TRIP REPORT SEPTEMBER 27TH-OCTOBER 4TH

Reed

Senior Insider
Hello all,

It is easier doing a trip report for 1 week rather than 6 months as my memory is fresh and the days don't roll into each other. The goal of this trip was simple……….STAY BUSY DOING NOTHING. This was achieved at the highest level. As posted on the villa thread, we stayed at Villa Donato. This was a splurge for my 50th birthday (Ellen, I will deal with you later for posting this:). Kona and I are not big birthday or holiday celebrators and the reason is quite simple. We are normally working creating fabulous events for other folks on our birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas etc. so we never have made a big deal out of celebrating these occasions for ourselves. After contemplating a trip down around a month before we arrived, I was able to pull the trigger 2 weeks before we departed, based on our works schedules showing that we could sneak away for 10 days. I had just completed catering/planning 175 events since we left St. Barth's late April (a small part really of the whole catering thing). We were both fried.

Kona surprised me with a quick trip to Vegas to see a Rod Stewart show which was at Caesars Palace. Great small theatre setting seated 7 rows back from the stage. He still has the moves and voice. Other than the show, Vegas still doesn't do much for me. Some great shopping and a lunch at Bouchon at our hotel Venetian. Actually flew out early and spent the night in Boston at the Liberty Hotel (Friday night and really loud and not what I would call a "luxury" hotel). Dined at Lydia Shire's resto there (we worked an event on Nantucket together) and had some delicious small plates.

Off to SXM the next day via the straight shot Jet Blue flight which leaves Saturdays from Boston. Arrived SXM early but unable to get the "early" flight due to limited scheduled flights during this slow time on the island. Arrived SBH where we were greeted by car rental folks and villa Donato manager. All good except that our bags didn't arrive. This was explained (sort of) in a manner that suggested that a bunch of bags had finally arrived on an Air France flight whose people were on strike. This has happened a few times over our 10 years of going to SBH but normally I think ahead and have things in the carry on. I suspect the Vegas/Boston stay got me off track of my usual packing routine. NO BIG DEAL.

Arrived in time to the villa to be blown away by the view. Quickly headed back down the hill for supplies at Marche U. We began that night at what would become numerous stops to our local "Les Bannerers"? sp. next to the bakery in Columbier. One of the better pizzas I have had on-island. We collected our baggage at noon on Sunday in time to meet Ellen and Rosemond for lunch at La Plage. Lots of laughs hearing about their whirlwind East Coast summer trip which included a few hours on Nantucket where champagne and hors d' oeuvres were consumed on the deck outside our kitchen.

Other highlights included reading, swimming in our favorite of 2 pools at the villa and people watching at Bar d' Oubli. This was not a social trip for us nor was dinning out in any way a priority. Kona scored some beautiful Mahi one morning and we threw it together with sides from the bakery. This trip was not about work for us so we refrained from going to our storage to pull out cooking oils, spices and the rest which we would normally have on hand in our kitchen. We made meals out of nothing really and when that didn't work we would score the plat d' jour from our local resto. Had a lovely lunch as usual at Cote d' Port. 50th came and went (I highly suggest not drinking Patron around the pool in the hot sun with nothing to eat:).

Did some villa shopping around for this season and Kona started getting his miles in swimming the buoys in St. Jean Baie. Probably one of the most relaxing non-eventful trips of my life. The most perfect non- 50th birthday celebration. Thanks for all of you who felt compelled to send birthday greetings. Back on Nantucket for a few weeks before returning back to our other island paradise.

Cheers!

Kimberly
 
So great that it was all you wanted it to be. We too are working on the art of doing NOTHING,
 
Kim, thanks for posting this. I too celebrate my birthdays on St Barth, and I too prefer low-key non-birthdays. I hope that your birthday was a good one, in keeping with your desires and expectations.
 
Wonderful telling of your relaxation, Kimberly! And a memorable quiet birthday. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
 
Enjoyed your report, Kim. Glad it all worked out for you and that you had a lovely, serene Birthday. Looking forward to seeing you next February.
 
Thanks for sharing Kimberly :) "Relaxing non-eventful holidays" is resonating in my head now for some days eheh
 
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