Posted By: ProfLangue
Trip Report ?? - 07/25/2017 08:56 PM
I rarely write a trip report since the one I wrote about ten years ago, specifying the restaurants my husband and I had patronized, what we ate, prices, service, etc.
I thought it would be informative, but was accused of thinking I was a food critic. I know there are trolls on every site, but still decided it was no longer worth my effort.
My husband and I had been coming to St. M since '98 and considered it, like many of you, our special place, our retreat.
When I lost him in Dec., 2011, I didn't think I could possibly return, but I did - that very first summer, along with some of his ashes that I set off from two of his favorite beaches - Friar's and Baie Rouge - to send him on another adventure.
Every year since, I bring friends with me, "losing myself" in showing them my St. M. This year was different; my second week guest had to cancel at the last minute, due to a family emergency, so when my initial guest left, I found myself "alone". I placed that in quotes because I have friends on island, both residents and those who we meet up with every year, but my actual living arrangements were solo.
So many complain about the increase in crime, etc. which is true - in fact, last Monday my friend and I were prevented from turning into a side street in Philipsburg because of police tape across the street. We later found out that an attempted robbery of a jewelry store on Front Street had occurred just prior to our arrival. But that doesn't blind me to the beauty of the island.
By being alone (at times), I experienced a catharsis; I found a new beauty on the island by not sharing it, in the moment, with someone else. Today, for instance, I went to Karakter alone (having already been to a different beach each of the past ten days). By 11:30, there were no chairs to be found, so I went to Plan B and walked to the far end to settle in at El Zafiro. What a great choice - being practically alone on the beach (two women on my far left, one man on my far right), pastis in hand, incredibly blue and green water under gorgeous blue skies, I'm now feeling the urge to travel the world alone, glomming onto the notion of being the mysterious woman. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />
I thought it would be informative, but was accused of thinking I was a food critic. I know there are trolls on every site, but still decided it was no longer worth my effort.
My husband and I had been coming to St. M since '98 and considered it, like many of you, our special place, our retreat.
When I lost him in Dec., 2011, I didn't think I could possibly return, but I did - that very first summer, along with some of his ashes that I set off from two of his favorite beaches - Friar's and Baie Rouge - to send him on another adventure.
Every year since, I bring friends with me, "losing myself" in showing them my St. M. This year was different; my second week guest had to cancel at the last minute, due to a family emergency, so when my initial guest left, I found myself "alone". I placed that in quotes because I have friends on island, both residents and those who we meet up with every year, but my actual living arrangements were solo.
So many complain about the increase in crime, etc. which is true - in fact, last Monday my friend and I were prevented from turning into a side street in Philipsburg because of police tape across the street. We later found out that an attempted robbery of a jewelry store on Front Street had occurred just prior to our arrival. But that doesn't blind me to the beauty of the island.
By being alone (at times), I experienced a catharsis; I found a new beauty on the island by not sharing it, in the moment, with someone else. Today, for instance, I went to Karakter alone (having already been to a different beach each of the past ten days). By 11:30, there were no chairs to be found, so I went to Plan B and walked to the far end to settle in at El Zafiro. What a great choice - being practically alone on the beach (two women on my far left, one man on my far right), pastis in hand, incredibly blue and green water under gorgeous blue skies, I'm now feeling the urge to travel the world alone, glomming onto the notion of being the mysterious woman. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />