Our Final Full Day In St. Barths

At the start of a very busy day Friday, we walked to the top of the old fortress above the left side of the harbor facing St. Marteen. A slight rain fell briefly and for most of the day it was cloudy, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying two different beaches. At Grand Cul de Sac we had a delightful lunch at Gloriette. Jim’s lobster cassoulet was bathed in a cream sauce and boasted large chunks of lobster, with diced red peppers as a taste variation. Dan enjoyed the Caesar salad with gambas, or large shrimps. They had been sautéed in a succulent sauce, slightly spicy and salty. Desserts were a traditional, excellent Fondant (chocolate cake with a moist interior) and the ever-well prepared French mousse au chocolat. After conquering the roads to Gouverneur Beach (not well labeled, so we had to retrace our steps more than once) we enjoyed snorkeling and swimming on what we think is the best beach on the island. Happily, it’s near Santa Fe and Lurin. After our stay there we headed back to the villa at Colony Club to shower and dress for our final meal, at the beautifully situated Victoria’s Restaurant in the Carl Gustav Hotel. High above the town of Gustavia, the harbor view is spectacular and we saw the masts of ships lit with tiny, sparkling lights. Only seaside resorts offer such a combination of natural and man-made sights, which reminds the imagination of an earthly Paradise. The final meal was also expertly done and very fine, starting with a tarte made of eggplant, candied tomatoes and goat cheese, on a bed of puff pastry. Then Jim enjoyed an authentic boullaibaise with swordfish and Dan loved his melt-in the mouth grouper which included a peppercorn and mango topping. Dan also had a gigantic butterscotch éclair while Jim tried the Nutella pizza. The meal was a fitting end to our spectacular visit to our favorite Caribbean island.—Dan

                                          View of Gustavia from Fort Karl ruins

                                          Lobster cassoulet at Gloriette

                                          Grilled prawns at Gloriette

                                          Gloriette desserts

                                          Gloriette on the beach at Grand Cul de Sac\

                                          Victoria's at the Hotel Karl Gustav

                                          Sunset view from the Hotel Karl Gustav

                                          Eggplant tarte at Victoria's

                                          Grilled grouper at Victoria's

                                          Swordfish Bouillabaisse at Victoria's

                                          Butterscotch eclair at Victoria's

                                          Nutella pizza at Victoria's