Trip Report – January 29- February 16, 2011Another great trip despite some kind of possible sinus cavity infection behind my right eye.
AIR - St Louis to Charlotte to St Maarten – Smooth down and back on
US Air. Ticket - $638.rt/pp bought in September 2010.
CAR -
Lucky Car Rental ( Lucky's.car.rental@wanadoo.fr ) $426.60 for the trip with govt tax and without insurance.
PHONE –
Sharon Harris (
queenofsxm2000@yahoo.com ) - $50.00 including time. Worked ALL OVER the Island.
ROOMS -
Oyster Bay Beach Resort (
www.obbr.com ) - One bedroom unit in building 37 which overlooks the marina and entrance to resort.
Room was fine, except it was on third floor. Resort is now selling or have sold remodeled rooms overlooking Dawn Beach as “fixed” weeks. Resort itself is in great shape. Perhaps weather, perhaps economy, but it didn't seem to be totally filled for prime season weeks.
Turquoise Shell Inn (
www.tshell.com ) - Four nights at the end of our stay. As always, well kept and convient. Didn't get to see Marcus who was off Island. Carter took good care of everyone staying there.
ACTIVITIES - A variety of activities for this trip.
Tijon Perfume Class 101 (
www.tijon.com ) - Friends, Tom and Judy, returned
http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/SXM%20Jan-Feb%202011/IMGP0081.jpg for a second visit to SXM for ten days in the middle of our 20 days. Fun, easy going people
http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/SXM%20Jan-Feb%202011/IMGP0083.jpg . They were nicknamed “Norm's Groupies” by Cyndi of
[b]Tijon's Parfumerie[/b] as they monitored my “mad scientist's” approach to creating my own cologne in Perfume 101
http://s1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/Tijon%20Perfume%20Class%20101/ I took this class without Betty because she has a “nose/sinus” thing with intense smells.
It is an outstanding thing to do for three plus hours including a short history of perfumes. The main part is creating your own “personal fragrance”.
Tijon has over three hundred oils and selecting a combination was a dauting experience. Owner John helps along the way and readily gives his thoughts for additions or subtractions to your secret formula. In the end you are presented with a gift bag containing a Tijon T Shirt, a bottle one of their own colognes, sun oil, lip balm, a certificate that you completed class, a bottle of your own created scent, and a press release announcing your new creation. A truly enjoyable way to spend three hours. Don't miss it!
Art Tour – I volunteered to take a friend, Linda, who was on a one day stop to SXM on a cruise ship, on an Art Tour. I was joined by the ever adventuresome, Elaine, my friend Tom, and Kay and Mike.
With the help of Jeff (
www.myislandart.com ), we contacted and arranged to meet six artists over the six plus hours Linda would be on SXM. Our first stop was a personal favorite,
Jean Pierre Straubhttp://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/SXM%20Jan-Feb%202011/IMGP0101.jpg who does Marquetry. This is a very time consuming art of creating pictures with inlaid pieces of wood. Using the natural colors and grains of the wood to enhance the detail of the picture. The second stop was with Her Ladyship
Ruby Bute at her studio in Friar's Bay.
http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/SXM%20Jan-Feb%202011/IMGP0102.jpg Ruby shared a little of her background and also presented each if us with a signed book of some of her poetry and art.
Stephanie Tihanyi, who also has work at Ruby's gallery was introduced.
Antoine Chapon's (
www.chaponartgallery.com ) studio in Marigot Marina
http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/SXM%20Jan-Feb%202011/IMGP0103.jpg was next, followed by a stop at Sir
Roland Richarson's Gallery. (
www.rolandrichardson.com ) A stop at
Minguet's Gallerie in Rambaud area and then onto Paradise View
http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/SXM%20Jan-Feb%202011/IMGP0105.jpg for a quick lunch.
http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/SXM%20Jan-Feb%202011/IMGP0106.jpg Our last two stops were in the Oyster Pond area at
Marie Moines, Les Exotiques Ceramique (
www.ceramexotic.com ) and
Dona Bryhiel's Gallery (
www.donabrhiel.com ) .
Our tour got a little short at the end, but it was great to meet most of the artists personally.
SXM Lovers Get Together –
http://s1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/SXM%20Lovers%20Get%20Together/ It was a great party with a lot of people who love SXM getting together. Again this year it was at the Iguana Bar in the Captain Olivers restaurant. Snacks were tasty. Drinks were two for one. Was lucky enough to have a wonderful combination of SXM residents, sponsors, and SXM visitors.
I CAN Foundation – Some of you probably remember a couple years ago, the home for kids without parents was destroyed by fire. This year I revisited the home to present a several hundred dollar donation from Jeff (
www.myislandart.com ) to Mrs Gibbs,
http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/SXM%20Jan-Feb%202011/IMGP0211.jpg the Director, of the I CAN Foundation. The rebuilt facility looks great.
http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/SXM%20Jan-Feb%202011/IMGP0212.jpg Sunday Evening Celine Cruise - (
www.sailstmaarten.com ) One of the best benefits of belonging to Jeff Berger's “secret” site is the free Sunday evening Simpson Lagoon Cruise on the Celine. Captain Neil takes you past the mega yachts
http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/SXM%20Jan-Feb%202011/IMGP0073.jpg ,
http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/SXM%20Jan-Feb%202011/IMGP0074.jpg ,
http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/SXM%20Jan-Feb%202011/IMGP0075.jpg and around most of the Dutch half of the lagoon for about 1 ½ hours with free drinks. Great way to see some of the hidden and less seen villas and homes.
Harmony Night – Tuesday is Harmony Night in Grand Case. Made reservations for dinner at Piazza Pascal so we didn't have to fight the crowd at the lolos. Marching band came by around 8.
http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/sxmnorm10/SXM%20Jan-Feb%202011/IMGP0091-1.jpg Other bands were playing along the street. Many vendors and artists.
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