After spending a week in St. Martin, I have realized that the island has suddently become a fairly inexpensive tourist destination for those on a budget. This is related to the continuing strength of the dollar versus the French franc. When I started going to SXM in 1991 a dollar was worth 5 francs. It is now worth 7 francs, making hotel rooms and meals a bargain. I am now paying less for both than I did 10 years ago.<br> Apart from the nearly perfect touristic weather, one of the visual advantages of the Caribbean is the rich riot of colors, particularly the turquoise color of the sea, a pleasant contrast from the dull grey of North Atlantic beaches. One can see why Europeans of centuries past were fascinated by the color turquoise where it rarely exists naturally in Europe, when they first encountered it in Turkey. <br> Although I am under no illusion this this complaint will have any effect I feel that motorists drive too fast on the island and the situation has gotten worse. Yet if one were to ask a speeding tourist whey they came to the island they might respond 'to relax'or to 'take it easy'. On the steep hill outside Orient Bay a car travelling much too fast struck a dog trying to cross the road, crippling him severely. After stopping momentarily, the motorist proceded on his merry way, presumably to maim other hapless creatures. This observation is from someone not known to have ever harbored sympathetic feelings for pets. One of the more prepostorous bumper stickers I saw on one speeding car said 'Only the Good Die Young' . That is, to endanger your own life and that of innocent motorists and pedestrians, not to mention the damage done to a delicately-crafted piece of machinery and the workmanship and engineering talent that went into creating, it is considered a virtue. I feel that we are approaching our eventual demise fast enough without hastening the event for ourselves or for others.<br> On cruise ship days at the major beaches I noticed an itinerant saleswoman, struggling with a display board, trying to hawk various pieces of art. She approached possibly 30 people, to no avail. Curious, I approached and noticed that the paintings of French provincial villages and island scenes done on ceramic were quite lovely. She explained that she came from Nice, France and that her husband, an artist living in France with their son, painted and sold his art in France while she sold his art in St. Martin, apparently in this laborious manner. I hope this note will be seen by other travellers who might stop and take a longer look. <br> I am no expert on cuisine of St. Martin, but will mention three restaurants in Grand Case, Nettuno's (Italian), Bistrot Caraibes (French), and Le Mambo (French), that I thought were moderate in price and served good food.<br><br><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Administrator on 7/23/01 01:07 PM.</EM></FONT></P>