Re: Autour de Rocher
I will struggle to summon up some memories from a time that my mind was sometimes fogged by various substances that were enjoyed on vacation on my favorite lil island. Autour Du Rocher was a very fun bar/club located at the end of a dirt road by La Bannane on a high point overlooking Lorient beach. I made a pilgrimmage to the ruins a few years back. There is not much left but if you listened hard you could hear the ghosts of past revellers who liked to stay up late and dance and socialize all night long. On my first visit there I paid a cover, but I noticed that the regulars who came in behind me just smiled and shook the doorman's hand - no cover. I took the time to get to know the doorman,after that, no cover just a handshake - I had arrived!!! Inside Autour was a bar and disco area...the bar was often presided over by the best bartender on Earth - our own beloved Andy - now of Andy's Hideaway. It was not at all unusual to see stars dancing (sometimes on top of the tables) but mostly it was just locals and visitors who lookew like stars having a drink and dancing up a storm. The bar had many different areas all surrounding a large rock, hence the name - Autour Du Rocher - Around the Rock. In addition to the bar and dance floor, there was a boutique, a video area, an outdoor but covered pool table where lively games of two on two took place. Finally, there was a fantastic stone terrace with a steady sea breeze coming in off of Lorient Beach that was a perfect place too enjoy a libation and cool off after dancing. What I remember most was the spirit of the place -much laughter, flirting, great drink and dancing, fantastic people watching and a cast of characters that even if they weren't all movie stars made you feel as if you were in the movies. The only things that I will plead guilty to doing (now that the statute of limitations has long passed) at Autour were some unforgettable steamy dances on the dancefloor and makeout sessions on the breezy terrace with my then girlfriend and now wife and the occasional trip to the parking lot for a tasty hand rolled spliff. I also had the pleasure once of having a dance (not steamy - unfortunately) with the lovely Sela Ward (of "Sisters", "Once and Again" and Sprint commercials) I had the luck and pleasure of meeting her again at a book signing just last week. I reminded her of the evening (she was dating the owner of a place in St. Jean called Topolino at the time). She smiled knowingly..."oh I remember Autour - Jimmy Buffett's bar -it was always such a good time!" I agreed, telling her - "It was my favorite bar in the Caribbean, maybe the world". I was very upset when it met it's fiery end and I still mourn it's loss. I always wanted to know why it couldn't be rebuilt (I heard it was not insured and that many locals did not like what may or may not have gone on there). Thanks for this threadline Digger, I always love going back and remembering those old school St. Barth nights. Next visit, we'll hire a medium and revisit the ruins too summon up the spirits of those wild old days at Autour Du Rocher. Last time I checked, the Rock is still there.