Bonjour to everyone on the Forum! I have been trying to figure out how to get back into my account and it finally worked! I have been reading along (and trying not to cry too much) because we can't be there and support all of the dear people of SBH, but we hope to get there next Spring or before. I hope everyone is well and send my sympathy to those who have been affected by the terrible Covid virus. (Davesdad may have had it on our trip down to the Caymans in January so we are going to get an antibody test..hope I was asymptomatic and have some immunity..) We are fine here now in California and getting out of lockdown slowly. We have not seen Dave too much, even though we live not too far away, due to our age (!!) and everyone wanting to respect the rules. Thank you to those on the island who have been giving us updates and we are happy you are now able to be more free to move around and revive the businesses. I do want you to know that I have been trying to support the businesses by e-shopping and I am waiting for a package from Pati de St-Barth as we speak (Don't tell Davesdad..Father's Day is coming!). I was distressed to hear that Anna and Erick might close and since I found out it was just a rumor, I felt a lot better as we love them. Thank you to those who have posted gorgeous photos under lockdown of the island. So much changes so quickly and my travel agent wrote to Le Guanahani to see if they could take reservations, but we were told "not yet". Keeping my fingers crossed, as I've been saving my vacation $$! I hope to hear more about the status of Le Guanahani if anyone has any news. Gramchop and Gail, miss you all lots and hope to meet up down there, along with anyone who is on the island. Please let me know how to best support the people on the island, if you would. Missing Kevin, to whom I owe a bottle of the pink stuff...I'm paying off when on island, so no worries! Thank you all for always being the best part of the day, no matter what you write, because you send us information from the heart and you would not believe how many of you are invoked in a good way (!) when things don't look so great, so we can feel happiness, and the beauty of that island, including the people, always save us in many ways. All we really make in life are memories, and thanks to you, Paradise lives. Sending you all love and hoping to be more active.:heart1: Davesmom and Davesdad
Bonjour from the San Diego area!
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I wanted send you a special greeting as the King and Queen of our dear blog! It is very meaningful to hear from you and thank you for the pleasure you always bring to all of us! I hope you and your family are healthy and we all end up in St-Barth as soon as possible.
GMP62
Senior Insider
Great to hear from you, Gina, and glad that you and your family are doing well! Such a strange time to be living through for us all and we cannot wait to return to our happy place. We’ve rescheduled our trip 2020 trip twice already and are now scheduled to return 4/27 - 5/8/21....God willing! Hoping that the G will reopen and that you and Davesdad can get back to paradise. Hugs to you from NJ!
Gayle
Gayle
Many thanks for your lovely responses! It HAS been turmoil, well said, Chipper, and we really do have each other to remember all of the wonderful times we had, separately and together. So Gayle, I will be trying to make our trip around your time and we are here in SD anytime you want to come! Kevin, sharing a bottle of Veuve rosé would be another dream come true as we truly appreciate all of your gourmet restaurant information that keeps us up with what is going on. One thing I wanted to do was thank especially the people who live on the island who give of their time and praise to Ellen who is a wonderful person and great journalist. I know you don't have to give us the local news but coming directly from our on-island friends, we know it is an eyewitness account of life where we would all like to be. If you have differences of opinion, that is valuable to know as we appreciate the differing views of what is meaningful to you. We can all judge for ourselves what is valuable. (Ha, ha, speaking of Nikki Beach, my other obsession..!) To think how special a place could hold the attention, year after year, no matter what happens, of such a loyal audience is a tribute especially to those who share their island home with us, because we know you don't have to take your time to do this. So merci beaucoup to all who share, especially Phil, because I live for his fashion shows at IDF, which is now Cheval...after all this, it seems as though fashion and specialty items are trivial, but I beg to differ; esthetics, art, and, music are just as important as all the "serious" stuff, because of the visceral pleasure we get from beautiful things, especially the musicians who play at Le Select and around town. And "our" beaches, "our" restaurants (missing Andy, our Hafida, and Manu!!), "our" rhum vanille (looking at you, La Gloriette), and definitely my shopping of local items (I speak here for myself..love you, Vanita Rosa..you take up a third of my closet) are part of the pleasures of the island we all hold in such high esteem. It is not undue to love L'Esprit Jean Claude Dufour as my favorite all time restaurant; we all have our special places where we celebrate life and its happier moments. It is not undue to love Gouverneur and Saline and the Natural Pools! It is delightful to hear what each of you has to say about the new restaurants and venues (a rum tasting place I can't wait for!) or to find where our favorite chefs are, such as the guys who had that little cute alleyway restaurant Le Carré in the old days near Roberto Cavalli, now sadly gone from the USA. The turtles are still a delightful discovery as you swim in Grand Cul de Sac and those left at Colombier. I don't know what havoc was wreaked upon them with Irma, and I hope they are still ok. I love being in the "action" at St Jean beach and all the little shopping centers at Pélican. You don't forget the kindness of the shopkeepers, the trust you have in them to make you feel special and to find treasures, and the grocery stores...nothing better than Match/Super U for "house brand" products. Just to remind me of all the good times. It is true, I will never be a carry on only girl, (my husband would be delirious if I didn't haul enormous suitcases of all the things I can't get anywhere else!) but what gives you more pleasure when you get home and you have the special things that allow you to remember all the little details? And sometimes, even when it is your husband's birthday down there, YOU get the gift of being there and sometimes the gift is quite literal...(Donna del Sol Cohen, I LOVE you..where are you??!) So we have upheavals in all of our lives, health concerns, losses...that is human. But what we also have is a special place that enchants those who really find their "best selves" and know that the apotheosis of vacation experience for most of us is the time we spend on island. We go elsewhere, we love our trips here and there, but we always come back, even just in our minds, to Saint-Barth. We are happier and better for having been to Saint-Barth. Sending happiness in this very difficult time to all of you. Because this is the only time we have and the best cure for horrible times is knowing somehow, you will fight hard to do anything to get back. I do really hope to see everyone on island in the future!
Cheers to you! If I can't be there in person, you are obliged to drink some for me! If I could be there, I for sure will bring a bottle!!
We are really hoping to get down there when you are there. If not, your penalty is to come to San Diego!! Keep well and we look forward to a future meeting...I will be chilling the Champagne...:heart1:
