We had an on time and uneventful flight on USAIR out of Philadelphia. We wondered what route we would be taking, avoiding both Hanna and Ike. We ended up with a pleasant flight going southeast to 60 miles west of Bermuda and then straight down.

Got our bags and met Mickey from Tropical-Tropicana, then on to Sharon to pick up a phone. We rented at Royal Islander la Plage and it was very quiet. They are closed now for two weeks of maintenance. They are redoing all the kitchens (new appliances including refrigerator, dishwasher, oven and microwave and new cabinet front panels) and painting the inside of all of the units and they were able to get a head start in the many empty units. The island as a whole was very quiet.

Water was rough on Sunday and got calmer each day as Ike got further away. The weather was great with just a few brief showers.

Breakfasts – Sonesta Maho Buffet, Fashion Café, and Sugar Cane at the Atlantis Casino. Also bought pastries from Atlantico Bakery in Simpson Bay. They were all good, but we really missed Chloe and Thierry at Kissing Fish. Tortuga Beach Bar opened later than usual so we didn’t eat breakfast there.

Dinners – We ate at 6 of our must-do restaurants (unfortunately Spiga closed for vacation the night before we arrived). Wonderful dinners at La Rosa Too, Moulin Fou, Le Montmatre, Pineapple Pete’s, LaGondola, and Peg Leg. We have favorite meals at each of those restaurants. At La Rosa Too we enjoyed a sea scallop appetizer, cheese (gouda) ravioli in a creamy mushroom sauce along with the complimentary bruschetta and warm French bread with the creamy garlic spread/dip. At Moulin Fou and Le Montmatre we enjoyed excellent Dover sole. At Pineapple Pete’s we enjoyed pineapple shrimp cocktails, one lobster thermidor and one rack of lamb, and the crème brulee for dessert. At La Gondola we enjoyed the lobster in puff pastry appetizers, one chicken marsala and one swordfish entrée. At Peg Leg we enjoyed the filet. The service and food was excellent as usual at each of those restaurants.

We also ate at Soprano’s Restaurant for the first time and enjoyed it very much. We were looking forward to the pineapple with berries and ice cream for dessert, but we were both too full to even split a dessert. Next time we’ll save room for it! Most of the restaurants were about half full except for Pineapple Pete’s which was almost full. That must be one of the most if not the most popular restaurant on the entire island.

During the day we did our usual things. Walt wandered some beaches and read. I read, swam laps, and got a massage every day! Noemi from The Good Life Spa has been giving me massages for 8 years now. For anyone interested in massages, www.thegoodlifespa.com has a very good web coupon. 10% off the first massage, 20% off the second, 30% off the third, …6th is free. We snacked on Etna ice cream and each evening we spent about an hour at the Casino Royale, contributing $55 for the week between us.

The return USAIR flight was on time and uneventful.

All in all, another very enjoyable trip and we look forward to our next trips in November and January to repeat most of the above.