Sorry if I got a little carried away! I haven't written about the last day & the flight home yet because that would mean the trip is officially over & that's just too sad!

TRIP REPORT 7/1 - 7/9

JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND

We all know St. Martin is a great place for eating a lot, drinking, casinos, night life, partying, happy hours, etc. But because I have chronic pancreatitis, I can't eat a lot, I can't drink, I sleep a lot, I throw up a lot & I generally don't feel good a lot. I know, call the whambulance. I can't be the only one out there with "issues," so I want them to know that a perfectly wonderful time can be had on SXM without casinos, "night life," or happy hours. Don't get me wrong, before I got sick, I ate & drank with the best of them! But, it is what it is, so here we go:

SOL E LUNA

I always get a giggle when people say, "I don't care about the room. Who spends time in the room, anyway?" I got killed last year when I posted a less-than-stellar review of our hotel because I didn't like the room. Well, I sleep late, I nap & I go to bed early. I love a nice room! Sol E Luna to the rescue. I would recommend SEL to anyone who doesn't need direction, room service, or amenities (other than housekeeping). If you like a big resort & staff to make arrangements for you, etc., then it's not for you. It's more like a mini villa or an apartment. I pretended that I lived there. The grounds are beautiful. All the flowers were in bloom. We had a gardenia tree right outside our open-air kitchen. As I lay in bed, my view was of palm trees & a beautiful yellow hibiscus. Sure beats the broken tool shed I was looking at last year! We stayed in the Jasmine Suite. It had an outdoor sundeck, two outdoor seating areas, and a semi-enclosed Creole style kitchen. The kitchen was more than adequate & was well stocked for making a light meal. I had to laugh when I discovered about three bottles of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar & salt. The bedroom & bathroom were beautiful, too. You could either shut the louvered wooden windows & door for sleeping with the AC, or throw them open & let the Caribbean breeze cool you while you sleep. The bug issue was weird .. most nights there were none. But, a couple of nights, poor Frank was eaten alive. We had to kill them all & then shut everything & use the AC. They loved to hang out behind the clothes hanging in the dressing room.

Housekeeping was awesome. I wish I got her name … we got along famously! Her smile would light up a room! On the other hand, when she had to give us the weather report, she looked so sad. When it was determined that it was going to rain "tout la jour," she felt worse than we did! She has five little boys (cinq garçons!!!!), so we gave her some pastries & a package of French gummy bears for them. Ah, that smile! When we were leaving, she made a special effort to come down to our car to say good-bye & that she "would watch for us" again. Priceless.

To wrap it up, SEL was intoxicating. Yup, that's the word. A complete sensual experience (no, not like that!). The sweetness of the flowers, the faint smell of olive oil & garlic from the restaurant, the sea breeze, the beauty of the mountain hills, the salt pond, the rustling of the palm fronds, the music wafting from the restaurant, the tree frogs, the clearing skies, the southern constellations, the red star. As I sat there, taking in all of this beauty, I thought to myself that it was a pretty good way to spend the evenings. We both loved SEL & will definitely go back to Suite Jasmine (the other suites are awesome, too … but I loved living in a tree house).

7/1 ARRIVAL DAY

At last, it has arrived! I don't think I slept a wink & we were out the door at 3:45 a.m. for the 6:15 U.S. Air flight out of Boston. I don't handle plane reservations, car rental, etc., so I don't pay too much attention to it. All I care about is whether it's on time. It was & the whole flight couldn't have gone better. We landed at about 1:30. We FLEW through Customs … no time at all … first in line. And, our luggage was among the first off the plane. Sacre bleu! We met the guy from Unity & after stinky traffic in Simpson Bay, got the rental. Unity Car Rental gets two thumbs from us. Painless, quick & easy! Then a quick little stop at the Maho Market for juice & a couple of other necessities. We got to SEL around 4:00. Christian showed us our suite. I knew right away that I loved it. It just felt right.

We went to Orient Bay Village for dinner. We were so hungry that we got there before anything opened by about 1/2 hour. We read a few menus & specials before deciding on Le Piment. Proved to be a great choice. This restaurant could hold its own with any in Grand Case. And, the hostess (Christelle) could sell ice to an eskimo. She gets right out there & she sells those specials with such enthusiasm. You know she believes what she's saying. Fantastic. She took pity on us & let us sit down for a while and have a glass of wine & look at the menu. She said she would pick me out a nice white wine, which she did. We shared an appetizer of bruschetta with tomatoes, capers & a little red onion. The baguettes were set upon a layer of Serrano Ham. Frank had a Duck & Steak Kabob & I had the rack of lamb with goat cheese. Both entrees were served with sauteed potatoes served in a little black cast iron kettle. I could only eat about 2 ribs & kicked myself a thousand times over for not getting a "doggy bag" for the ribs & potatoes, although I did nab the ham. Two hours later, I was dying for them. Grrrrrrr….. I want them right now!! Not one complaint from us … everything was delicious & the service was outstanding. The prices are reasonable & they take the Privilege Card. We saved $14.00 that night. One other note, out of all the restaurants in the Village, Le Piment was by far the most crowded.

Got back to SEL before 9:00. Star gazing was limited because it had been a cloudy, very windy day & it was still cloudy.

7/2 DAY ONE - PALM BEACH

Frank went to the Boulangerie down the road for pastries. Delish! Although the weather was still overcast & windy, it was an OK beach day. We went to Orient & camped out at Palm Beach. This place is fantastic. It's classy, it's beautifully decorated, the food and service are great. And, how cute is the beach boy, Damien???? LOL Everyone who works there seems to be a hard worker. They were raking seaweed all day. Damien checked on us often. We had lunch upstairs in the restaurant & it was really good. We split a goat cheese salad & both had the grouper with citrus sauce. MMMMMM Walked the beach as we always do & then parked it for a while. I was actually kind of thankful for the clouds … I HATE to burn & the breeze was good, too.

We needed more groceries, so we went to U.S. market. What a hoot! I got the biggest kick out of this market for some reason, but to hear my husband tell it … I thought he was going to have a stroke. The pay-for baskets outside all linked together, no sign of plastic bags (although they were right in front of his face), he tried to carry the red basket that should be wheeled, he couldn't find anything he wanted, everything was in French, he couldn't find any fresh milk or cream for his coffee. I thought it was great … I love different grocery stores, anyway, so to find a FRENCH one was a bonus for me. The more consternated he became, the harder I laughed.

By the time we got back, it was getting a little late, so we opted to go back to LePiment. It was mobbed! Frank was able to get his beloved Pasta Putanesca & I got a tomato, mozzarella pizza. Frank loves that pasta & this version was excellent. Pizza was good, too. We split a creme brulee, which is my personal favorite. It was outstanding. Saved $9.00 with the Privilege Card. OK … it has paid for itself. Great deal. Highly recommend. This time, I brought the left-over pizza back home. I ate three pieces during the night!

7/3 AND THE SKIES OPENED …

This was the day we were going to Anguilla to spend the day at Shoal Bay East, listening to live music. I crawled out of bed at 8:00 with my eyelids glued together to be ready by 9:00 to catch the ferry from Marigot to Anguilla. The weather looked passable, not bad actually. Man oh man, can things change fast. At 9:15, we were packed & ready to go. I was locking the door just as housekeeping was coming & I could tell by the look on her face that she was upset about something. We had our troubles communicating some times, but when she pointed to the sky, I understood!!! Blackness rolling over the mountain hills. We finally determined that it was going to rain "tout la jour." Bummer! We had to revert to Plan B, which was our usual tour of the island. We were going to start by walking around Marigot. That was not to be because we didn't realize how HARD it was raining. Every 15 min. there was a pelting downpour. Back to the car! We finally ended up at the Rainbow Cafe in Grand Case for a leisurely lunch. This was the first restaurant we ever visited in Grand Case in 1983. I remember it so well that I could write a trip report about it right now! It's funny that it has survived in one form or another after all those years. Anyway, there is a small parking lot (about 6 spaces) right next to the restaurant. We were the only people in there, so had a prime seat by the windows. Sometimes, I can drink a little Champagne, so I foolishly ordered a Champagne Mojito for $11.00. Yuck! Tasted like alcohol! Ah, sometimes I go into denial. A big glass of ice water took the taste away! The food was great & you can save 15% with the Privilege Card. Great deal. Frank had the Salade Caesar & I had the Salade Nicoise. I love Nicoise Salads … chock full of green beans, egg, potatoes, olives, etc. The hot thing in the restaurants I've noticed is spray bottles of EVOO and Balsamic Vinegar. Fantastic invention. Can't have too much vinegar! The Rainbow Cafe is open for breakfast, lunch & dinner. They have a nifty little spot with red beach chairs on Grand Case Beach, free if you eat there … very European! We lingered over lunch & had a fun time watching the storm roll in over Grand Case Beach. This turned out to be one of my favorite spots of the vacation … can't wait to spend the day there in the sun!

The streets were flooding so it really wasn't a day for riding around, so we decided to go back to SEL & lay low. We stopped at a couple of little stores on the way back & got some sweets for us & some for the housekeeper's cinq garçons! We got back home & I took a really long nap, listening to it pour! Frank had a good book, so he was happy. It began clearing late afternoon. We decided to stay in that night. I didn't have any appetite, so I had the leftover Serrano ham, cheese & baguette and Frank had the left-over pizza. Hit the spot. It was a good star-gazing night. I saw a red star & Frank brought his computer out to the deck to see if we could identify the constellations. Early to bed in anticipation of a beach day tomorrow!

7/4 THE CASE OF THE MISSING PARADE

Wait … is that the sun? Didn't recognize it! So, we got ready to go to Orient to see Damien … ooooops … I meant Palm Beach. lol The weather was pretty decent, partly cloudy. In 2008, we were at Andy & Cheryl's for lunch on the Fourth of July, where we were entertained by the parade. What fun. I was looking forward to it again. Strangely, we walked up & down that beach several times … no parade! We ran into a couple we had met at dinner & they were doing the same thing. I thought maybe the parade was just at Club O, but Bruce posted the video at Bikini Beach. If the time is right on the video, it was around 3:30. It was the oddest thing … we were at Orient all day. Oh well! We ate upstairs at Palm Beach. We both had something light - Caesar salad & tomato/mozzarella crostini. Love this spot!

We had dinner that night at Sol E Luna … what a bonus to have such a great restaurant right down the stairs! They started us off with an Amuse Bouche, which was cold beet soup. Frank liked it. He also ordered the filet with sorrel mushroom sauce & I had the Lobster Bisque with Puff Pastry. Frank said if he combined the sauce from the filet at La Villa with the meat from Sol E Luna, it would be the best filet ever! So, the meat was great. The Bisque was stellar, too. It was a little lighter than some I've had, which can be a good thing because it tastes "more like the ocean." The pastry surely kept the Bisque hot! Frank ordered the Flambeed Bananas with Chocolate Sauce, which was decadent. Sol E Luna really deserves its reputation as being one the most romantic restaurants. The setting is just perfection. The sounds & fragrances floating on the air only enhance the experience. I didn't catch the name of the hostess, but she had panache oozing from her pores! Just a beautiful, tranquil setting with outstanding gourmet French food. Ahhhhhhh …

7/5 WHEN LOVE LOSES ITS ALLURE

The weather Tuesday was beautiful! Now, that's what we're looking for! One of the best times of my life was when we went to Pinel Island last year. I just fell in love with it. Now, I don't know if it was because I didn't feel good or any of the other myriad of reasons, I really didn't LIKE IT AT ALL. The plan was to go to Karibuni for lobster, but I had no appetite; so we ended up at Up on the Key, same as last year. Pinel Island is physically beautiful. Paradise, really. The water is shallow, shallow and calm. It's a "baby beach." I think it maybe was just a little too hot & a little too crowded. I do think there's a difference in tourist numbers between July & August. The chairs were really close together where we were. We sat at the end, which was a bad idea because it was the pathway everybody took to get to the water … lots of little kids. Pinel is a great place for babies & toddlers. In all fairness, we had planned to go to the other side of the island, where the beach is much more secluded. But, I was too hot … just an off day.

At 1:00 we went to the restaurant, Up on the Key, but all seats were taken! They told us to go back to our beach chairs & relax … they would come get us when a table was ready. Cool! So, we waited, we waited & we waited. At 2:00 we moseyed up to a mostly-empty restaurant & after a long time, ordered. Frank had the snapper with a creole-like sauce, rice & beans & a couple of frozen BBCs. I had the crab fritters & a coke. We waited forever. The waitress, really, looked like she just swallowed a barrel of pickles mixed with lemons. I got my crab cakes 1/2 hour before Frank's fish even arrived. I had to sit there & watch him eat. Try to get our second round of drinks? Ha ha Weird …. same place, same meal …. totally different experience! At about 3:00 (yup, still waiting), the young guy decided to turn on some tunes. Up till this point, I was thinking it was me …. they were just having a bad day … happens to everyone. But then, that radio! The straw that broke the camel's back. If there's any kind of music I really dislike, it's techno, especially French techno, sung in English! This kid cranked that radio up & my ears were shattered with (swear to God): "Let's get off our genitals …. huh huh huh Then we'll do some chemicals……" As plain as the nose on your face. Now that's just not right. There were 2 little boys sitting next to us 20 min. before! That wasn't just a bad day, that was a conscious decision. I'm still aghast! Well, we couldn't get out of there fast enough & actually lined up early to catch the 4:00 ferry home.

I was just sooo tired.. took a long nap. SEL was really starting to feel a little too much like home! Frank made the intrepid visit to the market by himself … there are no words. But, he returned with the makings for grilled cheese & tomato sandwiches, finally remembering the butter. They hit the spot, although I wouldn't make a habit of it!

It would have been great if my daughters had been able to come. They could have helped occupy Frank. They would have loved it. Well, we already know that Alyssa has Dreaded Island Fever for SXM & Danielle has DIF, just generally speaking. If we go again, I would want them to come, too.

7/6 SHOPPING IN P'BURG - MICK JAGGER VANILLE
 
Woke up to sunshine! We decided to go to P'Burg for shopping. Last year, Frank left his shopping bag on the roof of the car with all our purchases in it! We needed replacement tee-shirts. We had breakfast at the Paradise View Restaurant. What a beautiful spot - deserves its name! Frank had the home-made waffles & I had the continental breakfast, which consisted of a sweet crepe with butter & sugar, fresh fruit, juice and cafe au lait. 10% off with the Privilege Card. We would definitely eat here again. There were hundreds of white butterflies, for some reason reminding me of the movie, Avatar. It's that beautiful!
 
We have always parked somewhere for free along the salt pond, but never again! The pay lot is cheap ($2) & is a piece of cake. It was way too hot to be wandering down those alleys. I was getting a little antsy & I'm missing BEACH TIME here …. hurry! Actually, vacation in SXM should include shopping in P'Burg! It's tradition. We accomplished our tasks pretty quickly & I got a soda & Frank a BBC while we walked the Boardwalk back to the car. The place was perking up because there were cruise ships in. The music & the performers were starting …. a weird mixture, for sure!! All of a sudden, rising above the cacophony, I heard the guitar strains of one of the most famous guitar riffs ever. Then, a voice, not at all like Mick Jagger's, began pelting out "Satisfaction." He was a really tall, thin guy, ageless, dressed from head to toe in the color vanilla, including hat & shoes. His shoes were vanilla suede oxfords. He was right up there with the moves, but he didn't seem to sweat. Built-in cool. Everyone was having fun boogeying as they walked by. Ya gotta love it!
 
Went back to SEL to get ready to go to the beach. There were 2 beach chairs, 2 noodles & an umbrella in the room … that was a nice bonus! We decided to go to Anse Marcel Beach, which is really close to SEL. This was our fourth trip to SXM & I don't remember ever seeing this neck of the woods. It is absolutely beautiful! Quintessential Caribbean. And, I'm just talking now about the ride in! Very hilly & curvy. Keep going until you see the Radisson on your right & LeDomaine on your left. There is a public parking lot right there. There is a guard & a gate. Just tell him you're going to the beach. There's a nice pathway between the 2 properties leading to the beach. OMG …. beautiful, beautiful. The Radisson is closed right now, so I don't know what the beach would be like otherwise. We brought our chairs & some water. We walked a way before hitting the group of red chairs that (I think) are for LeDomaine. Also the Cottages de Lonvillier are there. I think there's a beach bar down there, too. The beach is calm & surrounded on both sides by mountain/hills. The greenery is very lush because of the rain. Speaking of rain, it clouded up by the time we got there & was sprinkling off & on. It felt good because the morning had been so hot! We both loved Anse Marcel Beach, would highly recommend it, and can't wait to go back!
 
We had been planning, for a year, to have our first Grand Case meal at L'Estaminet. I had been transported by the Hibiscus Creme Brulee! We usually park in the free lot so we can walk the length of the boulevard & read the menus. When we got to L'Estaminet, we discovered that it was still closed for renovations. Bummer. I knew they were closed for the month of June, but we all know about "renovations" running longer! We had already read the menus, so we hiked back to Bistrot Caraibes. It gives L'Estaminet a run for its money, for sure! We ended up sitting at (IMHO) the best table in the house right next to the lobster tank. I love sitting near the hubbub of the road. Everyone riding by slowed down to look at the lobsters! We watched them being weighed and picked out. In fact, one fellow stopped in the middle of the road, spoke to the owners & picked out his lobster!! He then went to park his car. Hysterical. Anyway, Frank had the French Onion Soup. He's an FOS afficiando, declaring this "almost as good as L'Estaminet's." High praise! So far, we're loving this place. We're both having a hard time remembering what Frank ordered. I do remember that it was red snapper & we both thought it was excellent. I ordered the house special -- Veal with Bleu Cheese and a side of the creamiest potatoes I have ever had. I was hesitant to order an entree with bleu cheese, because the cheese is so overpowering sometimes. I have never had a bleu cheese sauce that wasn't strong until I had this veal. How do they do that? How does one make bleu cheese SUBTLE??? It was to die for, delicious, delicious. And, to be able to taste the veal & the thyme equally with the cheese??? MMMMMMMM I ate half & knew I would enjoy it again in a couple of hours. I was happy that the closed door of L'Estaminet opened the door to Bistrot Caraibes!

7/7 WHO'S ON FIRST …

I know all about lemons & lemonade, but I'd be lying if I said the weather wasn't a LITTLE of a disappointment. You just have to shake it off & decide what to do next! While I got ready, I asked Frank to go online to get some ideas as to what to do on a rainy day. When I asked him what he came up with, he mumbled something about "afternoon delight." I told him I wasn't in the mood for Chinese, so we went to Grand Case! hehehehe The rain was steady, but nothing like Sunday. I wanted to check out the Grand Case Beach Club, so we had lunch at the Sunset Cafe. We still don't know if you can park inside their gate, but going up that hill is a pain. Even with the midget car, we had to turn around & drive up backwards. The rain chose right then to get stronger & it was windy &, unbelievably, chilly. The restaurant is across the parking lot. It's very nice & we had a great table overlooking Grand Case beach. Most of the patrons appeared to be staying at the Grand Case Beach Club. I bet it's really beautiful at night & sunset.

Now the food adventure began! Frank ordered a glass of white wine & water; I just wanted water. I was excited to see that they had a "Crispy Duck Salad," as that's just what I wanted. MMMMM …. salivating …. Crispy Duck Salad & a nice glass of sparkling Perriere while Frank enjoyed his mussels in white wine sauce with a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio. I could imagine wrapping up my taste feast with my new favorite beverage, cafe au lait! MMMMMM Couldn't wait. The first things that arrived were 2 glasses of wine & 2 glasses of water. No problem …. just take away one wine. The next courses to arrive were Frank's mussels & my …… my Spring Roll & side salad? Huh? No problem … someone else must have my Crispy Duck Salad. I asked the waiter if mine was, indeed, "Crispy Duck Salad," and he assured me that it was. OK … I'm up for it. It was starting to get funny at this point. Yup, yup, crispy duck salad. Yeah, yeah, that's it. I never did find anything Crispy and there was nothing Ducky about it. I'm thinking about if it snorts like a pig … Well, that Spring Roll wasn't quackin'; it was cluckin'. I asked the waiter where the ladies' room was & he directed me outside. I read the menu that was posted outside & sure enough, there was a Chicken Spring Roll on the lunch menu (I couldn't remember). I was getting wet (looking for the ladies room), so was looking forward to my coffee au lait. By this time, it's a crap shoot as to what I'm going to receive, so I was more than happy to receive a COFFEE LATTE instead! I don't know much about coffee & want to learn, so that was a treat. When he asked if we wanted dessert, we started to laugh. I should have ordered something just to see what it would have been! Overall, I liked the restaurant, but don't think I'd make a huge effort to get up that hill again.

The rain was lightening up a little bit, so it turned out to be a good day to check out some other beaches. It was like a dry run so we could figure out what parking is like, what the amenities are like (if any), and especially how to get in! Some people make the 3 lowlands beaches sound impossible, but it's really easy after all. We finally found the way into Baie Longue & it was worth every effort. This beach is where La Samanna is located & many other beautiful villas in the mountain hills. The beach is physically breathtaking. Gorgeous. We never did find Plum Bay, but it can't be far! We found Baie Rouge. Another beauty. It was still lightly raining, so there was no one at these beaches …. no one! The parking lot at Baie Rouge looks a little creepy, but it's not a deal breaker. I'd love to go there on a sunny day & try a little of the food at Gus' or Ray's. I know nothing of them, but have read they make good smoothies (and ribs!).

We continued on through the desolation at Mullet Bay. In 1983, we stayed right next door to the Mullet at the Maho. We still have never been to or seen Mullet Bay Beach up close & it's irritating me! We get lost every time trying to find the parking. Frank says he knows now & should be able to find it next time. Yay! It had cleared enough so we could pull over by SSBG to see the Corsair coming in. No matter how many times I see it, I'm still blown away! When we stayed there in '83, we didn't even KNOW about the planes landing on our beach! Love the planes! The next job was to find Karakter and Simpson Bay Beach. Just keep going right past Mary's Boon. What a find! Who knew? There was no one there, so we were able to scope out the beach pretty good! Can't wait for tomorrow.

We read some online reviews & decided to have dinner at Spiga. Spiga is at the very beginning of GC Blvd. It has its own parking area & its own security guard. The weather was balmy so we sat on the porch. I had a hard time deciding what to order! Frank had French Onion Soup. Another winner. He doesn't like to compare; they're all a little different. This one was dark & rich. He had the Lamb Tagliatella, which was oh so good. Filling & rich with homemade pasta and fall-apart lamb. I had the Red Snapper with olives, tomatoes, capers. OMG, I thought I had died & gone to heaven! I ate half, becoming better at the whole "doggy bag" thing. The host & waitstaff were above & beyond! So far, we're two-for-two with our big night out, Grand Case dinners. I'd be hard pressed to say whether Bistrot Caraibes or Spiga were my favorite! I'll go back to both, for sure!

THE CHARACTER OF KARAKTER

If ever there was ever a day when I wanted the sun, this was the one! This was our last full day on the island. The weather was totally overcast. OK … wait …. hang on …. look at where you are!!! That hibiscus tree is still bright yellow, the gardenia still smells heady, and we're going to discover two, brand-new beaches today! We decided to start at Baie Longue for a couple of hours. I asked my husband for an adjective to describe this beach, and he said LONG. Duh! But, accurate. Long and secluded. We used the entrance that had the guard shack (empty). After a bit of a ride, you come to a parking lot on the left. (You can enter the other way, then it would be on your right. That's a long ride, though). There weren't many cars there, maybe 3 - 4. There's a sign saying to watch out for the undertow & to swim at your own risk. I had never thought about toting chairs while on vacation, but the reward was so worth it, I didn't even think about it! And, I'm a complainer! Wear your sandals walking in, as we saw some glass. The beach was wide, too; and there has been much erosion. The edges were bordered with those purple vine flowers. I wonder if they would cover the whole beach? In some places, lots of rocks were exposed. Frank says you have to find the right place to get into the water because there are some rocks & a huge dropoff. The waves were big, too.

It was still very cloudy & there were no bugs, so I couldn't understand what was up with the next arrivals. They numbered about 7, but I couldn't tell who was who, because 5 of them were wearing those bee-keeper hats with the built-in netting that covers every inch of your face & neck! No joke. Not an inch of skin was revealed. They cajoled & frolicked, with their netting blowing in the breeze, taking lots of pictures. I wish I had a picture of THEM! Hysterical! When they left, we had the beach pretty much to ourselves. I'm so happy that we discovered this beach. Just another gem.

We were starting to get hungry, so we left for Karakter. I'm glad we scoped it out yesterday as it's a little tricky to find. But, oh so worth it! Totally loved everything about it. Everything about the place has character … from the young Dutch couple who run it to their fresh and exciting menu. I've never been to Simpson Bay Beach, but can only say that Karakter is the perfect beach bar/restaurant for this beautiful spot. No offense meant against Raymond & Gus at Baie Rouge, but their areas are a little "messy" compared to Karakter. It was a slow beach day, but Jorritt & his wife were constantly cleaning, raking & arranging chairs. A couple of people asked Jorritt about their legal entanglement. I couldn't hear everything (although I tried), but he talked about it in a very concerned and serious manner, not at all cavalier. I'm not even going to go there. And, the food! Perfect for us because it had little bites for me & sandwiches for Frank. Frank got a cheeseburger & a pina colada, both of which were yummy. Another thing I love is that they have a really awesome nonalcoholic drink menu. I already knew that I wanted the "Green Refresher" which was like a nonalcoholic mojito. So refreshing. I ordered the coconut shrimp. It came with a glass on the side with lime & worcestershire mayo on the bottom & topped with salad greens. I was surprised that I didn't complain about not having enough mayo, but in the end I was glad. I would have ended up smothering the shrimp with the mayo and not tasting the coconut & the shrimp. I ended up taking the greens & mayo out of the glass & eating it all together. The perfect balance! Yumma! We loved Karakter so much that I would even consider staying on the Dutch side for a couple of nights! Chairs are free if you eat or drink there & the music is very chill. They have a good website.

And, the beach! Oh, the beach! Stunning! Who knew that this beach was hiding over there? Loved, loved, loved it. I remember watching a "feeding the fish" video on You Tube, so Frank saved his "chips" from lunch to feed them. Totally awesome! I'm not sure what kind of fish they were, but they were jumping right out of the water. Another bonus …. sea glass! I love and collect sea glass. Getting it was a little tricky because you had to stand at water's edge & grab a handful of sand. Frank was better than I was at it because of the undertow. I kept feeling like I was going to take a header. We also enjoyed watching the planes from a different angle. Just an all around great experience!

We stayed at the beach until 4:30. Unbelievably, it took 1 1/2 hours to get back to SEL! I despise traffic. It was bad in Simpson Bay, as was usual during this trip, but there was also something going on between Marigot & Grand Case, too. Where the traffic usually flies, it was a standstill.

We went into Grand Case for our last-night dinner. We parked in the free lot by the bridge. We were just walking out of the lot, when we heard someone approaching us, yelling "FOUR DOLLAH ….. FOUR DOLLAH." Ah, the infamous Four Dollah parking attendant! The conversation went something like this. ME: But, this is the free lot. HIM: No …. four dollah, four dollah. ME: I'll give you one dollar! HIM: No, Four Dollah, Four Dollah. The negotiations went on until I told him he was lucky to be getting the One Dollah! I could just imagine how embarrassed my daughter would have been. She would have told me to give him Ten Dollah! I had read about him hanging around Marigot. He seemed harmless to me & not at all scary. We have plenty of those lost souls hanging around Boston Common, so there you go!

Had dinner at La Villa. We just couldn't go wrong with our meals in Grand Case. Another outstanding meal. The host had a great sense of humor, the decor was understated & lovely & the waiter was top-notch! You get lots of free stuff … a complimentary cocktail, an amuse bouche, chocolate truffles & the house rum. The conversion rate was 1:1, too! Frank had his usual -- French Onion Soup & filet. The FOS was dark & creamy. The filet was served with a five-pepper sauce, flambeed in Cognac. It had LOTS of sauce. I don't like the new trend of squiggling a little line around the rim of the plate with the sauce. I like LOTS of sauce, thank you very much. I had the crab risotto …. fantastic & creamy. It tasted good in the middle of the night too!