St. Maarten

Legend has it that the island of St. Maarten was divided when a Frenchman and a Dutchman (standing back to back) walked in opposite directions until they met once again.  However it happened, the French claim 21 square miles of the island and the Dutch 16.  The only way to know that you are crossing from one country to the other is a welcome sign by the side of the road. Our ship docked at A.C. Wathey Pier, at the mouth of Groot Baai, Philipsburg.

We did a little shopping in Philipsburg and I discovered Pandora bracelets.  I was standing beside a lady who was purchasing an anchor bead as a memento of the cruise.  Jokingly, I told her that there would have to be a teapot bead for me.  That’s when the salesperson jumped in with “we have one”.  I’ll have to share my Pandora purchases later.

After a quick lunch on the ship, we returned to the island and took a taxi to Marigot on the French side.  The scenery was beautiful, as shown in the above photo.  My goal was to find a French tea room for afternoon tea.

 It was certainly not the tea mecca that I thought it would be, but we did manage to find a little place to sit and enjoy a cup of tea and some pastries.  There were many flavors of macaroons.

Outdoor cafes had croissants, pains au chocolat and espresso or cappuccino.

There are beaches near the pier for the less adventurous.  St. Maarten also offered many activities like golf, scuba, tennis, windsurfing, fishing, riding, sailing, snorkeling and biking.

The beaches here are lovely with fine white sand and gorgeous views.  Port days can be very busy with several ships visiting at the same time.

Pulling out of port (leaving the other cruise ships behind) is always a little sad, but we were so excited about the Chefs Table dinner that night and the upcoming stop at St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

I’ll post the Chefs Table dinner next.  It was a memorable experience for us and I can honestly say it was the best gourmet meal I’ve ever had.