Day 6 (November 12, 2019):

Resort vacations have five key phases: 

1- the “I booked it a year in advance and it’s so far away it doesn’t seem real” phase. 

2- the “it’s almost here!” anticipation phase. 

3- the “arrival in a new place and I’m obviously the least tanned, least in-the-know person on the resort” phase. 

4- the “look at me - I’ve got this place all figured out!” phase. 

5- and lastly and most sadly, the “it’s our last day, honey, and this is our last visit to the omelette station” phase. 

Well, this was phase five day for us. And yes, it was indeed sad. We have been smitten with St Martin. The resort has been amazing, the weather perfect, the sand and water top notch and warm, and then those planes — oh, those amazing planes! And those endless takeoffs and landings...  Why would we want to return home to below-zero temperatures and work stress?

We were at breakfast before 8AM again and on the beach by 845AM. We spent most of our time bobbing in the ocean, having realized that a pool noodle makes you incredibly buoyant and that, after 50, who cares what anyone thinks! 

We left the beach by10:30AM, checked out just after 11, and enjoyed the all-inclusive benefits for another hour. Then we left in our tiny Chevy Spark to do one last exploration of the island. Orient Bay on the northeast coast was our target, and from there, completion of a circular route back to Philipsburg and on to the airport. 

The traffic in Marigot on the estates aide was brutal, as it was in Philipsburg on the eastern side. But somehow we made it back to the rental agency with a few minutes to spare and were quickly shuttled to the terminal, which is still in a very make-shift condition after suffering extensive damage in Hurricane Irma. 

A smooth flight back to Toronto, where we were greeted with -7C, and an on-time connection to Halifax.  Thanks for joining us on this short visit to St Martin!

Umbrellas on the hotel beach. 

Clear, clean, warm water. 

The resort’s wildlife!



This photo will help explain why our hotel and beach provided such front-row seats for the takeoff/landing show provided by the Princess Juliana International Airport. 

United in... Sonesta! LOL. Those are our Sonesta Hotel bracelets, that give access to the hotel room, all facilities and services. 


The beach at Orient Bay on the northeast coast. 

The brightly coloured rooftops of Orient Bay. 

The brightly painted home of a local. 

St Martin has two close neighbours: Anguilla to the north and St Bartholomew (shown above) to the south. 

The French-Dutch border signs on the main road on the eastern part of the island. 

The church in Orleans on the eastern side of the island. Notice the two storey design and the use of window shutters - very typical in church construction here. 

St Martin has really done a nice job on its roundabouts. Each one features either an aspect of the island’s history, or a citizen who has made a significant contribution. This roundabout, in Belvedere on the East Coast, pays homage to “Ta Ta the bus driver.”

Our Westjet flight was half an hour late, due to the post-storm situation in Toronto and the need to de-ice before leaving Canada. 

The watchers are now the watched! We had been among those gathering outside the fence to feel the jet engine thrust. And now we are being waved at by those thrill-seekers. 

Take-off was the prevalent north-bound take-off, with the usual quick banking to the right, away from the mountains. That’s the very-developed Simpson Bay Lagoon area above. 

And one last view of St Martin. A top-notch vacation destination. 

The glitz of downtown Toronto is about as far-removed from the beaches of St Martin as one could get! Ice, snow and -7C greeted us at Pearson Airport.