Monday November 7 – Due to forecasted bad weather and the need for road cleanup, schools were canceled on both sides of the island today, so it was a nice surprise to awake to partly sunny skies. We thought it was going to rain later in the day, and there were no cruise ships in port, so the plan is to go to Philipsburg to pickup previously purchased jewelry at DK Gems. The lovely Deepti was in the store today and greeted us with her lovely smile and with open arms. The entire staff is so friendly. The store was quite busy with shoppers and we chatted with quite a few of them, making for a fun morning.

Lunch was at Chesterfield’s, another one of our must go to restaurants. The tables were packed with locals, such a nice sight to see. We bellied up to the bar and the owner, Geoff, came over to say hello and chat for a bit. I ordered the Coconut Shrimp Platter and Marc had Chicken with Pepper Sauce. Both meals were very good and I’ve got plenty of leftovers for breakfast tomorrow. No service charge was added to the bill.

For Happy Hour, we met up with friends, Bill & Elaine, Linda (Jazz Gal) and Ann & Steve at The Palms. It was very nice meeting Linda in person for the first time. it was a fun and entertaining early evening! We passed on eating dinner here as I was still full from the late lunch at Chesterfield's. We headed back to Maho at 8:30, and along the way, stopped at Pollo Hermanos for takeout chicken. For $20 you get a Roasted Chicken, two sides and two soft drinks. It's a great deal, and it really hit the spot for a casual dinner on the balcony. There’s plenty of leftovers for tomorrow too.

We did not see a drop of rain today, so probably could've gone to the beach. Our time on St. Maarten is quickly running out, and I want a tan!