Submitted by Lance and Libby (12/15/02)
10. Telling folks "if you like St. Martin, you won't like St. Barth's!"
9. The landing and the feeling of being back again.
8. Picnics on Saline w/a bottle of wine, a loaf of bread, good French cheese and pate'.
7. Sharing restaurant reviews with everyone you see -- whether you know them or not.
6. Sitting in Bar de l'Oubli watching the world go by -- particularly the chic French women.
5. Shopping -- especially for sexy French bras.
4. Morning walks on Saline.
3. "Welcome back" greetings by the locals -- such as Andy.
2. Captain Mike's au natural birthday party on Saline.
1. Seeing U.S. friends we've gotten to know at the same time every year.

Submitted by Dawn (12/12/02):
1. My first glimpse of SBH from my WinAir plane.
2. The landing. Disney has nothin on SBH pilots.
3. Unpacking with Radio SBH playing & champagne.
4. My first visit to Le Select to see my boys Lucien, St. Michel, Jean Luc & 220.
5. Eddy's Restaurant for dinner while looking & feeling very very French.
6. Mandala's for their Tarte Chaud Au Chocolat. There are no words…
7. Shopping at Black Swann for cute toe rings everyone seems to envy in the US.
8. Saline. Nuff said…
9. Sunsets lying on a rock at Shell Beach with champagne.
10. Romantic dinners at Marigot Bay Restaurant (the best kept secret on SBH).

Submitted by Anonymous (12/6/02):
#10 Andy's hideaway, especially the forum special!
#9 every villa we have rented
#8 Match for wine and cheese
#7 the worst restaurant (better than any in the states)
#6 the views around every turn
#5 french women and suave frenchmen
#4 no news, no crime, no poverty
#3 the beaches, the beaches and yet more beautiful beaches
#2 swimming nude with my lovely wife on the beaches
#1 never having seen david letterman nude on the beaches

Submitted by Gary (12/6/02):
#1. sunrise swim with rays in east side of st jean bay
#2. sunday brunch (all) at Le Gaiac
#3. 2-5 pm on Governeur with Baguette,Gouda, and a Port
#4. beach combing on Washing Machine after a good storm
#5. The "feeling" exiting a great rest. (many) following incred. food, fabulous wine, rum vanille, with the warmth of friendly people, warm winds blowing, and the sand finding its way between your toes as you walk home on the beach, listening to the waves breaking on the sand.
#6. Bar D'oubli or Le Select, feet up on the rail, Heineken in hand, people (beautiful) watching nightly from 4-7 pm
#7. Getting to know true St Barths....the people
#8. Sunset at the Carl Gustav WOW (for some reason, after lots of travel,,,,still the best ive seen)
#9. The Mini Moke and the Smart Car
#10. St. Barths brings out the best in people...passion for life and passion in love. Perhaps its the wine, the food,the couture, the beaches, the people

Submitted by Deb/Tor (12/6/02):
1. Landing at the airport.
2. Departing the plane and smelling that warm sea air knowing what's ahead for you.
3. View from my terrace at SJV.
4. Dinner at La Sapotillier.
5. Wandering around Gustavia trying to decide where to go for lunch and stopping for a beer a Le Select while the decision is pondered over.
6. Lunch at Andy's Hideaway for the best pizza ever !
7. The beaches, beaches, beaches - especially Saline.
8. Leisurely lunch at Eden Rock's Sandbar. Expensive, but worth it.
9. Morning walks on St. Jean beach.
10. The people of St. Barts - locals, tourists, etc.

Submitted by Lauren (12/6/02):
1. The scent upon arrival that smells like "teakwood burning", a deep aroma that tells me I have arrived again.
2. Massage at dusk by the pool of the villa, looking out over the sea, a bottle of wine not far away.
3. Boat charter with Ocean Must to Columbier and Forchue, déjeuner à bord.
4. "Planteurs" by the pool at the Hôtel Christopher, staring out at the little islands across the infinity pool.
5. Libertine's Lingerie shop in Gustavia (La Perla, Aubade)
6. La Cave near Mont Jean for wonderful wines and old fashioned hand written receipts.
7. Le Ti for "boeuf au sel" , profiterolles and Rhum Vanille.
8. Le Rivage for purchasing rhum vanille and carryout of baguettes filled with ham, cheese and great mayo.
9. La Ligne for lotions and oils, and the sensual atmosphere.
10. Driving the hills with music and abandon, then to the ocean, always amazed at the Grand Fond's similarity to Ireland, finally arriving at Saline with the wonderful mountainous tête au rocher and the pasture-like hills...... surrounding........it is too painful to discuss, as I miss it always.

Submitted by Eric (12/6/02):
10. The flight from SXM to SBH.
9. The approach & landing on SBH.
8. Seeing the amazingly blue water for the 1st time from our room at Filao.
7. Drinking Heinekens, talking w/ Mario & soaking up the poolside/beach scene at Filao
6. Our 1st night's dinner. (where ever it may be)
5. The tap tap on my balcony door in the morning letting me know that breakfast has arrived.
4. Early morning 1st drive around the island & the view you get when you hit the top of the hill in Grand Fond.
3. The view you get when you get to the top of the sand dune when walking to Grand Saline.
2. Having a ti punch & drinking beer at Le Select in the afternoon while my wife shops.
1. Strolling St. Jean beach daily & the relaxed feeling I have all week.

Submitted by Mike (12/6/02):
1. Leaving St Maarten behind.
2. The landing (My wife and I are pilots and appreciate the Winair pilots expertise)
3. Arriving at our villa and feeling the real world peel away.
4. The wonderful and beautiful people of SB.
5. The musical bon jour greeting from the locals.
6. Beaches, beaches, beaches especially Saline.
7. Adapting to the French customs re: beach attire
8. The food. Unbelieveable!!
9. The wine.
10. The tranquility that leaves me dreaming about my next visit the first heartbeat after the wheels leave the runway on the trip home.

Submitted by Bob (12/7/02):
1. The children headed to school in Lorient in the morning.
2. The Boulangerie in Flammands and the lovely lady who runs the place.
3. Table dancing at Le Ti.
4. Coming over the dune and into Saline - the best beach view in the world.
5. An infinity pool and the views from our villa.
6. A cold Carib and a lime.
7. No traffic lights and the streets (mostly) have no names.
8. Perfect weather.
9. An island which prompts a serious debate on the topic - do men really need to wear pants in the best restaurants?
10. Leisurely meals and vanilla rhum.

Submitted by Anonymous (12/7/02):
1~Coming home to my St. Barths & having friends welcome you at the airport.
2~7-9am champagne & mango juice with fruit on Governeur.
3~Sunsets from Columbier with Rose' & the boat trip back to Gustavia after dark.
4~Foie Gras or homemade yogurt made by Bertran DANTEC, FOODLOVER Chef...best in the world.
5~Rare french wines you can't get in the States.
6~Explaining to tacky cruise ship passengers that cameras & knee socks are forbidden by law on the beaches & watching them leave!
7~Driving friends who have never been to SB down to Governeur.
8~Midnight body painting parties...
9~Le Ti St-Barth late on a good night.
10~The sights, smells, sounds & feel of sunrise from our villa every morning.Also, every full moon!

Submitted by Nick the Dog (12/7/02):
1: That blast of hot air as you leave the jet in SXM on your way to SBH
2: Fighting with the guy at the airport car rental for a better car
3: Provisions at Match before the Villa
4: First night dinner at Andys,greeting with that big smile,telling you that you have to leave because you don't have a reservation!!!
5: That first morning trip to the "very old women" in Lorient for fresh bread & walking next door to the Pink Bakery for Croissants
6:Driving out to Point Milou to watch the sun come up
7:Walking around the harbor after dinner & checking out the Yachts
8:Picking up friends on their first visit to SBH
9:Sitting at Bar Oubli and watching the Island drive by
10:The warm water on your long awaited first swim at Saline

Submitted by Paul (12/7/02):
1. Morning or evening strolls on Flamands Beach
1. Meditating outdoors in the early morning, to the touch of the breezes and the smell of flowers.
1. Going to the lookout point past Le Petit Morne in Colombier for the stupendous panoramic view and the sound of the wind
1. Conversing in french with the Breton women selling their lantana palm handcrafts (and buying some, of course!) near Corossol
1. Buying baguettes & pastries at La Petite Colombe for a petit déjeuner à la française, with the ocean as our scenery. And having what's left later in the day, with espresso.
1. Knowing that everyone on the island feels just as blissed out as I do
1. Striking up conversations with total strangers from France about their travel experiences and their stay(s) on St. Barts
1. Going out to the beach to marvel at the night sky, with no light pollution and no noise except the ocean.
1. Discovering restaurants and eateries we hadn't yet tried.
1. Swimming at Saline - absolute heaven!
1. Snorkeling at Isle Fourchue, and enjoying everyone's company and conversation for the day.
1. Not watching a single moment of television, not giving a damn about what the stock market is doing, fully appreciating the fact that I don't own or need a cell phone, and realizing that while on SBH I am bombarded with thousands fewer advertisements each day than I am at home.

Submitted by Sandy Beach (12/7/02):
#1 Enjoying a cuban cigar and a glass of french rose wine on Saline beach in the late afternoon - wearing nothing but a hat.
#2 Starting each day with a fresh quiche or croissant from the bakery
#3 Driving the Suzuki Samari fast on the twisting narrow roads
#4 The frog leg appetizer at Wall House restaurant
#5 a cheeseburger and fries at le select
#6 A good night of dancing at Le Ti
#7 Sex at the villa in the afternoon
#8 The feeling you get when you look over the cliff just past St Jean on the way toward Lorient
#9 Shopping for groceries at Match
#10 Getting all the news you need from the little one page newspaper that you get in the morning - with about 4 USA headlines.

Submitted by Cheri (12/8/02):
1. The short ride over on the tiny plane, the landing, beautiful St. Jean Baie and the first glimpse of sunbathers on St. Jean Baie as you make the turn.
2. Stepping off the plane and feeling and smelling the ocean breezes.
3. The first glimpse of the people in the jeeps and scooters whizzing by as you first walk out the door of the arrival area--noticing how relaxed and tan everyone looks.
4. Loading the luggage into the car, opening the windows, driving off and just savoring the first incredibly beautiful vista.
5. The first Ti Punch/Carib offered by the usual very lovely hotel host or hostess (no matter where we're staying).
6. Walking into the room, taking in the fabulous view from the balcony.
7. Heading out to the bar or balcony for another Ti Punch while enjoying the breezes and view.
8. Making a reservation for that first dinner, taking the first "nap" in preparation for the first of many late night dinners.
9. Tuning in Radio St. Barth while getting ready for dinner.
10. Our first dinner by the sea, the Rum Vanille.
11. Driving home with the island music on the radio and thinking of what lies ahead, looking forward to the next morning, beautiful blue skies and ocean upon awakening, breakfast, beaches, beaches, beaches and Saline beach, Le Pelican for lunch (oh, that amazing view), the first drive down the hill into the tiny picturesque town of Gustavia and being enamored by all the gigantic yachts in harbor, cocktails in the afternoon, Le Ti late night, forgetting about life, the infatuation is back in full swing....
12. The day after arrival, driving by the airport and seeing new people arriving with the same anticipation....

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