Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Goodbye St Barth's


After a couple glorious days in the marine parks of lsle Fourchue and Anse Columbier, we return to Gustavia in St. Barts to check out. It’s a lovely town which, by design, accepts only a few small cruise ships. The island has decided that it’s not interested in the tourism which typically accompanies these behemoths. Before our trip, we read an article which said that St. Barts became so popular with the nouveau riche during the boom years that the old money breathed a collective sigh of relief when the financial crisis of 2008 restored the island to its former level of exclusivity. Seriously.
The town did not disappoint. The main street positively gleams with colorful gingerbread architecture and a selection of top designer boutiques. We dined at an excellent pizza place and for dessert indulge in even more excellent crepes. During dinner, our conversation somehow turned into an impromptu lesson on WWII and the Cold War. (It might have started with the mega-yacht owned by the Russian oligarch.) The mature couple next to us was clearly eavesdropping, and much later while admiring the yachts, the woman stopped us to express her admiration that the kids were so clearly engaged in what we were saying. From marine life to mega yachts, we have enjoyed our interlude in St Barts.

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