TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Trip Report part 1 (First Timer)

Day 1 Monday 4/13
After a long day of travel on AA (Albuquerque to Dallas to Miami to SXM) we finally arrived, sans luggage, but who cares? I had my suit in the carryon and had instructed hubby to do the same. Communication was sketchy with the property manager in the days before we left, so I was unsure if someone was coming to pick us up. As I hobbled out of the terminal, bleary eyed, I was so relieved to see a driver with our name on his sign! A short drive later, and Marie, the owner of our rental was showing us around our new home. Afterward, we stumbled, cranky and starving, next door to the Calmos Cafe. The rhum punches were strong I and told him to keep em coming. I introduced myself to the owner Alex, who was a sweetie. Since we were neighbors, we were welcome to use their umbrellas and beach chairs anytime, free of charge. We had a bunch of tapas, all were good, but the calamari was great. Since my hubby cannot be denied dessert on vacation, he ordered the coconut tart, even though our eyelids were drooping. I remember that it was excellent, but I do not remember getting into bed that night.
Day 2 Tuesday 4/14
I woke refreshed and rested. Took a walk around the neighborhood till the bakery around the corner opened at 7am. Bought coffee, pastries, and quiche and arrived in time to feed my hubby as he was rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Soon after breakfast, Alain, from Triple A arrived to take us to our car. He’s very knowledgable about the island and local politics, and a nice guy to boot. Once we got the car, we were on a mission to procure supplies. Alain had mentioned Grande Marche for more American products, which wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, but we went there anyway. I picked up a few staples. They had Grey Goose on sale for 23 euros, which was an offer I could not refuse. Our next stop was Simply in Hope Estate. This wound up being our go to for the rest of our trip. The carried more French products, which is exactly what I was after. As a Chef, I was in heaven. We bought cheeses, charcuterie, and many, many products containing duck and/or foie gras. Simply was also a LOT cheaper than Grande Marche. Some identical items were 1/2 the price at Simply. Did I mention that I love this place? After loading up the car with more food than we could ever eat in our short stay, and more than our fair share of wine, we headed back home. Hubby went down to the beach for sun, and I was ready for a nap. I woke an hour later to the driver knocking at the door with our lost luggage. After a shower and a change, we set off for a walk, and make an important decision, where to go for dinner. As we perused menus on the boulevard, I ticked off a list of some of the restaurants that came highly recommended on this forum I’d been stalking for months, TTOL. I told him I was planning on L’Auberge Gourmand for our last night on the island, since it was praised by all. His reply, “We should eat there FIRST, that way we can go again if we really like it.” I LOVE this man and his logic. How could I argue? We walked in and made a reservation for 7 that night. We headed back down to the beach for a few more hours of sun and struck up a conversation with a nice couple. Turns out, they also had reservations at Auberge for 7pm. The restaurant staff were nice enough to put 2 tables together and we enjoyed a great meal and great conversation. Hubby and I both had the foie gras to start…fantastic. I had the Dover sole and he had the seabass…both fantastic. We shared creme brûlée for dessert, also great. We all headed back to the house for a nightcap on the patio with that beautiful view of the beach. It was a perfect day.

Lovely start to the report! Looking forward to hearing the rest of the story!

Thanks
It is always great to read a report from fresh" eyes" about SXM.
SXM??? Wendell

First-timer's reports are always a good read. Thanks for posting. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

A good start to the trip. Glad to hear your luggage arrived and the grocery shopping is done. Hope you have a wonderful trip!

Thanks for taking time to post your report. It's what makes this so informative for others.

Where are you staying in GC?

Judging by the dates in the first post, the OP is already home, I think.

Yes Ron, we're home and it's snowing in Santa Fe. I can practically feel my tan fading already. Norm, we stayed in a beach house I found on VRBO. If you'd like the link, let me know and I'll PM you.

Sounds like a great first day! Thanks for sharing!!