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Trip Report - May 22-31 #196478
06/01/2019 05:05 PM
06/01/2019 05:05 PM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 307
Chicago, IL
M
Mbrott Offline OP
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Mbrott  Offline OP
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M
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 307
Chicago, IL
Flights: (Delta)

Chicago-ATL (Wife, Myself and 21 year old twin daughters)– We started off the trip with them having to jump start the engines because the auxiliary power didn’t start by itself. Still arrived a few minutes early

Cleveland-ATL (23 y.o. daughter) Left on time and arrived 3 minutes early

ATL-SXM – We all had to get from either Terminal A or B to Terminal E. We get down to the train and they are out of service. After walking for 10 minutes, we notice the shuttles are working and jump on them. My oldest got stuck on the train again and made the plane by 3 minutes. We arrived 25 minutes early. In and out of immigration in 10 minutes and picked up bags to meet Leslie Bruce….More on the rental car later

La Calanthe (Pelican Key) Villa Link

This was a graduation celebration for the twins and for me it was to celebrate the conclusion of a 2 ½ year project. The villa is breathtaking when you walk into the open floor plan. You immediately see the ocean, pool and deck. The caretakers live on the property and have an adorable 5 month old german shepard puppy.

All 3 bedrooms have queen or king size bedrooms. TV is only in the main room but has French Satellite
and US Satellite. Wifi worked ok but it’s the island. The catch is the bedrooms are A/C but the common areas are not. They close at night with storm shutters. They offer fans and if you open the windows there is a decent cross breeze. The issue is when you close the shutters it gets hot. They also ask you run the A/C only at night. We followed this rule in 2 of the 3 bedrooms as the third didn’t cool down quickly.

Wednesday – April 22

What we did: Unpacked and Grocery shopping at Carefour on Bush Rd.
What we ate: Izi for dinner. Food was great. Home made gnocchi and lasagna. David is the ultimate host as we talked about his 1 year old
The Good: Back on the island. The progress in the past year is huge.
The Bad: Our rental cars from Kenny’s where in really bad shape. We rented (2) Sentra’s and they hard a hard life. The first had a low tire so everytime we hit a speed bump the hub cap came off rolling down the hill. The rubber on the trunk had come loose so we had to push that back on. The second car would bottom out on all speed bumps. The back passenger door would sometime open up without warning.

Thursday – April 23

What we did: Day relaxing at our pool
What we ate: We brought in sandwiches for lunch from the café across from Texaco. The sandwiches were good (all on baquets) but each had like 1 or 2 pieces of lunch meet. Dinner was at Le Piment in Orient Village. Highlights of the meal – Burrata, red snapper special in a foil pouch, escargot, Filet with Camberte. Dessert was in Grand case at the ice cream roll shop. Great service at all 3 places.
The Good: One of the top meals of the vacation at Le Pemint
The Bad: Where’s the beef

Friday – April 23

What we did: Parrotvile – How much fun. No ships in port and we had it to ourselves. We learned a lot from the people and got some amazing photos.
What we ate: We cooked breakfast at the villa. Dinner was at L'Auberge Gourmande. The girls tried Escargot and loved it. We started with French onion soup also which is distinctive and rich. Three of us had Rack of Lamb (Best on the Island), Veal Chop and Filet. I thought the filet was a bit chewy.
The Good: Great time with the parrots.
The Bad: It was cloudy all day


Saturday – April 24

What we did: Buchaneer beach bar
What we ate: Zee Best, Buchanner beach bar, Isola
The Good: Pizza at Pizza Italy
The Bad: I was sick with stomach flu or something. Throwing up all day and the main room wasn’t air conditioned.

Sunday – April 25

What we did: Cupecoy Beach – Danny’s beach restaurant. The food was standard island fare. The girls really enjoyed the grilled fish.
What we ate: Croissants and other sweets from Zee Best. Dinner was at L P’tit Bistro in Orient Bay. Food and service was enjoyable, well paced and so personable. We’ve known Val from his years at Bikini beach and Sebastian is hilarious as he runs trying to remember everything. They draw a very French crowd so smoke can be an issue. They offer true French alps food. Val has partnered with another Bikini alum to open an Italian restaurant just next door.
The Good: Great food for dinner, wonderful hosts and Orient Village
The Bad: Smoking allowed in a dining area

Monday – April 26

What we did: I was still suffering so I went to the Maho Medical clinic. No appointments needed in SXM for a doctor just wait your turn. Hung out at the pool.
What we ate: La Sucerie and Isola. Isola was very good. Pastas, fish and veal. Finished dinner with a Nutella Calzone
The Good: Best service on the dutch side at Isola
The Bad: Didn’t feel well again. My Crohn’s kicked my butt

Tuesday – April 27

What we did: Day trip to St Barts. We decided to take a flight from Phillipsburg to St Barts. I love planes and simulators so I wanted to experience this flight. We ended up being the only 5 on the plane to St Barts. 10 minutes later you are swooping down over an intersection and then a steep descent to the tiny runway.
What we ate: Pearl Beach Bar on St Jean Beach. $20 PER CHAIR. A place down the way wanted $50 per chair. We had shrimp tempura for $27 and it had 4 shrimp. Dinner was at Sale & Pepe. SERVICE WAS SO SLOW. The food was ok but not 5 star. DID I SAY IT WAS SLOW. I don’t remember what we ate because I was so pissed.
The Good: the flight to and from St Barts.
The Bad: Sal & Pepe

Wednesday – April 28th

What we did: Sand Gravity at Buchaneer Beach
What we ate: Had a good old American lunch at Buchaneer. I was able to figure out the exact brand of the kosher hot dog they use just by taste. Burgers cooked exactly as ordered. Nice simple lunch before an amazing dinner.

Dinner was at Bistro Caraibes – One of the top 5 on the island. The brothers always greet you as family and the rest of the team fill in right next to them. Service is efficient, professional and not rushed nor slow. Appetizers included a great onion soup, Caesar salad and Escargot. Dinners ranged from Rack of lamb, Filet, Lobster Thermador x 2 and Veal. Everything was cooked to perfection and finished off with their Ginger Rum
The Good: Dinner at Bistro Caraibes and freaking my family out by being able to tell the brand of hot dog they used
The Bad: Mostly cloudy since we got there. The nicest day was in St Barts I’ve never seen such a cloudy 7-10 days.

Thursday – April 29th

What we did: Pinel Island. Took the boat over to Pinel at 10AM and was one of the first on Yellow beach. It’s been a long time since we’ve been there and it looks great. Chairs are 2 for $20 and the food was very good and reasonably priced
What we ate: Yellow Beach and Izi. Yellow beaches menu reminded me of the old Bikini. It had a wide variety and fairly priced. We love Italian food because it seems like the French restaurants all have similar menus (Lobster, Carbonara, Filet, Rack of Lamb and some fish). We tried the Cappeletti at Izi this time which is a home made ravioli with prosciutto and beef. We paired it in an alfredo sauce and also had gnocchi (pillowly soft) with four cheese. Dessert was crème brulle, Fried oreos and a crepe.
The Good: Great service at all the places.
The Bad: It’s the last night

Friday – April 30th

What we did:
What we ate: La Sucerie
The Good: Immigration and security was no problem. It’s so much nicer than last year in the tents
The Bad: Delta check in was slow.

We got to Atlanta a little early and whizzed through immigrations and customs. They don’t really use mobile passport anymore so had to stand in the normal line.

Recap later….

Last edited by Mbrott; 06/01/2019 10:11 PM.

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Re: Trip Report - May 22-31 [Re: Mbrott] #196479
06/01/2019 05:35 PM
06/01/2019 05:35 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 769
Western MA
S
SandS Offline
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SandS  Offline
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S
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 769
Western MA
Enjoyed your report. Thank you. It sounds like a wonderful vacation except for the clouds.

Re: Trip Report - May 22-31 [Re: Mbrott] #196481
06/01/2019 05:57 PM
06/01/2019 05:57 PM
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,093
CaribLee Offline
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CaribLee  Offline
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,093
Sounds like you had a good trip overall with just a few hiccups along the way. You hit on several things I've learned I just can't handle--or at the very least not handle well. First is no A/C in common spaces. I've done it once or twice and always regretted it. Second is dealing with smokers when I'm trying to enjoy a nice dinner. I avoid places where there is a chance I might have to deal with that inconvenience. Lastly is service at Sale and Pepe. I enjoy their food but service leaves much to be desired. It's a shame as it's a lovely setting for dinner. The times I've been there it seems they cater more to locals at the expense of visitors. Thanks for the report as it was informative and an enjoyable read

Re: Trip Report - May 22-31 [Re: Mbrott] #196482
06/01/2019 06:40 PM
06/01/2019 06:40 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,476
Ohio
ruralcarrier Offline
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ruralcarrier  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,476
Ohio
Thanks for the report.


J.D.
Re: Trip Report - May 22-31 [Re: Mbrott] #196483
06/01/2019 06:49 PM
06/01/2019 06:49 PM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
pat Offline
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pat  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
You packed a lot into your trip. Thanks for sharing the good and the bad.

Re the rental car, sounds like you got the car we always ask for. A year or so before Irma, we were given a brand spanking new car and we were nervous wrecks for our entire trip, not wanting to be the first one to ding or dent it.

We all need to remember as we read peoples’ trip reports, they are sharing their personal experiences. And while they not match ours, everyone has different expectations along with likes and dislikes.

I enjoyed the read and I sincerely hope whatever the ailment was, it passed and you were able to enjoy the majority of your family celebration. Good job!


Respectfully,

pat



"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them."
Re: Trip Report - May 22-31 [Re: Mbrott] #196486
06/01/2019 07:36 PM
06/01/2019 07:36 PM
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,864
Portland, OR
jazzgal Offline
Traveler
jazzgal  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,864
Portland, OR
Thanks for taking the time to tell us about your trip. You are a real trooper to put up with four women! Overall, sounds as though you had a nice time.


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Re: Trip Report - May 22-31 [Re: Mbrott] #196488
06/01/2019 08:43 PM
06/01/2019 08:43 PM
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,157
Cobourg Ontario Canada
J
jeepers Online content
Traveler
jeepers  Online Content
Traveler
J
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,157
Cobourg Ontario Canada
Great report! One correction, Thursday 23rd Le Piment is in Orient Village.

Re: Trip Report - May 22-31 [Re: Mbrott] #196492
06/01/2019 08:56 PM
06/01/2019 08:56 PM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,570
Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman Offline
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SXMScubaman  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,570
Auburn, WA
Great report. I agree. Isola has great service along with the food.

Re: Trip Report - May 22-31 [Re: CaribLee] #196497
06/01/2019 10:14 PM
06/01/2019 10:14 PM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 307
Chicago, IL
M
Mbrott Offline OP
Traveler
Mbrott  Offline OP
Traveler
M
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 307
Chicago, IL
Originally Posted by CaribLee
Sounds like you had a good trip overall with just a few hiccups along the way. You hit on several things I've learned I just can't handle--or at the very least not handle well. First is no A/C in common spaces. I've done it once or twice and always regretted it. Second is dealing with smokers when I'm trying to enjoy a nice dinner. I avoid places where there is a chance I might have to deal with that inconvenience. Lastly is service at Sale and Pepe. I enjoy their food but service leaves much to be desired. It's a shame as it's a lovely setting for dinner. The times I've been there it seems they cater more to locals at the expense of visitors. Thanks for the report as it was informative and an enjoyable read


You hit the nail on the head. We won't do the no A/C thing again and Sale & Pepe definitely catered to the locals.

There are so many restaurants we still wanted to try this trip but ran out of meals. (LaVilla, Le Cottage, La Tratoria (Orient), al Dente and Jax.

Also a big shout out to Dr. Soc and Jeff Berger with help on finding a good doctor for me.


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Re: Trip Report - May 22-31 [Re: Mbrott] #196499
06/01/2019 10:38 PM
06/01/2019 10:38 PM
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 933
S
SammyM Offline
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SammyM  Offline
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Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 933
Sale & Pepe overrated and overpriced. Now you know, and there are so many other great restaurants in that area. The A/C request in the month of May is crazy! Did you know this in advance, or did they spring it on you once you got there? And, for St. Barth's $20 a chair is surprising. That's a real deal for this particular island. Maybe this represents their off-season rates! Thanks for the nice report.

Re: Trip Report - May 22-31 [Re: Mbrott] #196500
06/01/2019 11:06 PM
06/01/2019 11:06 PM
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,056
PA
biglar Offline
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biglar  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,056
PA
We eat quite often at Le Piment and two years ago Crystal saw I was struggling with the smoke from the person at the next table. She asked them to stop smoking and they did. Even apologized to me for the smoke. Crystal handles everything in her restaurant with the best for all the diners. That's why we eat there often. That plus the food!

Re: Trip Report - May 22-31 [Re: Mbrott] #196501
06/01/2019 11:08 PM
06/01/2019 11:08 PM
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,882
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Bahston Offline
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Bahston  Offline
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,882
The watersports place next to Pearl Beach is the bargain on St Jean, at €10/chair and €15/umbrella. Further down the beach, Lil'Rock has reduced their prices to €20 for June. The €50 was probably farther down the beach at the Eden Rock hotel, where along with your expensive chair, you're sometimes serenaded by the sound of hydraulic rock drills as they continue with their post-Irma rebuild/expansion.

Last edited by Bahston; 06/01/2019 11:09 PM.
Re: Trip Report - May 22-31 [Re: Mbrott] #196504
06/02/2019 06:50 AM
06/02/2019 06:50 AM
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 705
South Coast of MA
S
SXMBND Offline
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SXMBND  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 705
South Coast of MA
Great report.....were you there in April or May.........??? thinks

Re: Trip Report - May 22-31 [Re: Mbrott] #196512
06/02/2019 09:21 AM
06/02/2019 09:21 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,482
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
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Carol_Hill  Offline
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,482
Central Florida!
Thanks for the report! What a stunning view from that villa! This time of year, having a/c in the common areas is kind of important. When we look for a villa, that is one thing that we pay attention to. Overall, sounds like a nice visit, and glad you were able to do a lot of things, despite your stomach issues. It's never fun, being sick on vacation.


Carol Hill
Re: Trip Report - May 22-31 [Re: Bahston] #196587
06/03/2019 12:54 PM
06/03/2019 12:54 PM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 307
Chicago, IL
M
Mbrott Offline OP
Traveler
Mbrott  Offline OP
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M
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 307
Chicago, IL
Originally Posted by Bahston
The watersports place next to Pearl Beach is the bargain on St Jean, at €10/chair and €15/umbrella. Further down the beach, Lil'Rock has reduced their prices to €20 for June. The €50 was probably farther down the beach at the Eden Rock hotel, where along with your expensive chair, you're sometimes serenaded by the sound of hydraulic rock drills as they continue with their post-Irma rebuild/expansion.


Exactly right!!


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