After a boozy dinner with John`s cousins Jim and Joanne,

we are in slight pain this morning for our final pack and go through before we head to the airport for our early afternoon flight to St. Maarten. I am thinking that I will brave the elements and go without an overcoat; comfortable in my short sleeved linen shirt and no socks, but the -4-degree weather convinces me otherwise. The car is there for us, we say good bye to the cats, hop in and make our way to the airport; both in high spirits and looking forward to the coming week away.

One Night in St. Maarten
The 4.5-hour flight is so easy; the only mishap being our personal televisions occasionally conk out and have to be occasionally reset by the occasionally brusque Air Canada Flight Attendant.  We arrive to late afternoon of sunny humidity and grab a taxi to our hotel for the one night in St.Maarten before we fly to Saba tomorrow for 3 days of diving. Check in, unload, change into flip flops and shorts and we head out to dinner and the quaint and sometimes raucous harbour of Marigot. We are charmed into a two seat table right on the water by a jolly French man at his appropriately named restaurant Le France, have a cocktail and a very nice and very French dinner, fanned by lovely trade winds and the comings and goings of the very busy harbour that is ringed by the many and lively restaurants and bars. Older French men; their stilettoed and blowsy micro-dressed, expensive toy-girls in tow, young and privileged American couples, fresh from early evening shopping at Max Mara and a very compelling (and strong!) busker who seems to be emulating Cirque du Soleil`s best balancing and one armed feats of strength; all keep us entertained during dinner.

We are in bed and asleep by 10:00.