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Saint Maarten/Saint Martin



“From the very beginning of time, God has desired to express His love to me. As the Creator and Father, He intricately designed the universe, the endless stars in the sky, the beauty of each sunset, spectacular mountain ranges and the peaceful calm of ocean waves-all for the sole purpose of sharing them with me! As if this was not enough, more than 2000 years ago God took the form of human flesh, living on this earth as Jesus Christ, so that there could be no mistake of His good purposes for me.”

This was an excerpt from Unleash His Spirit by Eric Watt. We use this book as our daily devotional. This so well described the way we felt as we sat on our balcony overlooking the Caribbean Sea and trying to create a permanent mental picture of all the beauty that is prevalent on the island of Saint Maarten/Saint Martin.

Saint Maarten/Saint Martin is a dual-nation-island and a record breaker, being the smallest land mass in the world to be shared by two sovereign nations-France and The Netherlands. Of the island’s 37 square miles, 20.5 are on the French side, 16.5 on the Dutch side. There are 32 immaculate beaches, which have been said to be the most beautiful in the world.

The official languages are Dutch, English and French. The trade winds keep the temperature 66-89 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter months and 72-89 Fahrenheit in the summer months with frequent tropical showers. The island is known as the friendly island, and it lives up to its name.

Our home away from home was LaVista. The resort is on the Dutch side and just two miles from the airport. We have stayed at LaVista before and highly recommend it, if you prefer a quiet, smaller resort. It is family owned and one member of the family is usually in the office. The staff is very accommodating and efficient. We also recommend the restaurant, The Hideaway, located poolside at LaVista, especially when they have entertainment.

After we checked out our accommodations and the beauty of our surroundings, we ventured off to the French side of the island. It was market day, yippee! We paid a visit to the “spice lady” very well known to locals and travelers alike--“THE” place to purchase your spices. Lunch at Rosemary’s Seafood and Creole outdoor restaurant was very good with friendly service.

Philipsburg, the capitol of St. Maarten, is a great place to shop, but don’t go when the cruise ships are in. It will be too congested and you will probably get a better buy when there are no cruise ships in port.

Have you ever spent quality time observing butterflies? The Butterfly Farm in Saint Martin is fascinating to children as well as adults. The netted covered enclosure is filled with 30 to 35 different species of butterflies and the lush foliage of plants and flowers that butterflies are attracted to is extremely impressive. I even received a real butterfly kiss when one of the butterflies landed on my lips.

Traveling on the same road where the butterfly farm is located you will come to a secluded, family beach, Galion Beach, perfect for the whole family because the water in the inlet is shallow. We had lunch there at the Tropical Wave Restaurant. Food, atmosphere and service could not have been more enjoyable.

A delightful day was spent sailing and snorkeling and visiting the beautiful island of Anguilla. We snorkeled off the island known as Prickly Pear and saw a vast number of fish and different formations and types of coral. An outdoor lunch overlooking the majestic and spell bounding azure waters of the Caribbean was provided for us on the island of Anguilla.

Two restaurants we recommend on the French side are La Marine restaurant at Grand Case on Plage Beach and Tropicana Restaurant located on the Marina Port La Royale. The cuisine is superb and all meals are served with the salutation “Bon Appetit,” which just makes the food taste even better.

“An island is defined by the sea, whose whims carve out the charm and the character of these rocks scattered throughout the ocean. Some are arid and barren. Others, blessed by are a joy to behold, a haven in which the mind and the body find rest. In our port of the world, islands often represent a paradise regained. Saint Martin is one of these. In fact, it is one of the most beautiful. Lying between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, her shores have been beautifully sculled by the tides to form a perfectly balanced whole. Every peak reserves a surprise and every bend in the coastline reveals a different scene from the last.” Discover Magazine.

 

Thank you Saint Maarten/Saint Martin for the memories.

 

Jim and Dave

 

Views of Galion Beach

 

You can even go horse-back ridding

 

Jim and Marty

 

The island of Anguilla

 

I think I will stay here

 

What a view from the top

 

Your view at La Marine Restaurant

 

You HAVE TO HAVE dessert

 

Dave, Marty, DeeDee and Jim

 

Tropicana Restaurant, Our favorite on the French side

 

They have lots of bananas

 

We had to leave

 

Hope to see you soon!

Copyright © 2008-2015 DeeDee MacDonald


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