This post is the seventh in a series of posts I am writing about my first post-Irma trip to Saint Martin. I hope you can join me for all of them. Here is a link to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth posts in the series. All of them include video of the island.
December 28, 2017 – If you’re just joining us here at SXM Strong for the first time, you definitely want to go back and look at the videos I’ve published in the prior posts of this series. And yes, so far this is still only from my first day on the island. I was there for a week, so there’s plenty more to come.
Today’s video starts with a look at Piazza Pascal. As you’ll see, it looks great and as close to normal as any place on the island. With the exception of one awning that needs to be replaced, Piazza Pascal looks ready to go. That’s good too because they are planning to open within the next week. So if you’re in Saint Martin, be sure to plan a visit to say ‘hello’ to Donna and Pascal.
Next I head down the boulevard to Love Hotel. Quite a different scene at Love. As I walk through the hotel you can see significant damage, although structurally it appeared to be sound. I think as soon as they start to clean up and clear debris, it will improve dramatically. But it’s clear that nothing has been done so far, or at least very little.
Rainbow Cafe was one of the few restaurants/bars, besides Zen It (check out Zen It here), where there were people actively working on this day. A peak inside, behind the containers, shows us a man working diligently to make repairs. As I walk down the beach, a little later in the video, I give you a close up of Rainbow that shows things coming along very nicely. Hint: They should be open soon.
After Rainbow Cafe, I stumble upon what’s left of Captain Frenchy. It didn’t fare very well at all. In fact, it was completely unrecognizable and I can’t see them re-opening anytime soon, if ever. Captain Frenchy was a nice little place, a great beach bar, that wasn’t as well known as some of the more popular beach bars like Calmos Cafe or Sunset Beach Bar, but it was a very cool little place.
Finally, I walk down the beach and up towards Bleu Emeraude — which I’ll have more on later — and Le Petite Hotel. Bleu Emeraude is currently open and taking reservations. The beach directly in front of Bleu Emeraude looked great, although down along Grand Case Beach, in the direction of Grand Case, there are still a few tree stumps and debris that needed to be cleared.
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