TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin First Week's report

We’ve now been on the island for over a week, and are proud to announce that we’ve really done as little as possible without requiring an intervention.

Our day started at 1:00 am on July 11th for a 2:45 pickup and a 5:00 am departure from DFW via CLT. The flights were uneventful and easy getting through immigration quickly only to sit at bag claim seemingly forever. Got the rental car from Hertz this time, stopped to pick up some Presidente, fizz water and cat food, rolling into GCBC around 3:00 PM.

Found 2 of the 3 cats immediately, with the 3rd coming around a few days later. Pablo had tapeworms, so we later picked up meds from the vet and dosed him. Tuesdays they have a Guest Mixer, so we hit that and made a meal out of appetizers. Everything seemed to be in order. After getting a few sunset photos we watched TV for a while and went to sleep early.

The hills are mostly green and we get the frequent, brief rain. It is hot and humid, but there is a nice breeze, gusty at times that makes 80 plus degree dew points more bearable. Water temperature is 84-85, rising to 86 in the shallows on the Grand Case Beach side of the resort during the afternoon. The pool is most like bath water during the afternoon. Ideal temps for me.

As we age, our appetites decrease, so we no longer seek out 2 full meals a day, plus continental breakfast. Sunset Café has puffier and crisper croissants than they have at L’Express in Hope Estate, so I just mosey over to the café and bring a few back to eat by the water. We do one “big” meal a day, usually lunch, with the other meal being leftovers, or cheeses, pates and tapenades on baguette or crackers.

On our first full day we rediscovered Grape Wine as we needed cheeses and are not too impressed with Super-U’s offerings. Nice to have them around and they do have a decent, though limited, cheese offering. They do have quite a few pates, confits, pickles, olives and other assorted goodies. Oh, we did pick up a few wines as well.

If I were forced, I could survive, perhaps even thrive on a diet of carpaccio/tartar, fries, and a newly re-acquainted friend—Caesar Salad. We’ve twice eaten dinner at Sunset Café—more from laziness—but they do do raw fish well. Other meals have been at Le Taitu, Yvettes, Bistrot Caraibes, Le Tropicana, Bistro Nu, and Cool Heure.

Cool Heure is a new place for us, just outside of Grand Case, beyond the Post Office on the way to Marigot. I think it’s just open for lunch, with daily lunch specials, geared to the French residents. I had a calamari in a cream sauce, but they had other things on the menu I haven’t seen elsewhere. I plan to return, especially since Le Taitu is now closed for a while.

Other seasonal closures that affect us are Be Kool and Le Bistronome. I’m sure we’ll discover others.

We hit the Marigot Market on Saturday, and the vendors were sparse. Sadly, the Secret Spot lady will not be coming back from France, but her husband is doing much better. We picked up some candies from Miss Nita, and a patty and conch soups from Miss Ebby’s. Le Gout du Vin was having a tasting and offering 20% off the tasted wines, so we bought some crémant and sangiovese for a shade over $10 each. Makes our Chateau Neuf du Pape last longer.

Sunday was our massage day that has become a fixture for us lately. Patty Healing Hands gives us each a 90-minute work-over. I’m amazed at all the sore spots she works out that I didn’t even know were tensed/knotted up. I can get by on one. Mrs. Cruzer has another scheduled later.

We are proceeding in the slow lane, and we’re perfectly happy with that. In the 16 years we’ve been coming here we’ve only gone to another beach twice, staying at this hotel’s two beach exclusively. OK, when we stay at Mary’s Boon, we’re either there or next door at Karakter, but that’s a home-based beach. We’re still here till Aug 7, and Mrs. Cruzer’s brother and his wife join us the last week. I should be fully rested by then.

I'm not seeing the captions I entered. Are they there?

Very nice trip report and pictures.

We share a lot of the same tastes in food and restaurant selections.
I’m hoping that Cool Heure and Le Bistronome are open in early September.

I cannot see the picture captions either.

Great photos. Looking forward to your future reports.

Beautiful photos, but no captions. I tried to add them once as well, and it didn't work.

Captions have to be added BEFORE you upload the picture.

Thanks for the nice report and great photos. We've never been to the GCBC or Sunset Cafe. Have to try that.

Lovely report and pictures! Looking forward to seeing more!

Ah, before uploading the pic, not after.

Nice report and pictures. I had trouble with adding captions too but Carol schooled me and know I know better.

Very nice report and pictures. Thanks!

I enjoyed your trip report and pictures. Is Le Taitu closed for vacation or some other reason? This has been one of our favorite places for lunch for the past 11 years.

I enjoyed your trip report and pictures. Is Le Taitu closed for vacation or some other reason? This has been one of our favorite places for lunch for the past 11 years.

Sounds like a wonderful relaxing trip!

Same question as DavidMartha----Le Taitu closed only for vacation or something else?

Taitu's is a seasonal closure. I believe they reopen in mid-to-late August.