So just returned from my morning walk on Orient. Was up and out around 6am to be one of the psychopaths that are walking up and down the beach. I'm not one to waste any sunlight. And grabbed some more pastries for the crew at Good Morning. Sitting on the patio and enjoying my first cup of coffee and the solitude of the morning while writing this. Everyone else is still zonked from yesterday. But enough of this morning, on to yesterday!

Got outta the house yesterday at 10am, the Irish Cannonball woke up as I was leaving. Told him that there was a bunch of pastries and bread on the patio and to have an easy morning.

Took the jeep to Super U to stock up yesterday, grabbed our relative so he could stock up his place also. We drove up the hill in Orient to go out that side, gate was shut with no one at the shack to let us out. Well worth the drive up just so we could see the villa we used to rent years ago. It was Villa Cocinelle. My spelling may be off on it. But regardless it's still there and still pretty impressive looking. We have stayed there the 3 previous trips. So we banged around and headed out the other entrance discussing real estate as we tend to do while traveling and dreaming.

Got the the store and loaded up a couple carts. I had a great interaction with a lovely employee at Super U while perusing the cured meats and cheeses. She was trying to tell all about the meat I had in my hand, I had to finally tell her that my french is horrible and she said her english is horrible, but we made it through the conversation and she upsold me on a lot more cured meats and cheeses than I planned on. Food is an international language for sure.

Got back to the house, unloaded the goods. Cracked a carib and had a bushmills while trying to get ready. Apparently the pastries were a hit. The boy slayed a couple of them and our friend, Andie couldn't stop talking about the apricot croissants.

Got the family motivated to get to the beach. We walked over to Wai Plage and got hooked up with James. He set us up for what was a solid day of food and drink. The Irish Cannonball made his way to the water before I had even figured out what chairs we were getting. He's a water kid and always has been. So to be on a beach like this is heaven compared to the Northern Atlantic we live on. Started my day off with a bucket of carib and a 'ti punch. The missus opted for Diet Coke due to the previous evening. And we set our good friend up with a bottle of Pinot Noir to enjoy for the day. The food orders were along the lines of calamari, accras, fish rillettes, chicken kabobs and some sandwich that was on special. All of it enjoyed throughout the day with our feet in the sand and salt on our skin. Our relatives, J&T, joined us at Wai, they opted to go up and sit at the restaurant and have their lunch. Which if I remember they split a whole red snapper and some tiger shrimp, they loved it also.

After another bucket of caribs that I didn't order but was pleasantly surprised when they were there as I exited the water we decided to do the trampoline for a while and I ended up taking a stroll by myself up to the old Club O side of the beach to see what it looked like. Definitely a different look on the beach after all these years. I popped into the new Pirate bar and grabbed a presidente, the ladies working there were having a good time and we all joked about the petite presidente they sold me. Will be going back there for sure this week to support them. As I strolled back to Wai with my petite presidente I was flooded by so many memories of that section of the beach. Hard to quantify it all. Still kinda processing that we are here

. We ended up wrapping it up around 430ish and headed back to Silove for the evening. Pool time, chatting the night away and a board of charcuterie for dinner. We also broke out one of the leftover tacos. All of us felt sunkissed and blessed for our first day. We have no real plans for today other than to recreate yesterday but at a different beach bar. One of our favorite things so far has been watching our friend Andie just immerse herself in to a full blown vacation that she never expected. And watching my son just live his best life as a 12 year old is amazing. I'm attaching some pics.

Carol, you asked yesterday about the privacy of the pool at Silove? It's pretty private. We have neighbors but you'd never know it. We have our own backyard with shrubs surrounding us on all sides. There may be one or two other places that have a slight view from their 2nd story but it's private for sure.

Thanks for the report! I took the liberty of adding some extra lines for spacing in it, to make it easier to read.

Ooh and thanks for the pics! I'm assuming you don't have a view of the water from the villa? How far is it to the ocean?

Thanks for spacing that out. I’m a bit of a messy writer. No view of the water, but it’s a 2 min walk from the front door to the beach. We right between Bikini and Wai Plage.

No problem re the spacing. It just makes it easier for old eyes to read!!

OK, thanks for the info. I may pester you with questions on it when you get home, as I have been jonesing to stay on the French side again and Orient Village is so convenient.

Enjoyed your report, thanks. But, fish rillettes?? Never heard of fish prepared that way, but I'm always willing to experiment and learn. Any idea what fish it was and what kind of fat? I may have to make a special visit just for that.

Enjoyed your report, thanks. But, fish rillettes?? Never heard of fish prepared that way, but I'm always willing to experiment and learn. Any idea what fish it was and what kind of fat? I may have to make a special visit just for that.

Carol: pester away!!! Any questions feel free!

Cruzer: I’m gonna take a wild guess and say it was some kinda lightly smoked whitefish or tuna-like. Not sure of the fat they used. But well worth having. I’d highly recommend it.

Beans--be careful what you say!! The listing says "satellite TV" Any English channels?

Sounded like a nice first day. Enjoy today too.

This gets better all the time. Smoked as well. I imagine I'll have to stop by and try it out. Thanks.

Nice report, thanks. I think the gate at the top of the hill (past Club Fantastico) is only operated by a remote control. I've never seen a guard there.

Biturbo--Years ago, that gate was open during the day and then closed at night, I guess manually by a guard. When we stayed at Green Cay Villas, we often used the gate at the top of the hill during the day.

Isn't the french butter so much better? Great pictures, have a great trip

Love your tenacity of life, go for the gusto!!! Loving your reports and how much you, your family and friends, and of course the Irish Cannonball, are enjoying each day as it comes. God bless!

Thought I posted this earlier but don’t see it. Pull right up close to the gate from the inside. Did that a month ago and it opened. Not sure about outside coming in.

I would think that the “Irish Cannonball “ appreciates the water temps v.s. Hampton or Rye Beach. “ Hey look Dad my legs are turning blue” is what I am use to hearing taking the family back north.

Carol you asked about the satellite tv? I honestly haven't even touched the TV yet will look this morning, I know that the boy found Netflix on one of the TVs. Will let you know!

OK, thanks!! We're old, like my TV in the evening after dinner!

Travel Hat!! Great call on the NH beaches!! I grew up in those waters and still haven't gotten use to it after all these years. It's a trip to watch kids come our with blue lips and shivering in August. We are spoiled living that close to the ocean but it's a different kinda spoiled on that ocean.

The gate at that end was closed to visitors to stop tour buses and traffic from entering the complex. Back in the day residents, especially at that end with the great views couldn't even get in their driveways with all the buses stopped there to let folks out to get pictures. Blew away a lot of privacy. Now, residents are issued clickers to open the gate.

Elaine--thanks for that info. Makes sense!

Sounds like you’re having an awesome time! Enjoy!