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The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 #199541
07/08/2019 03:09 PM
07/08/2019 03:09 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,474
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
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Carol_Hill  Offline OP
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,474
Central Florida!
Friday morning we had breakfast at home, consisting of, croissants, ham, eggs and mimosa, of course!

[Linked Image]


We hung out for a while at the villa and then decided to take a road trip to Dawn Beach. See my report on that trip

HERE


From Dawn Beach, we headed over to Orient. See our report regarding Orient, including a lovely lunch at KKO,
[Linked Image]

HERE

After lunch, we walked through Orient Village, took pictures of menus, and checked out Petit Casino, and bought some lovely grapes. For the report regarding the trip to Petit Casino, pics of menus from Orient Village, and our meal at Le Piment that evening, click

HERE


On Saturday morning, we had chocolate croissants from Leader Price for breakfast, along with mimosa made with 2.5E champagne from Leader Price.
[Linked Image]

As reported in our Villa Canoua review, we had an issue with our Chippie phone, that it connected to Anguilla Cable and Wireless by roaming, so we went through a BUNCH of minutes in a big hurry. So, we decided to go over to Carrefour to put more money on our Chippie top up Card. We headed through Marigot, which again the traffic was a real PITA. Just to the left of the mall there, I saw about 8 gendarmes milling around. We heard afterward it was because there had been an attempted purse snatching that morning. I wondered at the time, why do those gendarmes have body armor on?? It took a full 25 minutes to get from Grand Case through Marigot. After finally exiting Marigot, the rest of the trip to Carrefour was without incident.

The Carrefour parking lot was it’s usual self, pretty crowded, so Eric dropped me off and he found a place to park. We had not been to Carrefour since the fire last year and it is even MORE cool this year, with LOTS of neat stuff there. We picked up some pre-seasoned ribs, which we often buy there.

On the way back to the villa, we stopped by the Cadisco gas station at Orient. The store is really pretty nice, with lots of frozen stuff and I saw some rose for 3.9E and picked up a smaller bottle of Ma Dou there. We were going to stop at Le Bounty in Grand Case for pastries for dessert for dinner, but they were closed, at 1 PM on a Saturday??? crazy We drove through Grand Case and took pictures of the menus at Bistro Cariabes, Auberge Gourmande, Le Cottage and La Villa, to determine where we wanted to have dinner Sunday night, which was our anniversary. I had corresponded with Fabulous Feasts about having them make a dinner there at the villa, but they didn’t seem terribly interested with serving only two people, so we decided to go out. For those interested in their menus, they are in the SXM photo gallery under the Grand Case section. We thought there was another bakery there in Grand Case, but we didn’t see one on a trip through. So, after taking our pictures of the menus, we went straight through GC, headed toward Marigot, where we knew there was a bakery, just at a corner going up a hill. I noted they serve food also, including breakfast. We got two breakfast quiches, as well as two dessert tartes for dinner that day.

Back at the house, we ate some cheese and crackers, grapes, cashews, and celery for lunch. We got in the pool, and somehow the afternoon is gone. Isn’t it amazing, how time on SXM passes like a flash?? We decided upon Auberge Gourmande and made a reservation for dinner for Sunday and also made a reservation by email for Anse Marcel for Monday.

We put our ribs from Carrefour on the grill, cooked them wrapped in foil, then unwrapped them and slathered with BBQ sauce--REALLY, really good. We served it with potato salad from Carrefour and leftover corn.

[Linked Image] We are in bed by 9 PM., nightowls that we are! grin

Sunday morning I was up at 7:30, open the blinds, make coffee, and started making notes for this report. A shower comes over about 8:15, and my hopes for a rainbow were rewarded.

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

We planned on staying in until dinner today, so rain isn’t a real big deal and the island needs it. We have quiche for breakfast, quiche Lorraine and a spinach quiche.
[Linked Image]

I sent Eric over to Leader Price for wine in the morning, since they close at 1 on Sunday. He had problems finding white wine, so I guess that’s why I didn’t end up with much white wine the other day. Leader Price seems to be almost exclusively red wines and rose’s. We have burgers on the grill for lunch.

[Linked Image]

We headed over to Auberge Gourmande for dinner at 7 PM. Eric let me out at the restaurant and was able to score a parking space maybe two blocks down from the restaurant, which wasn’t bad at all. We were surprised to find the restaurant is mostly full when we arrive, all Americans, of course. We saw their dinner plates for sale for 31E, and reminisced about the plate from there that we have at home, which they gave to us YEARs ago, as it had a chip in it. Service was very slow to begin with, but the food came out in short order. After a free glass of champagne with peach schnapps (??)

[Linked Image], we shared a lobster bisque, which was very good.

[Linked Image] Eric wanted sea bass, which they do not have, so he settled on salmon, crusted with parmesan.


[Linked Image]

I have the beef filet, which is tough… Huhm.

[Linked Image] For dessert, we shared the dessert which said it was chocolate mousse and crème brulee.

[Linked Image] I didn’t taste any crème brulee at all, so perhaps should have just opted for the crème brulee to begin with. We enjoyed glasses of Grand Marnier with our dessert and a glass of complementary rum as a chaser.

[Linked Image] Dinner was just the right amount for us and we weren’t overstuffed at all. It was by far not the best meal of the week, but we weren’t really that focused on one particular day, but the whole trip, as a celebration of our anniversary.

We had wanted – or at least I did – to go to the casino after dinner, but with all the road construction, and detours through residential areas, we decided not to try. We will come back in October, so will leave it till then. We were back at the house, inside the shutters, by 9:30 PM. We watched some TV and were off to bed. My, what nightowls were are!! duh.


Last edited by Carol_Hill; 07/08/2019 03:52 PM.

Carol Hill
SXM Sponsors
Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: Carol_Hill] #199549
07/08/2019 04:10 PM
07/08/2019 04:10 PM
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 721
B
bran Offline
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Great report again, lovely pics as well. One day will make it to Orient.

Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: Carol_Hill] #199550
07/08/2019 04:10 PM
07/08/2019 04:10 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,476
Ohio
ruralcarrier Offline
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Ohio
The filet looks a lot like a cut from the large end versus a center cut and they are not near as tender. Reminds me of the tough one I had at Frenchy Ludo's.

Nice pictures.


J.D.
Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: Carol_Hill] #199551
07/08/2019 04:13 PM
07/08/2019 04:13 PM
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,864
Portland, OR
jazzgal Offline
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jazzgal  Offline
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Portland, OR
Sorry about the filet; did you send it back? That parmesan-crusted salmon looks wonderful. Thanks for another great report.


[Linked Image]
Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: jazzgal] #199553
07/08/2019 04:23 PM
07/08/2019 04:23 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,474
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
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Carol_Hill  Offline OP
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Posts: 82,474
Central Florida!
No, I did not send the steak back. Probably should have, but they were slammed full by that point.


Carol Hill
Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: Carol_Hill] #199567
07/08/2019 07:27 PM
07/08/2019 07:27 PM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,566
Auburn, WA
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SXMScubaman  Online Content
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Auburn, WA
Just as well you didn't send it back as by the time you got a replacement Eric would have been way done with his. I usually don't send anything back anymore. Instead I just have it removed from the bill and let it go.

Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: SXMScubaman] #199569
07/08/2019 07:40 PM
07/08/2019 07:40 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,474
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
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Carol_Hill  Offline OP
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Posts: 82,474
Central Florida!
The proprietor would normally prefer to re-make the meal, so they don't lose the sale.


Carol Hill
Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: Carol_Hill] #199571
07/08/2019 08:14 PM
07/08/2019 08:14 PM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,566
Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman Online content
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SXMScubaman  Online Content
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Auburn, WA
Good for them but not so good for the patron. If they can't get it right the first time at the prices they are charging they don't deserve to salvage the sale at my inconvenience. By the time a replacement comes I'm not that hungry anymore nor in the mood. But to each their own.

Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: Carol_Hill] #199578
07/08/2019 09:11 PM
07/08/2019 09:11 PM
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,225
Middle Tennessee
T
TravelHat Offline
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Middle Tennessee
Enjoying the reports. Everything looks great.

Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: Carol_Hill] #199585
07/09/2019 06:22 AM
07/09/2019 06:22 AM
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 332
CT
islandlove Offline
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CT
great report! thank you

Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: Carol_Hill] #199596
07/09/2019 11:05 AM
07/09/2019 11:05 AM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
pat Offline
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pat  Offline
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Brookfield, CT.
Once again - Great report. Even this non-foodie enjoyed it. clapping clapping


Respectfully,

pat



"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them."
Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: Carol_Hill] #199598
07/09/2019 11:49 AM
07/09/2019 11:49 AM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,296
Colorado and Sailing the World
Maria_and_Steve Offline
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Colorado and Sailing the World
They didn't have Sea Bass??? Wow, it seemed before the hurricane, Grand Case was swimming in Sea Bass as the featured entree! Things change.

But why don't you and Eric seem to change? You look the same now as you did many years ago wink

Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: Maria_and_Steve] #199599
07/09/2019 12:19 PM
07/09/2019 12:19 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,474
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
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Carol_Hill  Offline OP
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Posts: 82,474
Central Florida!
Sea bass was on the menu, they just didn't have it that night.

As far as us not changing? rofl Check out that picture someone posted a few days ago of the first TTOL party. Eric looks SLIGHTLY different.


Carol Hill
Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: Carol_Hill] #199600
07/09/2019 01:42 PM
07/09/2019 01:42 PM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,668
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LBI2SXM Offline
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Trying to identify Eric but no luck. Just can 't see him. He must have really changed. Recognize a few from years ago.

Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: LBI2SXM] #199601
07/09/2019 01:44 PM
07/09/2019 01:44 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,474
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
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Carol_Hill  Offline OP
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Posts: 82,474
Central Florida!
Eric is in the very middle, back row, of the first TTOL party pic


Carol Hill
Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: Carol_Hill] #199602
07/09/2019 01:48 PM
07/09/2019 01:48 PM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,668
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LBI2SXM Offline
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Wow, that was quick! Found him, little younger LOL but he still is cute Carol.

Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: LBI2SXM] #199603
07/09/2019 01:50 PM
07/09/2019 01:50 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,474
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
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Carol_Hill  Offline OP
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He always took a better picture than I do. smile


Carol Hill
Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: Carol_Hill] #199639
07/09/2019 08:29 PM
07/09/2019 08:29 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,141
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
islandgem Offline
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Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Sorry your dinner was not as good as expected. You should have gone to le Cottage....always the best choice for an anniversary dinner! Thanks for sharing your trip with us.




Re: The French Tour--Trip Report part 2 [Re: islandgem] #199644
07/09/2019 08:32 PM
07/09/2019 08:32 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,474
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
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Carol_Hill  Offline OP
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Posts: 82,474
Central Florida!
Actually, Le Cottage was not open on that Sunday.


Carol Hill

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