Our day started Tuesday with the 1:30am arrival of our car to deliver us to DFW. We arrived at 3 for our 5 am flight and I had the opportunity to scarf down a plate or two of bacon in the Admirals Club before boarding our flight. Mrs. Cruzer, who developed a blood pressure issue during our last trip to SXM and so was off caffeine, had what she declared to be an excellent cup of decaf. A good start.
The trip was uneventful, even the meals served on board. The decaf seemed to be instant. We arrived around 1:15, were the only line outside immigration though the inside lines wound back to the door. The walk to immigration, threading our way through the line, and collecting our bags took about an hour—a normal amount of time prior to Irma.
Getting our rental car from Safari, driving to Grand Case, picking up essentials at the market—Presidente, mineral water, and cat food-- took another hour. But we arrived at Grand Case Beach Club around 3:15—our home for the next 23 nights. The town is busy and it seems to me that we’re still in high season. The hotel’s parking lot is full, and they now give us placards to keep on the dash indicating we’re guests. The public parking lot in town was full last night, as was the “overflow” lot, and plenty of cars parked on the road back to the airport road. I’m glad we walked from GCBC.
Wednesday, we picked up supplies at SuperU, and some great cheeses at Bacchus. Lunched at Le Taitu. I had the veal Milanese which had a nice sized cutlet. I forgot what Mrs. C had and it’s unhealthy for me to ask her at 2:00 am as I’m writing this. We filled up another 10-punch card so one of our lunches was free.
Tonight, we ate at Le Bistronome. We started with their complimentary champagne, an appetizer of the excellent carpaccio of tuna and wahoo in a Tahitian dressing, followed by the mains of a nicely sauced shrimp and rigatoni and a lobster in a puff pastry shell. Dessert was a chocolate and pistachio fudge and 2 cups of decaf cappuccino, finishing with the infused rum. This was one of the better meals we’ve had on the island, and put me in the proper frame of mind to enjoy the next three weeks. The water is warm for this time of the year 82/83 degrees. Yesterday afternoon the pool was way up there, perhaps 88 or so (I didn’t have my nerdy Thermo-pen with me at the pool). We had a bit of Sahara dust upon arrival and on Wednesday, but it seems to have dissipated a bit. Still, sunsets are a bust so far.
The cats are fine, the hotel staff is great, and the bar staff is taking good care of me. I’m still sleeping in shifts, but really enjoying sitting out by the water in the wee hours of the morning when the hotel is quiet.
I haven’t taken too many pictures so far, and so the selection is limited. Among them: a sunset off our deck prior to our flight; a great looking in-flight breakfast whose flavor didn’t match; a sunrise from 30k+ feet somewhere between DFW and CLT; Picasso and Pablo; my lobster in a pastry shell at Bistronome.
Wow, you have an amazing view at home! Congratulations on arriving in paradise! Looking forward to seeing all those culinary masterpieces for the next three weeks or so! Enjoy.
Our first stop was for cat food. Next day we bought regular state-side whole milk--not the shelf stale stuff, high quality kibble, and some inexpensive SuperU house brands of pate and sauced meals. Also, the cats have a standing invite with the French couple, the Lamoles, at 4 pm for another snack session. They have no shame about convincing other hotel guests that they haven't eaten for weeks. BTW, Picasso is the "she" and Pablo is her son.
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