is in that area and the lobby. And no trip would be complete without (several) almond croissants from Zee- Best. We have been customers since Danny (who is a Quebecois like my wife) was over in Marigot. His croissants taste just like they were made in Montreal.