I realize this next installment is only one day of our trip, but it was one of the most special ever. This was the subject of a very lengthy TTOL discussion before our trip. Our first hand experience should put that all to rest. Enjoy - Rick T
Friday Feb 17
This would be a day to remember. It started out the same as our first five days on the island. A light rain shower at sunrise. Warm sunny day on the beach at Great Bay. Coladas flowing freely. Then around 2:30 it was time to drive to Orient and see Luiz to pick up the swim suit we ordered for Jan. There were no customers at Luiz’s place when we arrived. He pulled out Jan’s suit and began handing her the pieces to try on. Jan popped her top off and tried on the bikini top. It looked great, but I wasn’t sure about the fit. Back to that in a minute. She reluctantly dropped her bottoms to put on the new bottoms. Just as she got them down to her ankles, a male friend of Luiz’s walked into his store with a can of formula for the baby. They were carrying on a leisurely conversation in French while Jan stood there with her old suit around her ankles and the “deer caught in the headlights” expression on her face. I must admit it was priceless and it took great restraint on my part not to break out the camera. She eventually awoke from shock and pulled on the new bottoms. They fit perfect! She also tried on the tankini top and the skirt. They all fit perfect. We decided to re-check the fit of the bikini top and we all agreed something just wasn’t right. There is no delicate way to put this. Jan has very large breasts and the bikini top was just not prepared to harness them. When she lifted her arms level with her shoulders, her boobs started to escape from beneath the under-wire area. Luiz tried a few strap adjustments, but to quote him “the boobs are too big - they will not stay put”.
Luiz figured out how to fix this. He asked where we were staying and we told him Great Bay. He thought it was a little cloudy and cool, so he suggested he close up shop and we follow him to his house, which was on the way to Great Bay. We did just that and when we arrived at his house, he opened it up and showed us his yard and the house that he had built with his own two hands. He has some beautiful property near Oyster Pond. We entered his shop and our jaws dropped when we saw the various sewing machines perched on tables lining all of the walls. Each machine has a specific function, as we would see during the next few hours. We had plenty of time, as our only appointment was a dinner reservation at 7:30. He pulled out the cardboard pattern that he used to make Jan’s original top. He cut new material and liner and started sewing all the pieces together. He made the piping on one machine and added the under-wire pieces on another, explaining each step along the way. Once it started to resemble a bikini bra top, Jan tried it on to make sure the cups would contain “the girls”. After a few tweaks, Luiz got the straps and cups optimized for the job. All through this process, Luiz was telling us about his new son and showed us many pictures of his family and world travel.
Now the bikini top was finished and it fit perfect! We had mentioned to Luiz that we would be bringing friends to see him next week and we may order a sundress for Jan at that time. Well, Luiz was on a roll and he just grabbed a huge roll of fabric from his shelves (the pattern that we picked out) and fished out a basic paper pattern for a sun-dress. He took a few more of Jan’s measurements and within 10 minutes, the dress took shape and was ready to try on. It needed one little strap adjustment and a few minutes later, he had completed a beautiful dress that Jan could wear to dinner tonight.
We got back to Great Bay Hotel in plenty of time to grab showers and join our Rochester friends for dinner. We ate at the Molasses ala carte restaurant at Great Bay. The appetizers were awesome. I had chicken spring rolls with a tangy dipping sauce. Jan had scallops. For dinner Jan had broiled lobster and I had the beef tenderloin. She said the lobster was excellent. The beef was just ok. Cooked right but not very tender. I don’t remember what Jan had for dessert but I had the Crème Brulee’. It was perfectly glazed and very creamy. Jan received compliments on her new dress all through dinner. We hung out by the lobby bar after dinner and discussed our experiences for the day. Out of all the trips to St Martin over the years and so many different things we have seen and done, our afternoon spent with Luiz Gomes will remain one of our most precious memories.
Thank you Luiz for that special afternoon.
Rick & Jan
Photos here 
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