Part 6 - November 2019 Trip Report

lvbookworm

SBH Insider
The past couple of days have been crazy here in Las Vegas coming off the long holiday weekend. I finally had a few moments to myself and so…back to my report!

Tuesday was a “day of firsts.” We had never been to Anse de Gouverneur and it was definitely on our to-do list. After our daily breakfast at Petite Columbe we loaded up the car with chairs, umbrella and cooler and headed out for a day at the beach. First stop: lunch fixins’ from Café Gloriette. We had heard so many wonderful things about this place on the forum, and what a delight it was! We were the only customers mid-morning, and it gave us a chance to peruse the small but well-thought out menu and admire all the architectural drawings on the wall. We chose ham sandwiches with mozzarella and pesto, and at first glance it seemed like a pretty straight-forward choice. But once we got to the beach and unpacked the cooler we realized that it was anything but. Layered between ciabatta bread were paper thin slices of jambon de parme, soft, creamy mozzarella, garlicky pesto and sweet tomato. It was a masterpiece – a garden of flavors for the senses. Paired with gourmet chips and dessert from Petit Columbe it was a picnic fit for royalty!

We really enjoyed the short drive down the hill to the beach. This area of the island has such a different vibe than everywhere else. It seemed so quiet and remote yet at the same time jungle-esque. There are obviously many villas built in this area but, except for a few white rooftops here and there, they were situated in such a way as to blend with the environment. The large parking area was well-kept and offered an easy path to the sand.

It was still early and we were one of a handful of couples there. Feeling a bit lazy and not sure how long we would stay we chose to setup along the left-hand side by the rocks. Looking straight out from our chairs with no one else in sight gave us the feeling of being marooned on a deserted island. It was divine!

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There was a nice breeze, but not enough to disturb our umbrella. Speaking of which, we used a product called an Ostrich Shade Anchor Bag. It was basically a backpack with a hole in the bottom and was quite handy! You could place the umbrella down through the backpack and into the sand, then fill the bag with sand and loop the attached straps up and through the spikes to hold everything in place. I could have sworn I took a picture of it in use, but alas….no. The sun was quite strong and we decided to call it quits after a couple of hours.

Our plan for the evening was to go into town early to browse through some shops. Unfortunately we made the fatal mistake of making a “quick stop” at Marche U on our way. Note to self: don’t attempt a trip to Marche U at 5:30 pm on the day after a three-day bank holiday weekend. Talk about a ZOO! I think every local on the island was there doing their weekly shopping. We must have been in the store thirty minutes for two items, and by the time we parked downtown most of the stores were closed. Oh well.

We wanted to eat outside and had made reservations at Baz Bar for some sushi rolls. It was quite busy, and the service was leisurely. We were hoping for more live music but no such luck. I can’t remember which rolls we ordered, but they were enough to hit the spot. For dessert we had the apple crumble with vanilla ice cream. It was a very loose interpretation of the classic dessert with warm, sliced/peeled apples, a sprinkling of crunchy “crumble” bits, and ice cream on top. Strangeness aside it fulfilled its destiny of satisfying our sweet tooth.

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As we returned home and crested the hill to our villa we realized we had forgotten to turn off the pool lights. The entire property was awash with a beautiful blue glow. Here’s a glimpse of what it looked like before we left for dinner.

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It was another day that would be hard to top.
 
I'm really enjoying your trip reports - you have a gift for descriptions! Thank you for the recommendation of the Ostrich Shade Anchor Bag. My husband hates getting hot in the sun and we've tried a Neso Tent, but it can be difficult to set up and takes up a lot of space on the beach. I'm definitely going to look into this product!
 
Good tip on Gloriette. Glad you forgot to turn off the pool lights- great photo.
We have been at Marche U during ‘crazy time’ - it is a zoo. Gouverneur is our favorite beach and you were there at a perfect time and day weather wise. Thank you for your continued posts.
 
Thank you for the recommendation of the Ostrich Shade Anchor Bag...I'm definitely going to look into this product!

It was SO easy to setup, and you can easily fit 3-4 tightly rolled towels along with sunscreen, etc into the pack for transport to/from the beach. I bought mine on amazon for $25.
 
What a great report! Really fantastic!

I also love anything that comes out of Cafe Gloriette . . . I just wish that it weren't so far from Marigot Bay! (i.e., not convenient to get over there for lunch each day, as I used to do at La Gloriette.)

Re: Marche U at 5:30 . . . that is very funny. In fact, I think that a lot of local people go there at 5:30 simply to conveniently see friends & catch-up on gossip! I often do the same thing . . . there always will be people you know, even for infrequent island visitors!

Thanks for the entertaining reports.
 
Another great trip report - thank you! Your descriptions are delightful. Gouvenor is our favorite beach on St. Barth and the left-side water/rock shot you snapped is so pretty! Counting the days to our return...114 to be exact. The waiting is torture!
 
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