This is an unexciting trip report -- we did nothing much, certainly nothing new, but I have appreciated all the reports others have filed so much, that now it's my turn to give back. Third time on the island for me and my husband.

Uneventful flight down from Boston via San Juan on AA, but we were at Logan by 4AM (so early!) for the 7'oclock flight. Met at the SXM airport by someone from AAA, and my husband goes off to get our car while the three teenagers and I wait at the airport. My daughter and her friend (conveniently both named Ellen) change into their swimsuits to "be ready". My son reads a book. My husband arrives with the gold(!) Corolla, and we are on our way! Amazingly, all the people(5) and all the bags fit in the car.

We arrive at Orient Village, and the girls leave the car and head straight for the water. The other three of us need to get organized! I leave my son in charge of watching the idiots in the water, then the grownups head for the Cap Caraibes rental office and check in, without problems, to Villa Modigliani which is behind Waikiki and Caribbean Princess. We then walk across the beach to retrieve our caribbean princesses and give them towels. (We also dipped in the ocean.) A rinse in the pool, then off to dinner at Bistro Belge, next to Tap Five in the Village d'Orient. Burgers for the kids, Stella Artois and mussels for the grumps, then the kids ran off for crepes at the ice cream/creperie while we enjoyed vanilla rum. An early bedtime was inevitable.

I woke about 3 AM with a horrible migraine, and realized later that it was from caffeine withdrawal -- none since about 3AM the night before when we left for the airport. I hadn't had any on the plane because I wanted to sleep! Never again -- must feed the beast! This morning set the pattern for all our morning (tho no more migraines, fortunately -- the monkey on my back got his fix regularly). Coffee (brought from home), with juice and croissants from the Tap Five grocery every morning, and everyone was happy.

We spent the first day at Orient Beach on the chairs at La Playa that came with the Cap Caraibes Realty rental. Very convenient. No one had any ambition; we soaked up the sun. That night we went to the TTOL party at Baywatch, organized by Sugarae. As we say in MA, wicked good! The Ellens also attended, and if only there had been some 15 year old boys also in attendence, it would have been wicked pissah' good!

Friday coffee and croissants for breakfast, and we are adopted by cats. Our villa rental cat is black, well-groomed, and very conscientious -- he is there every morning, and again in the afternoon when we return. (Okay, I did buy some cat food for him.) The other cat, a calico, likes the attention but disdains our food. She makes only guest appearances. Two other cats drop by for occasional visits over the week.

We head for Pinel and some snorkelling -- not sure where to go, but we all see some fish. My husband sees a huge school of cuttlefish, and I don't -- I am jealous even today. Pinel was hot, windy, beautiful. I do see flounder and those yellow and blue fish that shriek "Tropical! Not Massachusetts!" so I am happy.

For supper the kids get take out pizza from Tap Five, and the adults go to Cotes Plage in Orient Village. A nice meal there, fantastic tuna carpaccio appetizer. The main coures were okay -- I had a nice risotto, and my husband had tuna again, but it was seriously overdone, with no waiter in sight until we had finished the meal. At that point he offered to bring another serving, but it was way too late, so we declined. The best part of the evening was the band in front of Cotes Plages "Papa Guyo" -- excellent rock/reggae. We returned to the villa, dragged out the teens, and fed them more crepes while we listened to the band. They commented that Worcester MA just doesn't have the same appeal. No balmy summer patios, no boules to watch, no outdoor bands, no creperies...

Saturday we laid around on OB again, and did nothing. Nothing! Even the kids were happy with -- Nothing! Sand gravity erased the generation gap. For dinner we got off our behinds and went to La California. Teens -- pasta and pizza, Adults -- steak with foie gras, and fish. Very nice. Dessert was very popular -- more crepes.

Sunday more snorkelling at Dawn Beach. My husband again claimed to see a school of cuttlefish (but now I doubt his veracity), and we both saw an enormous school of bright blue iridescent fish, and followed them for several minutes over the coral. So beautiful.
Lunch at Ms. B's, ribs and burgers for the kids.
Pizza (what else?) at Tap Five for the kids, and duck for me and tuna (what else?) for my husband also at Tap five. Pretty good, with fair desserts.

Monday OB, and some parasailing. For variety, we have pizza for dinner at Le Pimental in Le Village d'Orient, and crepes for dessert at the creperie. Good pizza, good crepes.

Last day-- OB, then Harmony Nights in Grand Case. Very lively. We have supper at Talk of the Town, and return to OB for crepes and ice cream.

A great vacation. We didn't do much -- even the kids were happy to let sand gravity suck them down. Clearly not much in the way of shopping or fine dining or excursions, but we were so sad to leave.