Christmas Eve- St Barts

Yesterday for lunch we went to the Dive In- the pool grill- for a hamburger. The tables were adorned with small potted plants and the butterflies were flying everywhere. There were tiny white, yellow and pale green butterflies flitting about.  Was a neat site.  We knew Ella would love seeing these little butterflies flutter by.

Jim went to the counter and placed our order. He came back with an electronic thing that he thought would let them know where to bring our food. Instead it became a disembodied voice saying “return to the counter- your food is ready.” Burger was good and the surroundings very pleasant.

I am kind of creeping along because the night before when the sea was still rough, I got up during the night, went to the bathroom and as I walked up beside the bed the sea rolled and I sat down on the end of the bed…..just not quite far enough to stay put. I rolled off onto the floor. Fortunately I just have a bruised hip and hand from landing on the floor. Jim got a chair and I got myself up. Sure felt dumb. Have always liked “Rock & Roll” but not in this way. Walking right at the moment is not too pleasant but it will get better. Tomorrow will be a better day!!

As we sailed away from St. John the almost full moon was rising. We saw a very large NCL ship sail away and the rest of the ships seemed to be happily nestled in the harbor for the evening.

We went to the Oceans Bar and listened to music before dinner, ate dinner in the dining room at a table for two, and went back for more music. Was fun to relax and enjoy the sounds of pretty good music and people having fun together.

This morning , Christmas Eve 2015, I awoke to the beautiful sight of St. Barts. Sailing in past the 5 mast ship, Club Med II, that had left St John before us and also past about 20 private yachts. One is named the Eclipse and I plan to look about it online.  All kinds of memories abound of the week we spent with Kathryn, Will and Christopher on St. Barts to celebrate Will’s 40^th birthday in 2003. We rented a cute little house with two air-conditioned bedrooms and the rest open air. There was a French maid who came and cleaned each day. Christopher slept in the shower. We ate great- but expensive food.

I was reminded of the airstrip where the planes come over a narrow gap, land and must quickly stop or they go into the sea. 

Airport Traffic Tower

Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover this island in 1493 and he named it after his brother Bartolomeo. The Spanish visited the island over the next 100 years but by 1648, it had fallen under French rule. Today Saint-Barthelemy, fondly called St. Barts (English) and Saint-Barth (French), is an overseas collectivity of France, consisting of the Leeward Islands of Saint Martin, Guadeloupe and Martinique. Historically speaking, it is the only Caribbean island which was a Swedish colony and the Three Crowns of the Swedish national arms still appear in the island’s coat of arms. Despite this the language, cuisine and culture are distinctly French.

The sea surrounding St. Barts is rich in coral reefs and other precious marine life, and the area has been protected since 1996. There are as many as 22 public beaches with 15 considered suitable for swimming.

Saint Barths is a chic hideaway for the rich and famous. The relatively small island of 13 sq miles caters to fewer than 9000  residents. This small volcanic rock circled by coral reefs is ripe in French culture.

While predominantly French today the island has exchanged hands many times throughout its history including the Arawak Indians, the Caribs, the French, the British, and the Swedish.

Pulling from its many influences the Capital, Gustavia, is named for the Swedish king Gustav III who brought the island to prosperity by declaring the port duty free to increase trading. When the island was profitable in the late 19^th century, the Swedish sold the island to the French.

Among the many boats/ships in the harbor were two really big ones…

Club Med II

Club Med II, one of the largest sailing cruise ships in the world, carrying up to 386 passengers with a crew of 214, sails the waters of the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea in the summertime, and the Caribbean in the winter, finding her way into anchorages larger cruise ships cannot reach.

The ship provides ballroom dancing, bridge and music, and sails at night making a stop each morning. A water sports deck can be deployed from the stern.

Anchored near Club Med II was the M/Y Eclipse, a luxury motor yacht constructed by Blohm + Voss of Hamburg, Germany. The yacht was delivered to Russian businessman Roman Abramovich on 9 December 2010. At 533 ft long, Eclipse is the world's second largest private yacht, 57 ft shorter than Azzam, which launched in April, 2013. The yacht's cost has been estimated at €340 million.

Eclipse has two helicopter pads, 24 guest cabins, two swimming pools, several hot tubs, and a disco hall. It is also equipped with three launch boats and a mini-submarine that is capable of submerging to 170 feet. Approximately 70 crew members are needed to operate the yacht and serve the guests.

For security, Eclipse is fitted with a missile defense system system.

M/Y Eclipse

All it takes is lots of money and the desire to spend it in this way!!!!

May your Christmas Eve be filled with laughter, fun, family and friends…plus a worshipful time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace!