2005 Vacation Pics (1)

Click on any of the thumbnails for a larger picture.

Marius had us complete the paperwork in his 'mobile' office.

Nov 24 @ 3:38 p.m. on the PJIA parking lot

Ray felt like something Italian for lunch and got the Italian Dawg ($7.50) and a Coors Light (gotta watch those carbs).

Nov 26 at Baywatch: Italian Dawg

Was this lovely young lady looking for her top?

Nov 26 at Orient Beach
in front of Baywatch

Mike & Susan invited a few friends to a pizza party at their Villa Marlène in Orient Bay Village on Sunday eve. They ordered 7 pizzas from Tap Five. John and Mike, the 'Domino' boys, volunteered to get them. They finally rang the doorbell at 7:05. The pizzas were free for all but Mike & Susan because John and Mike took over half an hour to get them. Maybe they stopped off for a beer on the way to Tap Five?! No egg in the middle on the Reine pizza. The 13 of us managed to devour all 7 pizzas.

Nov 27: Tap Five pizza

Mike & Susan wanted to give Paul & Terry a little going away party before they flew home to Tampa on Tuesday. Mike & Susan had met them several days earlier on a Tiko-Tiko cruise. Were Sugarae and Bobcat guarding all the snacks before the 7 pizzas from Tap Five were delivered?

Nov 27: Sugarae and Bobcat

Susan, our hostess, and 3 guests. Well, actually only 2, Alan stayed with Mike & Susan for 13/15 days on the island. No, he didn't rough it on Orient Beach the remaining 2 days... he stayed with Ray & Vlasta at their apartment.

Nov 27: Susan, Alan, Paul & Terry

no visit to the casino tonight for Sugarae

Nov 27 @ 11:05 p.m.: too much
partying for Sugarae

Mike & Susan rented Villa Marlène from Nov 16 to Dec 11. It's located on the south end of Le Village d'Orient.

Nov 28: Villa Marlène

Waiting for de food: Sugarae had a cheese toast for $5 and Darlene a chicken wrap for $7.50.

Nov 28: at the Pirate Beach Bar & Grill

Ray got an order of ribs (4€) with fries on the side (2€). Daring Darlene got a cheeseburger (3€) with fries on the side (2€). Dave and Ray added another Presidente and Coors Light to the food order. Ray checked the grill to make sure our ribs and the cheeseburger were on it. They sure were. We didn't have to wait too long, maybe 15 minutes, for Andrea to serve our 'light' dinners with a smile. Dave got his ribs and garlic shrimp combo (9€).

Nov 28: the Sky's the Limit grill

Vlasta didn't want ribs even though Ray assured her that they were 'travers de porc grillée' and not from a goat. She picked the garlic shrimp (5€) with two johnnycakes (petit pain) on the side (1€).

Nov 28: garlic shrimp and johnny cakes

After parking the car we strolled down blvd de Grand Case towards the lolos. Ray tried unsuccessfully to talk Vlasta in having dinner at one of the lolos instead of La California. On the way back we peeked inside of L'Alabama and saw 4 familiar faces. Yes, it was Bob & Rosemary Pagel and their good friends Nico & Marybeth. We had 'bumped' into these nice folks at La Petite Auberge the past 2 years when we had dinner there. That's the only restaurant they visit twice during their annual 4-week SXM vacation.

Nov 29: 4 friends at L'Alabama in Grand Case

The apps were served just 30 minutes after we were seated. Alan found a new way to butter his baguette slice to complement his brie special (breaded cheese with Cajun & balsamic vinegar) appetizer. Marina charged him (actually all of us) 13€ for it on l'addition although it said 12€ on the board outside (but the Specials board in French did list 'salade de brie pané au Cajun caramel balsamique' for 13€). Maybe the extra euro was for the buttered baguette slice?

Nov 29: Alan at La California

Mike was all smiles at 19h58 (7:58 p.m.), Marina was approaching with his ribeye. Ray, Mike and one more in our party of 9 had the 'entrecote' or ribeye steak. Each ribeye cost 19€. The steak was a 1½-2/10 (too much fat and gristle), the vegetables were tasteless, dried out and looked uninspired: 1-1½/10, the rectangle of potatoes (scalloped?) looked unappetizing and was served lukewarm (they should have nuked it a bit longer): 0/10.

Nov 29: Mike & Susan

Lucky Alan! Did he leave a humongous gratuity on the table?

Nov 29: Alan and Marina

Let's hope that wasn't Pepto-Bismol Dave was drinking. Maybe he also had the ribeye?

Nov 29: Pepto-Bismol?

What was Vlasta telling Deepti?

Nov 30: the Diamond Princess

The 5 carat diamond ring was around $35K and the necklace 'just' $20K. Maybe next year.

Nov 30: $55,000

We parked our white Corolla on Walter Nisbeth Road, across from the (blue) GEBE building.

Nov 30: our free parking spot

The 151,400 ton Queen Mary 2, the world's largest, longest, tallest, grandest ocean liner ever, as seen from the boardwalk by DK Gems International.

Nov 30: Queen Mary 2

The Queen Mary 2 and 6 other cruise ships were in port this day. It made for a lot of happy faces on Front Street.

Nov 30: traffic jam in Great Bay

Luiz, ever the gentleman, helped Vlasta put the top on.

Nov 30: trying on
a Luiz Gomes creation.

Dave & Darlene joined us for another great dinner at La Petite Auberge des Îles in Marigot. Btw, Darlene was not our designated driver that evening.

Nov 30: Ma Doudou for Darlene

Dave McAlonan liked the sound of this restaurant's name.

Nov 30: a Thai restaurant
on the Marigot marina

7 of us showed up a bit before 7. It was another warm, cloudless evening (how monotonous), so we decided to sit outside, in front. Chuck & Grace spotted us a few minutes past 7 and joined us. La Chapelle features Belgian beers: Ray (3) and Vlasta (2) had 5 Stella Artois on draught (pression) for 12.50€. Mike & Susan were daring tonight and also had some Belgian brew. Mike had a Leffe blonde for 4€ and Susan had 3 Hogardeen for 9€ besides the bottle of Sprite she brought from the villa.

Dec 01: Mike & Susan at La Chapelle

The T-shirt was actually a souvenir from Big Al's X-rated place in Peoria, Illinois. We had been there for a bachelor party in September 2004.

Dec 01: Alan's shirt was just an XL before the dinner.

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