How many people on this site remember the early times on St.Barts.

Depending on the year, it was either Topolino or Cups. It was located across from Filao, where the ER administrative building is now located.
I believe it was Topolino. We walked across the street from Filao. Cheryl loved that they had a hook on the table for her purse.
 
Seems this article from 1985 belongs here. Even mentions Topolingo!





IMG_0944.jpeg

Full text here
 
Jean Yves Froment was a very "Caribbean-chic" style boutique that had hand painted designs and they were very collectible! (I might still have some hanging around!) I remember the designer being on other islands as well..maybe back in the early 80s on Martinique or Guadeloupe? I used to go there back then..such beautiful places!
 
Jean Yves Froment was a very "Caribbean-chic" style boutique that had hand painted designs and they were very collectible! (I might still have some hanging around!) I remember the designer being on other islands as well..maybe back in the early 80s on Martinique or Guadeloupe? I used to go there back then..such beautiful places!
I have 2 little paintings, a wall hanging of a case that is in our laundry room & a lavender/blue pareo that I stitched from his fabric. I don't recall buying in town anywhere, but at the Flamand shop so long ago & I think it was after a hurricane because of the devastation of the nearby buildings. Also 2 tiles that had a hummingbird on each, both have disappeared in the move from PA to SC.
 
We had dinner there on our first sojourn on St Barths oh so long ago & one of the then choices that our host Bertrand was able to recommend.
 
Our first visit was '98. When telling a friend how much we love it here, he said he and his wife were here in the late 60s and that there was "nothing there." I thought, sometimes nothing can be everthing! I would have enjoyed it then, too.
"Nothing there". I was there.
 
1989 So many memories! Started out at Villa BOO in camp David! I really need to think on this, make notes,
then try to give an abbreviated history
 
Early 90s Vicki and I came across channel from St Maarten … first Villa we stayed at was Mt Plaisir owned by Annie Ainge. So many great times and great friends. Someone else will remember the exact date of the St Barts Total Eclipse… but I think mid 90s??? can anyone who was there ever forget the Saline Beach Eclipse Party ? Cases of Sancerre on the beach? Being stupid, silly, hammered on no clothes Saline beach w darkness from eclipse …time has, of course , moved on, people have moved on and some have passed on…and our Heineken Umbrellas have long since rusted away…but here’s a Sancerre toast to those who were there at that moment in time.. Dee & Gene, Steve & Aimee, Ed & Barb, Dr. Mark, Jan & Mike , Lance & Libby, George, and a dozen or more whose names escape me…Santé !!!
Over the last several years we have moved on to St John’s
for our Winter getaway, but our 25 or 30 years in SB are Lifetime memories !
Jim
 
Thinking back 25 years having stayed many times at Filao.Cups was just across the street.
does anyone know anything of the whereabouts of Mathias and Arnaud. ?
 
Fun playing DO YOU REMEMBER?

There sure have been marvelous dining experiences during our visits here since 1993. Our very first dinner, our anniversary, was Francois Plantation. Just sayin’ that was sure a hard one to beat!
We had a villa across the street from Francois Plantation all 4 of us were shocked by the prices. The beginning of inflation?
 
Dining out in SBH taught me taught me how eat and subsequently inspired me to learn how to cook. After my first two weeks in 1990 I learned what really good food is and decided I wanted to eat like that whenever possible. My wife and I just found the Netflix series "Emily in Paris" and there's a scene in the second episode where Emily complains that her steak is undercooked and attempts to send it back. The Chef comes out and suggests she try it first which she did and realized how good it was. Practically the same thing happened to me in SBH. I was at La Banane and ordered the beef tenderloin medium rare. The waiter looked at me disapprovingly and something like " I realize you are an American but this is Very special meat flown in from Paris. Let me serve it to you as if you are French. If you don't like it I can take it back!" I said OK and when it came out it was raw. Not Black and Blue. Not even Blue." It was raw. I looked up at him and he was smiling, winked at me, and gave me the OK sign. I wasn't sure if he was testing me or if he really meant it but I didn't want to look gauche so I thought I should try it. It was incredible! From then on I always look for the best quality meat I can find and basically walk it through a hot kitchen.
 
Our first trip was 1999 for our 25th anniversary. Lenny came out of nowhere. Villa Perchoir was high up so we had to vacate for lower ground. The hurricane stalled. It took several days to get off the island. We were down to $600 in cash and asked a local by the airport how to get to Anguilla to San Juan to Michigan as St. Martin was under sand and water. He got us a ride on a helicopter and we handed our $$ to the man who set this up. The ride over the Caribbean was fabulous. Those first 3 days on St. Barts before the hurricane were wonderful so we decided to go again the following year. We have been back every year since then in November. The changes are everywhere. The biggest change is the traffic. Many favorite restaurants are gone parking is a nightmare. The cars are larger but the ocean smell, the vibe, the people, the greenery and ah those fabulous beaches are still the things that bring us back for another trip in November. We promised ourselves we would come till we couldn't maneuver the steps up to the little plane. We will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary in our favorite place on earth in 7 weeks......St. Barts!
 
Ah, Wrong-Way Lenny. I would have been either in transit or on-island for Lenny, but I went earlier in the month for the Le Select 50th. It was odd to celebrate Thanksgiving at home that year, one of the very few times that I’ve done that in the last 40 or so years. Sadly, my Thanksgivings on SBH are now over, but I’m looking forward to both Thanksgiving with family, and filling my home with the aroma of roasting Turkey.
 
Top