2006 Vacation Pics (1)

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Thanksgiving dinner was at the Hideaway. Bob Catanzaro had made reservations for 18 at 7:30p. We arrived with 5 minutes to spare. John & Rae Kimball, Mike & Susan Seitzinger, Jim & Karen DiNovo, Allen & Janet Baker, J.D. & Ronalee McKnight, Charly & Jill Ring, as well as Bob & Marge Catanzaro had all arrived already. Well, after some hugs Susan was kind enough to buy Ray a Presidente and a Grey Goose vodka on the rocks for Vlasta. Who was missing? Marvin & Sue Cinnamon, they showed up 5 minutes later.

Nov 23: first a hug and then Grey Goose vodka
on the rocks for Vlasta

Ray took a pic of Janet Baker's plate (she sat across from him) since his was late in coming. Susan claims she got five (5) slices of turkey breast on her plate. When Ray's plate arrived he was hardpressed to find the turkey. A careful search revealed one (1) thin slice and two (2) bite sized pieces of turkey breast. There was plenty of dry chestnut stuffing though, and cranberry and orange relish but only three (3) garlic green beans. A very forgetable Thanksgiving dinner.

Nov 23: Janet's plate for $24.75

We walked to Baywatch for breakfast. It took less than 10 minutes for the first cup of java. Ray had two eggs scrambled for $6. Vlasta had one egg over easy ($3) and was gracious enough to let Ray have some of her home fries and one piece of toast. Andy came over and told us about his September trip to Chicago. He stayed with a dentist friend in Lake Forest, got some dental work done and did a lot of sightseeing in Chicago.

Nov 24: breakfast at Baywatch

Ray took this pic of John & Sugarae Kimball with Cheryl at lunch.

Nov 24: 3 friends

Ray & Vlasta split an order of ribs with fries. Well, actually Ray had 7 of the juicy and meaty ribs. We washed them down with a couple of Coors Light (gotta watch those carbs).

Nov 25: Baywatch Ribs with Fries for $11.50

a great selection of French cheeses at the Match supermarket in Howell Center, Marigot

Nov 25: cheese at Match

The 7 of us (Alan, Mike, Susan, Dave, Darlene, Ray & Vlasta) started with a 1.5L bottle of flat water (3.20€), but just 5 of us nibbled on the mahi-mahi crackers (Mike and Darlene don't touch any kind of seafood) while studying the fixed price menu and the specials menu held up and explained by Bruno, our server (also the proprietor).

Nov 25: La Petite Auberge's 'Specials Menu' of the day

Vlasta had one of the day's specials for 13.50€, the Seafood Salad: marlin, mahi-mahi, shrimp,avocado and grapefruit (salade de la mer: marlin, dorade, gambas, avocat, pamplemousse, crudités).

Nov 25: Vlasta's Seafood Salad

Ray started out with Françoise's fab French onion soup, probably the best 'soupe à l'oignon' he's ever had on SXM. Ray followed that up with a specials entrée: 'moules marinières frites', 33 mussels with lots of French fries and a second Kronenbourg 1664.

Nov 25: Ray's Mussels w/ Fries

All 5 of us on the fixed price menu had room for dessert, although Vlasta did help Darlene a bit with her chocolate cake (baked by Françoise). Ray had his usual low calorie 'crêpe banane avec sauce chocolat, chantilly', this one w/o ice cream. It was so good he was ready to lick the plate but a stern look from Vlasta stopped him just in time.

Nov 25: Darlene's dessert

Ray asked Bruno for l'addition but he first put 5 bottles of Ma Doudou on the table. We helped ourselves while he added up the damages: 183.55€/$232. We each paid $35.

Nov 25: free Ma Doudou

It was a Monday, Baywatch was closed, so 11 of us decided to go to KokoMarina for lunch. The lovely Marina greeted us with a smile and, together with Koko, quickly rearranged a couple of tables and some chairs to seat us all together. Ray & Vlasta each got a Coors Light before Marina introduced the specials of the day.

Nov 27: lunch at KokoMarina

When Vlasta found the Sea Salad for 15€/$15 on the menu, she looked no further. This seafood salad featured titi shrimps (popcorn shrimp) and smoked salmon on a bed of lettuce and tomato slices, surrounded by 6 hard boiled egg sections and all topped by a lemon. She let Ray taste a piece of salmon. It was superb!

Nov 27: Vlasta's Sea Salad

Could it get any better this day? Walking with Dave to the beach that morning Ray found a 10€ bill on the dirt road behind Kon Tiki and now great food and great company! Oh yes, Marina came over and poured some Kamikaze into shot glasses before Ray had a chance to yell -l'addition, s'il vous plait- since we wanted to get back to our beach chairs to bake our buns some more. Alas, it was not to be till after Koko had served a fourth round of shots. Vlasta, Darlene & Sugarae actually stopped after #2.

Nov 27: Kamikazes for everybody

Where did John find that lovely maiden? Why, on Orient Beach, of course! Where is Sugarae?

Nov 27: John and Susan hamming it up
after lunch at KokoMarina.

The weather was great again. No rain at the beach since our arrival 5 days earlier. Another lunch at Baywatch with John, Sugarae, Mike, Susan, Dave, Darlene & Alan on this fine Tuesday. What shall we eat? Didn't Mike & Susan need to look at the Specials Menu?

Nov 28: another lunch at Baywatch

We had no problem getting a seaside table at Il Nettuno for 9 at a couple of minutes before 7:30. Service was fast, within 5 minutes we had 3 plates of bruschetta on the table. The stars were out tonight. No chance of a downpour. The plastic curtains stayed up the whole evening. We all had a great view of Baie de Grand-Case with the lights of Anguilla in the background.

Nov 28: free bruschetta

Ray had the house specialty: tagliatelle fresca ai frutti di mare (homemade ribbon pasta with assorted seafood: Ray counted 2 scallops, 3 shrimp & 5 mussels) for 25€.

Nov 28: Ray's 'frutti di mare'

Who grabbed Ray's camera and took this pic?

Nov 28: Ray & Vlasta at Il Nettuno

It was 10h57 and still quite a few red snappers were for sale at the Wednesday market in Marigot.

Nov 29: red snappers

@ the Marigot market: competition for Ma Doudou? (750ML bottle = 13.50€, 3 bottles = 30€)

Nov 29: punch au rhum for sale

Time to sample (again). The ChocoCoco was delicious. Dave & Darlene bought a bottle from Monsieur Le Jeune.

Nov 29: time to sample the goods

We did not go up to the fort. It was too hot. We drove to Philipsburg instead for some 'free' Heinekens at DK Gems.

Nov 29: the Marigot market & Ft. St. Louis

A childhood friend from Frankfurt/M., Germany and his son were scheduled to be in port with the Carnival Victory on Thursday, Nov 30th. Ray kept looking down Front Street in each direction. About 15 minutes later and ready for another free Heineken (#3) Ray spotted a familiar figure. It was his childhood buddy heading for DK Gems where we were supposed to meet at 10:30. Ray yelled: 'Dietmar' down Front Street. Dietmar stopped walking, looked around and spotted Ray after the third 'Dietmar'.     First a big hello (we hadn't seen each other since 1984 in Frankfurt/M.), then Ray, Dietmar and his son Thorsten went inside DK Gems for some refreshments where Dave was making sure Darlene and Vlasta weren't breaking the bank. His two Heineken cost Dietmar $700 for a necklace he got his wife who had stayed behind in Frankfurt. She won't set foot in an airplane.

Nov 29: Dietmar    Thorsten & Dave

Click to see pics of Bruce's first bash to benefit SNOB.

Nov 24 dinner party at Baywatch

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