EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Cocktail Party – Friends staying in Terres Basses hosted a cocktail party at their stunning villa. It started raining just before the sun set, but the views from their patio were beautiful. I was delighted to be invited, and it was a lovely evening with friends.







Thanksgiving at Horny Toad – It’s traditional for there to be a Thanksgiving dinner at Horny Toad Guest House. The innkeepers provide a turkey (or two, depending upon number attending), and guests bring side dishes. It’s held under the pavilion and is a very nice time. I wish I had taken more pictures. The spicy noodle salad was one of my two contributions, and that’s Innkeeper Doug carving the turkey. There were about twelve of us this year.





Open House at Pelican Cove

“Indi” on this board hosted an open house at her beautiful villa in Pelican Cove. It was catered by Vesna, who did a marvelous job of providing yummy treats.



For the second year in a row (Indi had an open house last year also), we were treated to a green flash. This time, I got a picture of it!



It was another lovely evening with friends.

BEACH

I went to Divi, where I have a timeshare, for a beach day as the water is normally calm there. It was nice to be back at Divi, but I am finding that the more time I spend at Horny Toad, the more it feels like “home.” I like the size and intimacy of Horny Toad compared to the sprawling resort atmosphere at Divi and am considering trying to sell my nonmandatory contracts. My unit is to the far right behind the tree.





EATING

Cool Heure – This little “dive” is one of my favorite places on the island; it’s located on the corner where you turn to go to Happy Bay and/or the back entrance to Friar’s Bay Beach Restaurant. I think mostly locals frequent Cool Heure; as you can see, the menu is only in French with no English “subtitles.” I had the second duck entrée listed, and it was one of the two best duck meals I enjoyed this trip. I wanted to return but it just didn’t work out. If you like French cooking in an informal atmosphere, this is the place!





The Palms

I was still full from the above lunch when I went to The Palms to say goodbye to friends who were leaving the island the next day. I had a nutritious dinner of an espresso martini and pumpkin cheesecake. Greg really makes some delicious desserts!





Emilio’s – I read that Emilio’s had opened for lunch on Thursday through Saturday and a friend and I decided to give it a try. I had pumpkin ravioli for an appetizer and a fabulous duck salad for the entrée. The ravioli had a tomato sauce, which I thought odd paired with pumpkin, but the salad was out-of-this-world good. This dish is tied with Cool Heure for the two best duck dishes of the trip.



The tree trunks have interesting formations.



L’Astrolabe – I had wanted to go to Sunset Café at Grand Case Beach Club for breakfast but was not allowed to drive down to the restaurant. Since I didn’t want to walk down and back up the hill, I went to L’Astrolabe for breakfast. The restaurant is situated next to the pool, making for a relaxing ambiance. The food was very good, and apparently my jeweler thought so too.





Mario’s Bistrot

A friend and I decided to try Mario’s as we hadn’t been to its latest location in The Cliffs. The restaurant is gorgeous. I had the duck, which is supposed to be a signature dish. Both my friend and I thought the food was just okay and not worthy of the high prices charged. On the plus side, the service was informed and attentive.





RANDOMS

A Simpson Bay sunrise.


Fiery sky after sunset.


Yacht “Venus” owned by the Steve Jobs family. He never got to see it set sail before passing.


Pretty colors reflected on the bay.


Garden at Horny Toad.