GUSTAVIA, ST. BARTHELEMY
Mother’s Day, May 10, 2009
This is paradise! I spent Mother’s Day on beautiful Shell Beach on St. Barts. The Caribbean was warm (82F), the weather was perfect (82F) and the turquoise water was so refreshing. I collected a bag of St. Barts shells to remind me of this unbelievable day. I made a new friend “Berte” a three year old female Jack Russell just like the one my sister Svata and Dick have. She loved the water, went snorkeling with her master and played fetch the log with me. I was able to practice my French because that’s all Berte understood: viens ici! and va chercher!
St. Barthelemy is an overseas collectivity of France, also known as St. Barth in French or St. Barts in English. It is one of the most chic, civilized and least known parts of France. It is a tiny island of only eight square miles, with a population of 8500 which doubles during the winter months.It is fifteen miles from St. Maarten. It is a perfect playground for the rich and famous with its high-priced boutiques and beautiful resorts When Christopher Columbus discovered the island in 1493, he named it after his brother Bartholomeo. In 1784 St. Barts was taken over by Sweden. The King of France had simply swapped the island for trading rights in the Baltic without consulting the people of St. Barts. In 1878 King Oscar II put sovereignty to a referendum and St. Barts was handed back to France.
Since Gustavia does not have a deep harbor to accommodate the ms Rotterdam, we were taken ashore by tender. It is a lovely town, nestled between the hilly landscape. Many yachts were anchored in the harbor; however, the season is almost over, most visitors are sailing back to cooler locations for the summer months. The red roofs on the houses, the yachts and the hills reminded me of the French Riviera. The tourist industry has grown in the last 30 years, but St. Barts has maintained its exclusive and luxurious style. I was reluctant to leave beautiful Shell Beach but I promised myself that one day I shall return.
Mother’s Day, May 10, 2009
This is paradise! I spent Mother’s Day on beautiful Shell Beach on St. Barts. The Caribbean was warm (82F), the weather was perfect (82F) and the turquoise water was so refreshing. I collected a bag of St. Barts shells to remind me of this unbelievable day. I made a new friend “Berte” a three year old female Jack Russell just like the one my sister Svata and Dick have. She loved the water, went snorkeling with her master and played fetch the log with me. I was able to practice my French because that’s all Berte understood: viens ici! and va chercher!
St. Barthelemy is an overseas collectivity of France, also known as St. Barth in French or St. Barts in English. It is one of the most chic, civilized and least known parts of France. It is a tiny island of only eight square miles, with a population of 8500 which doubles during the winter months.It is fifteen miles from St. Maarten. It is a perfect playground for the rich and famous with its high-priced boutiques and beautiful resorts When Christopher Columbus discovered the island in 1493, he named it after his brother Bartholomeo. In 1784 St. Barts was taken over by Sweden. The King of France had simply swapped the island for trading rights in the Baltic without consulting the people of St. Barts. In 1878 King Oscar II put sovereignty to a referendum and St. Barts was handed back to France.
Since Gustavia does not have a deep harbor to accommodate the ms Rotterdam, we were taken ashore by tender. It is a lovely town, nestled between the hilly landscape. Many yachts were anchored in the harbor; however, the season is almost over, most visitors are sailing back to cooler locations for the summer months. The red roofs on the houses, the yachts and the hills reminded me of the French Riviera. The tourist industry has grown in the last 30 years, but St. Barts has maintained its exclusive and luxurious style. I was reluctant to leave beautiful Shell Beach but I promised myself that one day I shall return.
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