Posted on November 10, 2008 8:04 AM | Permanent Link: Some Photos... | Comments (0)

In the early morning hours of October 16, Hurricane Omar passed north of St Barth and delivered 130 mph winds and extremely strong seas. Fortunately, the winds only lasted two to three hours, and most of the damage was due to the strong seas on the south side of the island. The beaches at Saline, Gouverneur, Gustavia, Public, Corossol and Colombier all lost quite a bit of sand and gained some large rocks. Several restaurants in Gustavia along the harbor were damaged but were able to reopen with the week thanks to all the hard work by the owners, staff and volunteers. Mayor Bruno Magras has asked for recognition of a state of natural catastrophe to assist businesses in obtaining insurance coverage. However, in typical St Barth fashion, the cleanup has proceeded at a record pace.

Posted on November 3, 2008 6:50 AM | Permanent Link: Hurricane Omar Visits St Barth | Comments (0)

Photos courtesy of Dal Tucker

Posted on October 6, 2008 3:58 AM | Permanent Link: St. Barts Views | Comments (0)

Although St Barth is quite often a dry island, if you keep your eyes open, you can find many local fruits and nuts growing wild around the island. A few examples are almonds, tamarind, sea grapes, cherries, little apples, corossol (or soursop), little apples and passionfruit. And, of course, the quenette. The quenette resembles a small, oval lime and grows on trees ranging from 18 to 30 feet. The yellowish-pink pulp, whose taste has been compared to a litchi, surrounds a very large pit. The tree is native to Colombia and Venezuela and appeared in the Antilles at the beginning of the 19th century. The fruit is often used in jams and syrups to flavor rum. But on a hot day, there's nothing like stumbling across a quenette tree and just popping open the thin skin and enjoying the tasty fruit.

(Editor's Note: On other English-speaking islands, this fruit is called the "genip".)

Posted on September 18, 2008 7:58 AM | Permanent Link: Don't Overlook the Local Fruits | Comments (0)

Crazy Shop/Crazy Photo, in the La Savanne shopping center in St Jean, has announced that they are closing as of August 30.

Marine Services has closed its West Indies Dive operation as of July 22 due to loss of profits and competition from newer and larger boats. They are still open for boat rentals, charter trips and snorkeling.

Au Port, the restaurant in Gustavia across from La Poste and above the bakery, has operated on the island for 30 years. Olivier Ebner, who purchased the restaurant from its original owners a couple of years ago, closed the restaurant on June 21 due to the economic situation and returned to his native France. We can only hope that he'll return next year to reopen this island tradition.

As of August 4, Les Bananiers restaurant in Colombier is no longer open for lunch. The restaurant is open every evening for dinner, except for Sundays, at 6:00 pm.

Posted on August 28, 2008 6:54 AM | Permanent Link: Bits and Pieces | Comments (0)

Tidbits from around the island:

• The program 21 Most Sexy Beaches, shown recently on the Travel channel, reported St Jean Beach as #8 in the world! It's always been one of my favorites!

• O'Corner, the restaurant in Gustavia, recently announced that it would soon be closing. Now, rumors have it that it will open soon with an Italian menu and a new owner who also has restaurants in the Los Angeles area.

• Another rumor has it that the Tropical Hotel has been purchased by the new owners of the Hotel Niilaaia, which is being built on the former site of the St Barth Beach Hotel in Grand Cul de Sac.

• A new currency exchange business, Change Point, has opened in Gustavia below the Sunset Hotel. They are open Monday through Saturday from 7:45 am to 12:30 pm and 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Can St Barth really support two currency exchange businesses just down the street from one another?

• Visit www.saintbarthkite.com for information on kite-surfing lessons in Grand Cul de Sac.

Posted on August 20, 2008 5:00 PM | Permanent Link: Bits and Pieces | Comments (0)

From July 22 until September 26, the road between the tennis courts in St Jean and the municipal pool will be closed to traffic as they are (finally!) paving this section of the road.

Beginning in September, the road down to beautiful Gouverneur Beach will be completely redone! They have already completed the first portion, but after that, hang on to your seats! Potholes and broken road abound. This will be a welcome relief to everyone as this is one of the most spectacular and accessible beaches on the island.

Posted on August 20, 2008 5:00 PM | Permanent Link: Good News on Upcoming Road Work | Comments (0)

One of the most frequent complaints registered with the police in St Barth is the level of the noise from construction, bars and discotheques. However, many complaints go unanswered due to the inability to measure the noise level. Recently, the territorial police and the gendarmes (the French police) have received three sonometers and will be able to quantify the noise level and take appropriate action. Depending on the time of day, the frequency and the level of noise, those responsible can be charged between 68 to 450 euros. If the offense is described as "sound aggression," the perpetrator could go to prison for up to one year and be charged with a fine of 15,000 euros. St Barth already has several restrictions in place. For example, the use of tools or apparatuses that make too much noise cannot be used between 6:00 pm and 7:00 am Monday through Saturday, between noon and 2:00 pm Monday through Friday, and between noon and 6:00 pm on Saturdays and all day on Sundays.

Posted on July 16, 2008 5:35 PM | Permanent Link: Noise Level to be Measured and Controlled | Comments (1)

Michel Magras, who teaches science and biology at the Mireille Choisy junior high school in Gustavia, has recently published Flowers of Saint Barthélemy. His book, which is in French and English, classifies 280 species of the 400 different flowers that are found on St Barth and contains 1000 photos. The book is presented as a practical guidebook, but also contains the Latin names and carefully documented scientific characteristics of the plants. Along with the scientific information, you'll find interesting anecdotes. For example, M. Magras tells us that the acacia tree, locally called "bois lolo" has been banned from gardens around houses "and systematically destroyed, while, in fact, their horizontal roots actively fight against the erosion of the soil." Two thousand copies of the book have been published and are available in the bookstores for 25 euros.

Posted on July 16, 2008 5:33 PM | Permanent Link: Flowers of Saint Barthélemy | Comments (0)

As a result of St. Barth becoming an Overseas Collectivity, all newly registered cars will have the new St. Barth license plates, which will include the letters SBH. The standard plate will consiSt. of one to three digits, followed by a space, followed by one to three letters and the letters SBH. Personalized plates are also now allowed and can consiSt. of up to ten letters with no spaces. The standard registration costs 25 euros and personalized plates will coSt. 50 euros. It will be fun to see the personalized plates that appear on the island!

Posted on June 30, 2008 11:16 AM | Permanent Link: New St. Barth License Plates Start to Appear | Comments (0)

La Palace in Gustavia will be closed from June 7 through the end of July.

La Poste in Gustavia is operating under summer hours until September. They are open from 7:30 am until 12:45 pm every day except for Wednesdays and Saturdays, when they close at noon.

The Strand Supper Club in Gustavia is offering free champagne to ladies every Thursday from 11:00 pm until 1:00 am.

La Pomme ("apple" in French), an authorized reseller of Macintosh computers, has opened on Rue Courbet in Gustavia. They are open from 9:30 to 1:00 pm and from 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm. For more information, call them at 0690 41 21 30.

Posted on June 24, 2008 2:58 PM | Permanent Link: Bits and Pieces for May 26, 2008 | Comments (0)

Wish you'd written down the phone number for a restaurant, hotel, doctor or a favorite boutique before you left? Now, the St Barth phone book is on-line at www.directory-saintbarth.com. It's easy to use and you can search by profession or name. There's even a tab for an inverse search - you enter the phone number and the business or person's name is returned. This is a real help if you want to make reservations at your favorite restaurants before leaving for the island.

Posted on June 24, 2008 2:56 PM | Permanent Link: St. Barth Phone Directory Now On-Line | Comments (0)

Get ready for a big night of soccer! On Wednesday, June 4, the Caribbean Soccer Stars will be in St Barth on their second annual tour to take on some local St Barth soccer players at the Stadium in St Jean. The competition starts at 6:00 pm and admission is free. Among the all-stars is Mamadou Niang, the highest scorer for Marseilles during the 2007/2008 championship season; Souleymane Diawara, a defender for the Bordeaux Girondins; Jeremie Janot, goalie for the "Greens" of Saint-Etienne; and Anthony Le Tallec, attacking midfielder for Le Mans. The all-stars will play in St Martin on Sunday, June 1 and then make their way to St Barth. The tour is organized by Marty Toure of Wavecom. Information on all the players can be found at www.caraibesfoot.com.

Posted on June 3, 2008 1:15 PM | Permanent Link: 2008 Tour of Caribbean Soccer Stars | Comments (0)

Normally, Pitea Day, held in mid-August, was the celebration to commemorate the twinning of St Barth and Pieta, Sweden. However, starting this year, St Barth will dedicate a full week in November to celebrate the ongoing friendship between St Barth and Sweden and the island's Swedish past and to introduce the populace of St Barth to today's Sweden. The events will start on the Sunday before the annual running of the Gustavialoppet marathon, which will close the week's activities. According to Yves Greaux, who is vice-president of the territorial council and is responsible for cultural affairs, "2008 marks a triple date: the first Swedish Week in Saint Barth; the 30 years of twin cities Pitea and Saint Barth, and the 130th anniversary of the retrocession of the island to France. It is important to give this first edition a real visibility, to give it a solid base to become an annual event." As such, the vice-president has asked for projects to be submitted to the Tourist Office before August 15. The event will take place November 16-23 and is being organized by the non-profit associations ASBAS and Skaellskapet (The Friends of Saint Barth Association of Stockholm).

Posted on June 3, 2008 1:13 PM | Permanent Link: Swedish Week in St Barth | Comments (0)

France's oldest citizen has died at 113 years of age - according to news reports that makes Eugenie Blanchard of St. Barts the oldest French Citizen:

Posted on May 29, 2008 5:59 AM | Permanent Link: France's oldest citizen dies at 113 | Comments (0)

New Web Cam in Gustavia
To view the Gustavia harbor live, check out the new web cam at http://pagesperso-orange.fr/gustavia/webcamtempsbh.html.

Le Bouchon Now Has Rotisserie Chickens To Go
Le Bouchon restaurant in Lorient is now offering rotisserie chickens for take-out from Thursday to Sunday starting at 11:30 am.

Kazz n' Blues No More?
Kazz n' Blues opened in Grand Cul de Sac in the location of the previous Cocoloba several months ago. Rumor now has it that they will be closing in June. Something else is sure to open there as it is an ideal location for a restaurant. Stay tuned.

More Sushi To Go
La Mandala restaurant in Gustavia is now offering sushi for take-out. They have quite an extensive menu, offering Sushi Nigiri for 6 to 8 euros for two pieces, Maki-Sushi Rolls from 8 to 15 euros for eight pieces and two pieces of Sashimi for an average of 8 euros.

Posted on May 26, 2008 8:24 AM | Permanent Link: Bits and Pieces for May 26, 2008 | Comments (0)

On April 30, the new radiology suite at the De Bruyn Hospital was inaugurated. The new radiology equipment was purchased with a donation of 154,000 euros from FEMUR (Foundation for Emergency Medical Equipment in St Barth) and 50,000 euros from the Kovner Foundation in the U.S. According to Pierre Nuty, the director of the hospital, plans are in place to have a full radiology center by 2010. Additional equipment will include a scanner that costs 400,000 euros. FEMUR will try to raise as much money as possible to help achieve that goal.

Posted on May 26, 2008 8:23 AM | Permanent Link: New Radiology Suites Opens | Comments (0)

From Yachting World, the Transat AG2R is over (since last week), and the team we mentioned earlier had a particularly tough finish :

Posted on May 26, 2008 6:22 AM | Permanent Link: Pellecuer and Mouren win Transat AG2R | Comments (0)

Antoine Questel, who will be 24 in September, has made waves in international windsurfing competitions over the last couple of years. Now, Jimmy Buffet has decided to sponsor him. Questel ranks among the top French windsurfers and has been part of the Funboard team at Pole France for the past three years. During the first round of the French Funboard championships, held April 5-10 in southern France, he came in third. There are two more rounds to go. He is currently competing in the Euro-Cup Mondial du Vent, which attracts the top windsurfers and kite surfers in the world. Questel is also sponsored by the Collectivity of St Barth, Eden Rock Hotel and Sooruz, a surf and skate apparel company. For more information on this talented young man, visit www.centrehautniveaufunboard.com or www.sailingnews.tv.

Posted on May 14, 2008 9:15 AM | Permanent Link: Jimmy Buffet Sponsors Local Windsurfer | Comments (0)

Since January 1, 2008, St Barth has collected almost 3.5 million euros between the new business tax, the vehicle tax and the accommodations tax. The business tax has earned the Collectivity 925,120 euros. Each business on the island must pay 300 euros plus 100 euros per employee up to a maximum of 5000 euros. The vehicle tax, called a vignette for the sticker that must be placed on the windshield, varies depending on the size of the vehicle. A total of 7154 owners have already paid, bringing in almost 1 million euros. The newly instituted accommodation tax of 5% per daily rental fee of villas and hotels has brought in almost 1.5 million euros. The Collectivity projected 2.5 million euros for the year for the accommodation tax, so this sounds like a good start, but they are afraid that it may fall short by the end of the year.

Posted on May 12, 2008 7:21 AM | Permanent Link: The Collectivity Collects Almost 3.5 Million Euros in Taxes | Comments (0)

The new Collectivity has hit the ground running as far as municipal improvements are concerned. The projects are many and welcome. Lots of work to improve the roads and several building projects are underway.

Flamands will never look the same - just better. The main road is being totally repaved and slightly widened. Any water pipes that were above ground are being put underground. Once the road is finished, plans are in place to add a sidewalk from the pétanque court all the way to the Hotel St Barth Isle de France.

Repaving of the road will begin soon between Radio St Barth in Colombier and the intersection in Corossol just past Au Regal. In addition, all the electrical wires will be put underground. This will definitely be a visual improvement and a welcome improvement in the case of hurricanes. There's nothing worse than being closed up in a villa or hotel with no electricity and no air-conditioning!

Have you ever noticed a lot of water in the roads around the pond in St Jean? The breaks in the water pipes are being repaired and the road will soon be repaved as well. In addition, at long last, they will be paving the road between the municipal pool and the archery field.

Access to one of the most popular beaches will soon be easier. If you've been to St Barth recently, you've probably enjoyed the first half of the road down to Gouverneur beach. It's been widened and repaved and is a pleasure to drive on. However, after that, the road quickly deteriorates into a mass of broken pavement and potholes. The Collectivity will begin work on the remainder of the road in September and will also put all water pipes underground.

The church hall in the Catholic church in Gustavia is under total renovation and should be completed by mid-May when it will be used for performances of the St Barth Festival of Theater, which takes place May 16-25. Air-conditioning is being added, as well as theatrical lighting fixtures and controls for sound and lighting. Phase two of the project includes enlarging the area as only 150 people can currently be seated.

And, finally, the new clubhouse for the municipal tennis courts in St Jean should be completed by mid-summer.

These are ambitious undertakings that will be enjoyed by everyone!

Posted on May 10, 2008 9:19 AM | Permanent Link: Municipal Improvements Abound | Comments (0)

Newport, RI (April 4, 2008) The 13th Annual St Barths Bucket was once again blessed with perfect sailing weather which provided some of the most spectacular sailing on the most spectacular yachts in the most spectacular sailing neighborhood. With a consistent 15-22 knot trade wind, the fleet was fully powered up and the racing was startlingly close. Some of the finishes were described by participants as "closer than Farr 40 finishes"! This was previously unheard of in the superyacht world and this year's St Barths Bucket was declared the "best ever".

Continue reading "13th Annual St Barths Bucket Regatta Results" »

Posted on April 10, 2008 9:31 AM | Permanent Link: 13th Annual St Barths Bucket Regatta Results | Comments (0)

The ninth edition of the Transat AG2R will begin on April 20 when the boats will set sail from France to St Barth, where they will arrive about three weeks later. Those of you who are supporting the St Barth entry, Concarneau-St Barth, can buy a T-shirt in the colors of their mascot team at Loulou's Marina in Gustavia.

Posted on April 10, 2008 8:49 AM | Permanent Link: Transat AG2R T-Shirts On Sale | Comments (0)

FEMUR, the St Barth's Foundation for Emergency Medical Equipment, was founded by a group of French, American and native St Barth residents 25 years ago with the purpose to raise money to purchase equipment for the local hospital. Each year the Hospital Director provides a list of items needed to improve service and care. Over the years, FEMUR has made great headway. Four years ago, they raised 140,000 euros to build a new Dialysis Center. In 2007, they raised 240,000 euros for a new Radiation Center, which should be opening any day. Their current, and largest, project is to raise 600,000 euros to purchase a CT scanner to be installed in the new Radiation Center. Each week injured or sick residents or tourists must be evacuated to St Martin for scans.

Seven years ago, FEMUR established an American 501 C Charitable Foundation so that contributions from Americans to the hospital are tax deductible under IRS rules. If you would like to contribute to this worthy cause, make your check out to St. Barth Medical Equipment Foundation and mail it to SBMEF, c/o Mr. Lawrence O'Donnell, 32 South Church Street, West Chester, PA 19382.

Posted on April 10, 2008 8:46 AM | Permanent Link: FEMUR Raising Money for CT Scanner | Comments (0)

Be the first on your block to know the latest fashion and lifestyle trends in the tropics. Every December, Nikki Style releases their annual guide to St Barth. Five thousand copies, available in French and English, will be distributed at Nikki Beach in St Jean and other establishments on the island. If you want to reserve a copy, the deadline is November 15, 2008.

Posted on April 7, 2008 8:47 AM | Permanent Link: Nikki Style Mode | Comments (0)

Electric cars manufactured by Miles are starting to arrive! In 2007, Miles, a company based in Santa Monica, California, was recognized as "the electric car company of the year." Three small models are currently being imported, ranging in price from $19,500 to $24,500: the ZX40, the ZX40S and the ZX40AD. These cars can go about 50 miles at their top speed of 40 mph before it's necessary to recharge the battery, which takes from four to six hours. The six batteries have an expected life span of four years or 30,000 miles and can be replaced for $350. (With the current exchange rate between the euro and the US dollar, this is a bargain!) Currently, because of the lack of an engine rating, these cars are not subject to the tax on vehicles instituted in St Barth at the start of 2008. That will most likely occur, but perhaps the COM will encourage these environmentally friendly cars by charging a lower annual tax.

Posted on March 20, 2008 9:39 AM | Permanent Link: Electric Cars Start to Arrive | Comments (3)

The year 2008 has already brought many changes to St Barth as it assumes its new political status of an Overseas Collectivity (COM). One of these changes has been the institution of an accommodation tax of 5% on all seasonal rentals: hotels, villas, apartments, etc. The goal of this tax is to raise money to meet the budget of the COM since funding from France has greatly decreased. For the month of January, the COM has collected 580,000 €. However, President Bruno Magras is concerned that individuals who rent their villas directly to clients without the assistance of a villa rental agency may not be reporting these rentals, and, hence, not paying the required tax. Members of the COM are currently doing research in an attempt to identify any such cases. As President Magras states, "We need these taxes in order to meet the budget for the COM. It is in the interest of everybody on the island, since the more we can collect, the less risk there is of creating new taxes."

Posted on March 20, 2008 9:31 AM | Permanent Link: Accommodation Tax Brings In 580,000 Euros in January | Comments (0)

All new vehicles registered on St Barth as of March 3, 2008 will have newly designed license plates. These license plates are a result of St Barth's evolution to a French Overseas Collectivity and will be specific to St Barth with the letters SBH, rather than the FR on the existing French plates. The Territorial Council also discussed the possibility of allowing personalized license plates, but this is yet to be decided. That would be another way to raise money for the Collectivity, assuming one would have to pay extra. Additional information is available in French on the COM's website: www.comstbarth.fr and a special email has been set up for questions: immatriculation@comstbarth.fr.

Posted on March 4, 2008 9:33 AM | Permanent Link: New License Plates Soon to Come | Comments (0)

The Oasis grocery store in Lorient has started food and beverage delivery. You give them your shopping list and they'll deliver. Email bruno-oasispro@orange.fr or call at 06 90 71 89 02 for more information.

The Rotary Club is holding a "yard sale" at a villa in Camaruche from Monday, March 3 to Saturday, March 8 between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm. Camaruche is the area past Lorient just before you get to the turn for Vitet. To help find the way, the road will be marked with signs displaying the logo of the Rotary Club. Proceeds will be used to purchase defibrillators in collaboration with the Red Cross and the Collectivity. For more information, contact the Rotary Club at 05 90 27 73 38.

Posted on March 4, 2008 8:54 AM | Permanent Link: Bits and Pieces - March 4, 2008 | Comments (0)

Looks like they are raising money for Senator Obama on St. Barts:

And no, it is not that Richard Branson.

Posted on February 25, 2008 6:43 AM | Permanent Link: The St. Bart's Cocktail Fundraiser for Barack Obama | Comments (0)

The dollar's demise is affecting travel all over the globe in different ways according to this article, which includes a mention of how the Hotel Carl Gustaf is dealing with it:

Posted on February 21, 2008 4:43 PM | Permanent Link: Dealing with the weak US dollar on St. Barts | Comments (0)

From Cellular-News:

Posted on February 21, 2008 4:37 PM | Permanent Link: French Overseas Territories to Get 3g Licenses | Comments (0)

EXCLUSIVE TO SAINT BARTHELEMY, SATURDAY 23RD OF FEBRUARY 2008 UNIQUE SHOWING OF JB BAGS AND PRE-LAUNCH OF BOOK GUSTAVIA BY JENNY STENING

Swedish Design Centre of Saint Barthelemy is pleased to announce this special vernissage on the 23rd of February between 4-8pm.

Jenny Stening will personally come to the island with an exclusive pre-print
version of her firstbook about the Swedish buildings in Gustavia. In addition you will be able to enjoy an extended show of her current collection of JB design bags featured exclusively at Swedish Design Center.

Continue reading "Unique Showing of JB Bags And Pre-Launch of Book "Gustavia" By Jenny Stening" »

Posted on February 18, 2008 4:18 PM | Permanent Link: Unique Showing of JB Bags And Pre-Launch of Book "Gustavia" By Jenny Stening | Comments (0)

Check out this photo of a plane buzzing the hill!

Posted on February 6, 2008 3:07 AM | Permanent Link: Great picture of the St. Barts landing experience | Comments (0)

Starting at 5:00 am on Monday, December 17, about thirty fishermen blocked entry to the port of Gustavia with their boats to protest the high price of gas. The blockade prevented cargo ships, cruise ships and the ferry between St Barth and St Martin from entering or leaving the port. The airport was also shut down for a few hours in the afternoon. President Bruno Magras visited the port at 8:00 am and told the fishermen that he would discuss the issue after they opened the port. After an unsuccessful attempt at negotiation at the port, some of the fisherman went to the airport around 10:30 am and blocked the entrance to the departure lounge and the check-in counters. At 1:30 pm, President Magras agreed to organize a meeting with the Executive Council, which took place at 3:00 pm. The port was reopened a little after 5:00 pm, at the conclusion of the meeting, results of which are not yet known.

Continue reading "Fishermen Block Port of Gustavia to Protest High Gas Prices" »

Posted on January 10, 2008 4:13 AM | Permanent Link: Fishermen Block Port of Gustavia to Protest High Gas Prices | Comments (0)

St. Barth was once under Swedish rule, and that history is still present in many forms, such as architecture, street names and celebrations such as Pitea Day. Now, that presence is represented in the Swedish Design Centre, which recently opened in St. Jean. The boutique showcases a unique collection of contemporary and classic objects of Swedish design, heritage and origin designed by established and up-and-coming designers. You'll find jewelry, glassware, furniture, home accessories and other items. The boutique is located in the Les Amandiers mall on the Route de Saline, across from Le Glacier. They are open Monday-Saturday from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm. If you visit their web site at http://www.swedishdesigncentre.com, you can view a list of their guest designers along with short bios and subscribe to their newsletter.

Posted on January 7, 2008 5:37 AM | Permanent Link: Swedish Design Centre Opens in St Jean | Comments (1)

With the holiday celebrations in full swing, be careful of drinking and driving. The penalties are stiff. Recently, an American citizen was stopped for an alcohol test while driving a rental car. She tested positive with 0.50 mg of alcohol per liter of air exhaled. The penalty? She was asked to pay the fine of 800 euros and to leave the island if she didn't want to go before a judge. That's one fast way to ruin your vacation! Under French law, the legal level of alcohol in the blood is 0.5 grams per liter of blood. If you have up to 0.8 grams, you risk a fine of 135 euros. Higher than that level, if there hasn't been an accident, you must pay a fine immediately. If there has been an accident, you must go before the judge. The sentence for drunk driving can be up to two years in prison and up to 4500 euros in fines. Think before you drink!

Posted on December 27, 2007 5:07 PM | Permanent Link: Drinking and Driving in St Barth | Comments (0)

A diver's paradise, "Peaceful Fish", has been anchored in Gustavia for about a week, with plans to stay there until February. You can't miss it: there's a 35-ton crane on its back deck! Originally a provisioning ship for oil platforms at sea, the ship was completely renovated in 2006 and has six cabins. But, comfortable sleeping quarters is far from the main purpose of this ship. It carries a 37' speed boat, a 34' fishing boat, a 50' dive boat, six jet skis, two Harley-Davidson motorcycles, many knee and wake boards, and the latest high-tech, high-performance diving equipment, including a decompression chamber, diving gear for at least 20 people, and equipment to mix nitrogen, oxygen and helium for extremely long or deep dives.

Posted on December 27, 2007 5:06 PM | Permanent Link: "Peaceful Fish" Anchored in Gustavia | Comments (0)

Any locals have more info on what the gossip pages are reporting:

Posted on December 20, 2007 5:22 AM | Permanent Link: Fuel strike on St. Barts? | Comments (2)

On January 1, 2008, the postal code of Saint Barth will change. The new postal code will start with "977", but the remaining two numbers are still unknown. This change is a result of the recent vote for Saint Barth to become an Overseas Collectivity, autonomous from the administration of Guadeloupe. Now's the time to buy those T-shirts and other momentos with the original 97133 postal code.

Posted on December 18, 2007 4:35 AM | Permanent Link: 97133 Postal Code to Change | Comments (0)

By day, A.J.O.E., in Lorient, offers tennis courts. But several evenings, it turns into an outdoor cinema (this is also the locale of the St Barth Film Festival). A.J.O.E. has been working to improve its capabilities for showing movies. Over the last three years, they have increased the projection area (the back wall) to 75 m2. Last year they added a new Dolby stereo sound system as well as new speakers and have decided to ban smoking as of December 1. For the past two years, they have presented a film every 15 days. The largest remaining obstacle is the selection of films, which the association does not completely control. For the most part, they are subject to the choices of Cinésogar, which is the single distributor of films in the French West Indies. Often, they do not know which film they are getting in advance - sometimes not until the reels actually arrive. Despite their lack of control, many popular films have been presented. So, for a change of pace, how about an outdoor, fresh-air movie on a Friday night?

Posted on December 11, 2007 4:38 AM | Permanent Link: Never Been to the Outdoor Theater? Check It Out! | Comments (0)

The stadium complex in St Jean already has facilities for soccer, rugby, archery, judo, tae kwon do and volleyball. Soon, you can add tennis to that already impressive list of activities. The Collectivity has been hard at work building four tennis courts with latticework to stop those stray balls and lighting. In addition, they have provided another court to be used for training purposes. The courts are scheduled to open in mid-December and will be open to everyone. On Friday, the Collectivity signed a five-year renewable contract with the Saint-Barth Tennis Club, an association that was created especially for this event and is chaired by Dany Brin, a founder of A.J.O.E., the tennis association in Lorient. The contract includes the provision of free equipment and maintenance of the courts. Future plans include a club house.

Posted on December 4, 2007 4:34 AM | Permanent Link: New Tennis Courts in St Jean to Open in Mid-December | Comments (0)

The work of Jeanne Susplugas, who was born in Montpelier, France, will be exhibited at b.art Gallery in Gustavia and at the Tom Beach Hotel in St Jean until December 15. Having grown up in a family of pharmacists and having been seriously poisoned, the theme of "Borderline", the name of the exhibit, is based on the role of medicine in our daily lives. This exhibit uses videos, photographs and drawings to ask the questions: Alluring or dangerous? Necessary or dependent? The work of Jeanne Susplugas travels throughout the world and is particularly represented in New York in the Florence Lynch Gallery, in Tokyo in the Mizuma Art Gallery and in Brussels in the Charles de Jonghe Gallery.

Posted on December 3, 2007 4:15 AM | Permanent Link: A Couple of Current Art Expositions | Comments (0)

If you've ever walked the goat path from Flamands to Colombier beach, you know that it can be a bit challenging at times. Improvements have begun. Thus far, they have carved steps into the rock at the cave-like area as well as steps in another rocky area. The path is also quite overgrown at the moment, and men are out there with chain saws to clear the passage.

Posted on December 2, 2007 4:35 AM | Permanent Link: Not Just for Goats Anymore | Comments (0)

For better or for worse, the long-rumored restricted parking in Gustavia is scheduled to become a reality at the beginning of 2008. The objective is to prevent people from leaving their cars in the same spot all day. In certain restricted zones, the maximum amount of time that you will be able to park is 1 ½ hours. This time limit will apply to parking along the harbor from the pharmacy to the restaurant La Route des Boucaniers. While parking will initially be free, parking meters may be installed in the future; the necessary equipment was ordered on October 29. The Collectivity will conduct an information campaign before initiating the restricted parking to educate the local residents of the change. One hope is that people will start car-pooling and that some system of public transportation will emerge. The 1 ½-hour limit will be in effect during peak hours during weekdays. The restriction will not be enforced from noon to 2:00 pm, after 5:00 pm or on weekends. Exceeding the 1 ½-hour limit will cost you 11 euros. Initially, a parking disk will be given to all residents and will be present in all rental cars. This disk will note the arrival and departure time of all cars that are parked in the restricted areas during the restricted time periods. We'll have to wait a bit to see how this is actually implemented.

Posted on November 27, 2007 4:36 AM | Permanent Link: Monitored Parking in Gustavia Soon to be a Reality | Comments (0)

More St Barts Music Festival news from Wimco:

There's more.

Posted on November 8, 2007 6:07 AM | Permanent Link: St Barts Music Festival 2008 | Comments (1)

At the web site www.mmvideo.fr/video/video, you can take a look at clips from four videos of St Barth. Les côtes de St Barth is particularly good for a view of the scenery around the island.

Posted on November 6, 2007 4:27 AM | Permanent Link: A Few Video Clips | Comments (0)

The Territorial Council was scheduled to meet on October 30 to vote on the contents of a 42-page document containing 100 articles of proposed law, which if approved, would become effective January 1, 2008. At the forefront of everyone's concerns is, of course, the future of taxation on St Barth.

Continue reading "Taxes on the Agenda" »

Posted on November 6, 2007 4:19 AM | Permanent Link: Taxes on the Agenda | Comments (2)

Have you ever wondered how the postal workers can possibly remember where everyone lives in order to deliver their mail?! Letters are addressed with the name of the person and the town where they live. Giving and following directions can be just as confusing. Turn right by the yellow mailbox at the top of the hill just over the little bridge and right past the goats on the left. The Collectivity has adopted a plan to assign numbers to the houses and buildings on St Barth and will begin with the buildings in Gustavia. 1140 numbers have been allocated for all of the houses and commercial buildings in town. To maintain a sense of uniformity, the Collectivity has budgeted between 30,000 and 40,000 euros to fabricate stainless steel signs for the street numbers. The hope is that the numbers will be in place in Gustavia by the end of the year. After having gone through the process to assign house numbers in Gustavia, assigning house numbers throughout the island should go faster. Colombier and Flamands will be the next two areas to be assigned house numbers.

Posted on November 6, 2007 4:11 AM | Permanent Link: House Numbers Coming to St Barth | Comments (0)

The Saint B'Art Association is organizing its sixth annual painting competition. The theme, as always, remains St Barthélémy: landscapes, scenery or people and all media is allowable. The paintings must be available at the beginning of December in order to be exhibited on December 8. As with last year, the winning painting will be used as a stamp on 10,000 pre-stamped envelopes. For more information, please call Véronique Vander Noot at 06 90 39 92 74 or Jean-Pierre Ballagny at 06 90 83 84 00.

Posted on November 5, 2007 3:40 AM | Permanent Link: Sixth Annual Painting Contest Gets Underway | Comments (0)

The Golden Rock Regatta will make a stop in St. Barts:

More here.

Posted on November 2, 2007 1:23 PM | Permanent Link: Golden Rock Regatta Sports an Impressive Itinerary | Comments (0)

A reader of this site is looking for a house sitting situation or apartment swap:

Interested in winter swap (my Manhattan apt.) or house sitting at the beach in St Barth this winter on or after 12/31/07 for 7 to 12 weeks. Clean bright studio apartment in Chelsea neighborhood, 2 short floors up. West 19th Street near 7th Ave. (Google the zip code 10011) Neighbors include Janet Jackson, Ethan Hawke and Anderson Cooper! Apt. fits 2 nicely - not more than 4. Fully furnished... High speed internet DSL/Cable/TV/Telephone, microwave, 2 huge windows, light wood floors, etc. The area has a starbucks on every corner, plenty of dining, Chelsea Piers, yacht club, the Village, Lincoln Center, Ballet and opera. Bergdorf Goodman, Apple store open 24/7, Saks, Bloomingdales, Macys, Carnegie Hall, Subways on every other corner, NBC Ctudios, CNN Tours, St Pats, Grand Central Shops, Ice skating in Rock or Bryant Park. Buses to Atlantic city, Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, bus to skiing in Vermiont, Montreal. Please contact Greg at gregcurcio76@hotmail.com if you have a place on the beach you would like to swap or need house sitting. I have a small dog, trained 6 yrs old pure bred.

Posted on October 22, 2007 9:27 AM | Permanent Link: NYC/St. Barths apartment swap | Comments (0)

Here is a one minute video of some of the mega-yachts in Gustavia harbor on St. Barts:

(Warning - accompanied by some loud music!)

Posted on October 18, 2007 9:38 AM | Permanent Link: Video of yachts in Gustavia harbor |