Dec. 7, in the year of Covid 19

Woke up early and decided to go out for breakfast after we finished our coffee. It was a hard call with so many great choices at our fingertips but we decided to turn into EZBeach rather than head out to the Yacht Club and have to come back this direction after we ate since we were planning on seeing friends at their Royal Islander penthouse unit. We also considered The Tortuga but it’s so very peaceful at El Zafiro that it fast became our game plan. Good call - French Toast and a cheese omelet with fresh squeezed orange juice and all was very good as was the service.

We finally headed off to Royal Islander to visit with friends and to see the Benners home for their final week here this trip. It is drop dead gorgeous and the views are spectacular. Their penthouse boasts three bedrooms and three and a half baths and a spectacular terrace which is huge, and along with everything else it has its own hot tub (warm tub, maybe?) where you can relax with a glass of whatever your pleasure and enjoy the views of planes coming and going at the airport or you can also look out towards the RI pool, and all of the Sonesta properties there. And if that doesn’t work for you, their penthouse overlooks Maho Beach which was very under-peopled again today. We hadn’t expected to be wined and dined, but thank you guys, the unanticipated lunch was lovely. You guys are the best and you really shouldn’t have gone to all that trouble. But thank you, thank you. It was much appreciated and totally enjoyed!

Home at last to our 4:00 cocktail hour, and as I was making the pina coladas it occurred to me, we’ve yet to have a BBC this trip. Will have to work on that one.

Dinner tonight was at Sublime in the Maho complex. If you’re coming from the Maho Beach area you drive through the shopping area almost to the end and park on your LEFT - the real left this time - in the car park that’s been there almost forever and you go up to the third level and park towards the front, you can walk through and turn to your left and it’s right there. Easy-peazy!

It is very nice and light years removed in atmosphere from the place that used to be in Simpson Bay. This is a get-dressed-up-for-dinner type of atmosphere and while we walked in without reservations, if tourism continues to pick up, you might want to make them jic.

I’ve heard mixed reviews from others regarding food quality - nothing bad for sure - and our experience was very good. We both enjoyed our meals and found the staff to be very attentive. I suspect they may end up giving Jax a real run for their money.

John had what he said was an incredibly good rib-eye steak and I had a grilled lobster tail that was lovely. They have invested some serious money into this venture and it shows in both decor and staff quality and while we are not gourmet type foodies, we did enjoy two very good dinners. The only negative aspect was we felt the prices had gone up considerably from their Simpson Bay days (which we thought at the time was dirt cheap for the quality of the food served....)but just one look at the place and you immediately know why. It was an excellent choice and I’m glad we got there tonight.

Still no BBC but tomorrow is another day......