When in France, I mean St. Martin…

Night sailing is pretty cool. You can usually see a ton of stars. The moon might be full. Or maybe you’re sailing with one or more other boats. Those on the graveyard shift keep each other company by chatting on the VHF. And watching a sunrise from the sea is a real treat.

We sailed from St. John, USVI overnight to St. Martin. That trip is notoriously lousy as there is almost always a head wind. But this particular evening promised no wind at first followed by a moderate close reach around 2:00 AM. Mother Nature kept her promise. We arrived in Marigot Bay on the French side of St. Martin mid-morning. We followed our friends on Oceanaire to the dinghy dock at Island Water World, a great chandlery where you can clear in and out of the country for just $2.00.

I don’t sleep well on passages, so while everyone was ready for a breakfast, I was ready for a nap. But I gave in. We sat at this adorable sidewalk cafe and ordered breakfast in our best French. The waitress spoke very little English. But between all of us, we did just fine. Everyone was enjoying their flakey, buttery croissants and savory creamy mushroom crepes, while I ate my typical salad when there’s nothing else gluten-free on the menu. But I have to admit, this salad tasted amazing. The eggs were fresh, the greens were crisp, the salmon was perfectly cured and the champagne vinaigrette dressing was to die for.

I really tried to learn French for this trip. Having been to St. Martin twice before, I’d forgotten how speaking French can be a big plus. So, I bought Babble and gave it a whirl. And while I still can’t find the bathroom or understand the answer when I ask how much something is, I’m working on it. And someday, somewhere, someone will invent a delectable, scrumptious, flakey, buttery, gluten-free croissant. In the mean time, I’ll just have to be content to smell them.