Today’s Blog is written by St. Barth Properties Vice-President Tom Smyth who went to St. Barth on vacation (instead of for only work) during Presidents’ Week. (Full disclosure: Tom is my son) Happy Reading!
Most often, my time in St. Barth is comprised of days filled with meetings and property inspections. Don’t get me wrong, any time in St. Barth is quality time. But this February trip, business was put aside, and the week was all about enjoying St. Barth with our very good friends, Scott & Julie. We chose the Presidents’ Day week in February which is school vacation week in the Northeast, and which worked perfectly for Scott who is a school superintendent. The flights down from Boston went smoothly as we chose to connect via San Juan utilizing the services of Tradewind Aviation and their comfortable Pilatus PC-12 aircraft which zipped us to St. Barth in just 50 minutes.
Upon arrival our St. Barth Properties representative, Romain, greeted us with a friendly Bonjour. While we picked up our Mini Cooper from GUMBS car rental, Romain was already off to the villa with our luggage. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to stay in the beautiful and luxurious Villa L’Adrech.
Set high on the Lurin hillside, this property sits on an acre and a half of beautifully manicured grounds and offers a panoramic view of St. Jean Bay. As the wooden entry gate swung upon, we knew we were in for a special stay as the entrance is framed with beautiful mature palm trees guiding us to a circular driveway meticulously detailed with impressive stone work. It was like a scene straight out of Jurassic Park! “Spacious” and “private” can’t begin to describe the gorgeous design of the villa. Let’s just say the master bedroom closet requires its own air conditioning zone. We quickly settled in, freshened up from the day’s travel, and were off to see David at the Santa Fé restaurant just around the corner for a Valentine’s Day dinner to start our vacation. If you have not yet dined at Santa Fé, be sure to do so. As always, the dinner and service were impeccable.
We awoke Friday to a beautiful day with clear blue skies which would become our weather pattern for the full week. The heated pool at Villa L’Adrech resembles an oasis you may find at a luxury resort. With a zero entry as if walking in from the beach, access is a breeze. It is surrounded by natural stone and beautiful landscaping with hidden waterfalls and even a nook with spa jets for total relaxation. The infinity edge blends perfectly with the sea of St. Jean Bay as you lounge in the water.
My wife Amy and Julie were college roommates and as Amy an I were dating at that time, I became their third wheel by default. Needless to say, we all have some history together. In those days a competitive evening playing the card game “Pitch” was a regular activity. This tradition carried on when Julie met Scott some years later and now when the four of us get together it is boys vs. girls with bragging rights on the line. The cards are always available, and a game may pop up anywhere, including this trip while spending an afternoon at the Pearl Beach restaurant. Many years ago, we started keeping a log with the history of our scores along with notes of funny antics that may occur. It is always hilarious to go back and read them and to remember all the places we have been and the memories we’ve made together. (Yes, the girls won more games this trip… but we’ll have our chance again).
The trip was an equal balance of relaxation in the villa, activities around the island and of course wonderful dining experiences. A few nights out included Santé Fe, Bonito and Bagatelle restaurants and all where wonderful. A full day Catamaran trip with Miguel of “St. Barth Sailor” followed by a “Jo-Jo Burger” that evening is a tradition of ours and as always did not disappoint.
Another day we enjoyed the “St. Barth Properties Beach Picnic” on Gouverneur Beach where a private chef setup chairs, an umbrella and a cooler stocked with items from a preset menu (2 menus to choose from). All we had to do was arrive and sit to enjoy the day. They even saved us a parking spot right up front for when we arrived!
A hike to Colombier Beach and Sea Bob rentals in front of Nikki Beach (where we cruised with about a dozen sea turtles) rounded out our week’s activities. When it came time to say Au Revoir, we did so with the knowledge that we will be back again to make even more memories. Until next time!
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