The French Fry Tour--Trip Report Continues

The French Fry Trip Report Continues…………

One day we headed to Orient for lunch, to check out Le Telegraphe , which is relatively new in Orient Village. They have a big restaurant, with seating with ocean view, as well as going all the way through to the square.



It is managed (owned?) by the guy from Calmos Café, Alex. The menu for lunch is mostly kind of tapas stuff, plus specials from the board.



We both ordered off the specials board. I probably made the wrong choice for my lunch, swayed by, you guessed it, FRENCH FRIES! The lady was describing the specials, including the crab tartar, which had guacamole, which I HATE, but I got it, figuring the guac would be served on the side. It turns out, the green goo was all over the top of the crab.




The fries though, were da BOMB, easily a 5 FF rating. Eric’s meal of the shrimp Mediterranean style


was excellent and we ended up switching meals, as he doesn’t share my loathing of guacamole. Afterwards, we got a free shot of ginger rum, the only place we got one this trip. Overall, a solid 4 FF rating, drug down by my poor choice of an entre and my personal loathing of guacamole.

OK, that’s it for French fries! On to the rest of the trip report, in no particular order..

WEATHER
WOW, it was hot. We had not been to SXM in October for a while and we were hot this time. There often was little or no breeze. Thank goodness that there is a/c in the living room/dining/kitchen area at Beachside now! We had a huge rainstorm one afternoon, got our shoes soaked going into Super U, but otherwise, no rain during the day, pretty much beautiful weather. It was beautifully clear the first couple of days, we could see Saba so clearly..



Then the middle of the week, we had some big waves out front and Saba disappeared for a while, but eventually she reappeared, beautiful as ever. I never get tired of looking at her!!

TRAFFIC
What’s that?? Except for a bit of a slowdown in Marigot one day, we had basically no traffic, which was lovely. Of course it was October.


PLACES WE DIDN’T GET TO
Places that we planned on getting to that we didn’t.. Saved for next time, I guess!! We had intended to go to Roxxy Beach. We passed by there a few times and just didn’t make time to stop. We keep passing by the ‘new’ casino in Simpson Bay, where the Gourmet Grand Marche used to be, and have never stopped in there. Anyone know if they have table games there?? If not, I don’t ever need to stop there. I kind of wanted to go to La Palapa Grill. We were just too lazy, ate a lot of meals in. We went for steak to Jax instead, which I was not impressed with. See the first part of the French fry tour report regarding Jax.

BEACHES
Other than Mullet, we didn’t actually go the BEACH anywhere except at Beachside Villas. See our Perfect Mullet Day report for that. Beachside had some big waves during the middle of the week, but most of the time, it was pretty calm.



Honestly, I find myself not being that much of a BEACH person any more anyway. I prefer to LOOK at the beach, versus getting sand all over me, or getting in the ocean, but that’s just me. I spend a lot of time at BSV sitting in my big comfy chair in the living room




or sitting under the gazebo at the pool, reading my book.



We went to Orient several times, but ate lunch or met people, didn’t spend any time sunbathing and didn’t get to the Club O beach at all. We didn’t go to Friars either, although I thought we might, but decided it wasn’t worth the trouble, primarily because everyone says the road is SO bad these days. Anse Marcel Beach Club was closed, so we didn’t have to make a choice whether to go there. And then again, there is Beachside, which is my favorite place on earth anyway, so why go anywhere else??.

CAR RENTAL
We rented through Alain Arnell at TTOL sponsor AAA Car Rental . We had a very unusually colored car, for SXM.



Myra said that the car was an Irma survivor, which accounted for it’s bumps and bruises, but frankly, I much prefer having a car that’s beat up, so long at the a/c works great and the car goes up and down the road, which this one did. And forgive a lame joke here. “We don’t ALWAYS rent from AAA, but when we do, it is always Dos Bueno. “

GROCERY STORES
We eat in a LOT at SXM. We didn’t used to, but we do now. We usually bring a very small cooler with some meats from home, and buy a lot of stuff on island. We bought our first day supplies at Carrefour Cole Bay . It’s pretty close to Beachside, a quick hop over the Causeway, and you don’t have to deal with Simpson Bay traffic, although there was very little of that this time. We got liquor there, and American stuff that we can’t get at Super U, like Florida’s Natural orange juice, which is all I drink for OJ, since it’s made 10 miles from our house. I try to get stuff like butter, sour cream, and half and half there also, since we don’t read French. We were able to buy Lay’s potato chips for $2.50, which was shocking, as far as a price, along with the fact that they were actually fresh. Last trip we did pick up some Super U chips that actually were quite good. We bought a half lobster, pre-cooked, and enjoyed it one night, along with a steak from home.



Sorry, we butchered the lobster getting it out of the shell..

Virtually all of our breakfasts were done at 'home', although we had plenty of those pastries from Le Suciere and elsewhere some days




And we usually tried to keep ourselves from getting too thirsty, even at breakfast..



Lunches were usually burgers or grilled chicken or ribs on the grill





The Carrefour Cole Bay does not have a particularly great selection of liquor and their wine prices STINK, compared to even the Carrefour by Mark’s . We went to the Carrefour by Mark’s for some wine a couple of times, when we were in the area, and we got the pre-seasoned ribs there, which we buy basically every trip.
Our normal go-to store on SXM, especially for wine, is the Super U Their wine prices are just stupid cheap, compared to most anywhere else on island, except for Leader Price, which does have good prices on the wines they happen to have at that moment in time, but a much smaller selection than Super U. Super U has a great selection of fresh fruits, wonderful pastries, and nice meats, although we didn’t actually buy any meats there this time. I saw some lamb chops there I really wanted one day, but it was close to the end of our trip and we weren’t sure we had time to cook them. They normally have pre-made kabobs there, but of course the one day we went there specifically to get them, they were out. We went to the Super U in Marigot most of the time, as it was much closer to us, but we did stop at the one at Hope Estates, and it seemed just as great as Marigot, although possibly slightly smaller. We picked up single items from time to time at the Maho Market but in general their prices negated any convenience factor to shopping there. Both Super U and Carrefour no longer provide free bags, and in order to get a shopping cart, you need to deposit a coin to unlock the cart. A US quarter works. You get the coin back when you return the cart.

SHOPPING
We did almost none, which is actually fine with Eric, I know! One day we went downtown, as I wanted to check out the ‘new’ sort of, Rima store, which is called Kenny’s . It is located ocean side, really close to the casino that’s maybe a block to the right, if you’re standing at the courthouse, facing the water. The store has an OK selection of Rima stuff, although they didn’t have the type of sundress I wanted, as I guess they don’t make them anymore. I bought a couple anyway, along with some kitchen hot pads that said St. Maarten on them. Big spender!!
We went by TTOL sponsor Caribbean Gems . I had a necklace which needed to be repaired, as the stone seemed lose, which they were happy to do, even though I didn’t buy it there. I looked briefly for some earrings to match, but the stone is pretty light colored, so it was tough to find anything to match. Eric breathed a sigh of relief..

PARKING IN MIAMI
We parked for years at Miami Fast Park. Last year we screwed up and ended up parking at the airport itself, for something like $20 a day, so we knew we had to find another solution! We ended up with Miami Park N Fly , which I think will be our parking solution in future. There are a bunch of other places that are cheaper, but you get what you pay for, I guess! Most of the online reviews talked about a bad part of town, bad shuttle service, etc., etc. Park & Fly does have some specials and discounts available, so scout around. We ended up paying $10 a day, including all taxes, etc., for valet (which I guess is all they have). You drive up, park your car, they help you get your bags out of the car, and walk 20 feet to the waiting bus. On your return, they having shuttles running all the time, or you can call or text them to say you are waiting. We arrived around 8 PM, by the time we got our bags, etc., and we did call them, but the shuttle was literally only a couple of doors down. When you board the bus, you give the driver your claim check and they call and your car is waiting for you by the bus stop, when you arrive. Pretty slick service!

TRIP HOME
We drove by AAA from Beachside and they took us in our car to the airport. We arrived at the airport around 1:15 for a 4 PM flight. We had not checked in online. We checked our bag and were through security, sitting at the gate, by about 1:40. This was a Monday, so the airport was not crowded, although I figured it would be more crowded than it was, as there was an Air France which was due to leave 15 minutes before us. So, we were ‘forced’ to go the bar, as we already reported here. They have internet at Taloula Mango and at Domino’s for sure. There was supposed to be free airport wide internet by now, but there is not. We split a burger from Johny Burger, which was actually quite good.

As we boarded the plane, I noted with a great deal of pleasure that there was a RAMP going to the plane at the front, as well as stairs to the back. Our seats were at the back, but after having to ask the fellow TWICE (nicely, I might add and stating the reason why), they did allow me to use the ramp instead of the stairs to get to the plane. I have a BIG problem with stairs, so that was good. I REALLY wish the airport would get ramps for all planes, as it is very difficult for many people to use the stairs.
Our flight left on time and was actually virtually full, unlike the trip down, which was only about 2/3 full. We had made a baguette sandwich to have on the plane, so we ate that so we wouldn’t have to stop for something to eat on the drive home. We arrived on time in Miami. Since it is difficult for me to walk long distances or to stand for long time periods, I got wheelchair assistance in Miami (but not in SXM). I would say that it saved us easily 35-40 minutes and a lot of physical discomfort. Last time we came into Miami, I had a very hard time.

So 3.5 hours drive home from Miami and we were home, around midnight, to our very happy puppies! Another lovely trip. Wish I could go back tomorrow!!

Thanks for all your trip reports Carol. Sounds like you had another lovely time. I am looking forward to visiting some of your places again in November.

You're welcome! Enjoy your trip!

We arrive mid-afternoon on a Sunday (12/1). Thanks for the photos & menu of Le Telegraphe. If we could park & keep the car in view it would be the ideal choice for lunch before we check in & crash at CF. We've thoroughly enjoyed your reports.

Biturbo--I am not sure you could see your car from there. I personally am very loathe to do anything like that. Why can't you go by CF and just dump your bags and have them hold them for you? Wouldn't they let you do that??

Thanks for more great reports and pictures. Sounds like a very laid-back trip. Mine will be less so. I realized that for my first (of three) weeks in Nov/Dec, I have a commitment every day the first week. Aargh!!

Yikes!! I guess the good news is that it's at the beginning! Then you have the rest of your vacation to recover from your vacation!!

We could also do that, Carol. It's just that once we check in, we like to veg, meet the other guests, and catch the few remaining rays of sun. Last year we were fortunate to get a parking spot next to Yellow Sub. The village has many options - but Le Telegraphe looks and sounds very inviting. We always make sure to take daily notes for a TR.

Le Telegraphe is great, yes. I just personally do not want to take any chances, especially first thing when one arrives. That would ruin the whole trip. Just sayin'..

Looking forward to your trip report!

So the big takeaway here is that Carol really, really does NOT like guacamole.

Yup!! You got it!!! A client of mine brought us by a HUGE home grown avocado the other day. Eric said thanks.

Le Telepgraphe was very good overall, just I made a poor choice.

Where exactly is Le Telegraphe in the Village? Did it take the place of another restaurant? Don't remember seeing it in January.

I think Le Telegraphe only opened up around June of this year. The location is on the right hand side of the road, as you face the ocean,, on the main drag in Orient Village. It is past the condo rental place there on the right hand side.

Ok thx

Across the square from Le Piment and Sao.

Carol, you said you haven't bought butter at Super U. Next time buy French butter and yogurt---soo much tastier, creamier. If you're concerned about certain ingredients just nicely ask a French shopper. I found they are happy to help. A lady told me which she preferred then added her daughter liked another so we bought a couple of each. Both were far better than youplait. She even suggested we buy another brand Rose wine than the one we had chosen. Not only did it cost less but tasted better.

Rosemary--I normally buy Presidente, I think, for butter, or sometimes Kerrygold. The thing I have trouble with is sour cream, because there are so many things there that look like sour cream and not sure which one to pick. I don't normally buy yogurt..

Thank you for the trip reports. We thoroughly enjoy them. I must say you are getting a little boring like we are. Beachside Villas sound very much like the Flamboyant Building at SBR. We wish we had a personal grill like you do but it just forces us to dine out more.

Yup, we have gotten totally boring. We cook out ALL the time at home and I really would have a hard time dealing with not having a grill on vacation. A big part of relaxation for us these days is just being able to cook a decent meal at 'home' and not go anywhere..

One of the many attributes of BSV is, in my opinion, the availability of the barbecue grills to the individual units. Even when we used to go for a bare week, HAVING to eat EVERY meal out got old. FAST! Not saying we will or won’t cook many meals in but having the option to do so is a HUGE plus for us,too, particularly when staying for a longer vacation. And you sure can’t beat the dining area’s ambience on the porch at BSV.

Pat--if you do decide to cook in this time, you definitely should check out the pre-seasoned ribs at Carrefour. The package seems to make just around the right number of ribs for us for one meal. Also check out the pre-made kabobs, at either Carrefour or Super U, if you get there. They don't always have them, but they are a nice thing to have, as compared to 'just' a steak on the grill.

Loving your reports and photos, Carol.

I don't know if they make me happy or sad, since we will be missing another
BSV / SXM visit this November.
We can't wait to get back and see all those beautiful photos in person once again!!!

We do go out to dinner, but every year we started to enjoy our dinners, on the deck at BSV, more and more.

I really miss talking to the girls----and the rest of the staff. After all these years, they really feel like family.

Carol,

You mean like - go to the grocery store and shop? Really? Moi? You silly girl! I’m one of Jeannie Gunthanen’s strongest advocates for a reason!

IF we cook in at all, it would most likely be a couple of ribeyes on the grill that I froze solid and brought from home. Think about who you’re talking to here!

But TY for the suggestion, jic.

Pat--Sorry, I lost my head!! Yes, we bring ribeyes from home, as well as boneless skinless breasts, etc.

Terri--us too. Years ago, we would go out EVERY day, for lunch AND dinner. Now, that's just too much work. It is great to see the same faces, year after year. We talk a lot to the night guard.

Carol, I also remember sitting and sitting at the table trying to figure out how to post
pictures for you of BSV-----You've made it a lot easier, but I still can't get them like yours.

I have time to practice!!

Teri--when do you go back?

I take good pictures because a have a good camera, that does everything for me.

Like Carol we on't beach it as much as years ago but we still eat out. But now hubby hates to drive at night so we look for places offering full meals at lunch and then snack at night like salads and wine outside watching the clouds and sunset sky. Doesn't get any better than that.

If I remember correctly Carol it would be a Nikon?
I am a diehard Canon fan, but I am enjoying the pics!

The important point is that it is a camera... Not a phone
It does not matter how many megapixels you have
It is all about sensor size

So I guess I have to admit - size does matter

Yup, Nikon!! I don't take phone pictures, no. Glad you're enjoying the pics!

Not till April.

Early or late April, Terry? We are there for nine nights and then at GCBC for a bit longer. Hopefully our dates will jive and our paths will cross but if not at BSV, then maybe at Rosie’s?

I agree Pat . We always enjoyed the grills at BSV or any of the many places we have stayed at over the years. However now, travelling alone it is just not as much fun to cook and dine in alone. I go to St. Maarten now to meet up with friends and enjoy their company. Life is so different now in so many ways.

Elizabeth---I'm sure that's true... Take care and best wishes.