Trying To Count The Stars

The photo is sunset today from my front porch. Has nothing to do with my day, but the ascetic in me wanted you to see it since it marks the end of my perfect day.

6am Woke. Still dark outside. From the terrace, I could hear the surf below, and above, a million stars framed a new moon.

7am Finally got up yearning for the first time since my arrival for a New York Times on my doorstep.

8am Fixed papaya, slice of French bread and Moroccan dates for breakfast.

9am Annie and Pierre arrived to tidy up right on schedule. Pierre told me where to get fresh poisson in the village below me.

10am Wrote first draft of my fiction writing assignment for my class at NYU. It's about my first day of high school. Ha!
( professor's assignment, not my idea. Can I remember? I guess that's why it's called fiction. )

11am Went to Saline Beach. Had a burn on my back so asked another beach-o-phyle to cover me with 60 sunscreen. Turns out she was on here honeymoon and they live on 92 and West End, a few blocks from me. "I told you she wasn't French", she said to her husband after we met. " She had too many clothes on". I suggested they read my blog about the French and clothing ( 2.22 post )when they get back to New York.

12noon. Was invited to an art opening tomorrow night at Nikki Beach by the artist, a Frenchman and his buddy, a photographer. More on that later.

1 pm. Met Elaine for lunch at the Eden Rock Resort in St. Jean. Elaine was in the next seat on my trip from New York to St. Barth's. She was coming for a week to stay with friends from Greenwich where she sells Porches. She almost missed the trip since she slipped on some black ice one week ago, and fractured her tibia. But since she had been planning this trip since August, she decided to come, cast and all. We decided before we left St. Maarten over a Presidente beer that we would rendezvous at the Eden Rock on Thursday for lunch. I had no address ( as you know, dear readers ) but did give her the number of the villa phone.

But wait, there's more. When we arrived in St Barth's she was brought by wheelchair to customs. Next thing I knew, she was wisked away into a glass enclosed room. Elaine had an expired passport. They deported her to St Maarten where she stayed overnight until she could get an appointment with a high ranking official there who, said the "handlers" who were helping her, could get her back on the island. She arrived back in St Barth's late yesterday. I can only imagine what she awaits when she tries to go through customs in New York next week.
We toasted a glass of Provence rose wine to overcoming challenges. I don't think Elaine will let her passport expire anytime soon.

4pm. Found the Pharmacia in St Jean. The "no see-ems" are eating me alive at dusk. The pharmacist in his best English told me the spray he carried would "solve zee problem, Madame". We'll see.

5pm. Met my villa neighbor, Joel, who knocked on my door the night I arrived to see if there was anything I needed. Turns out that Joel, a Frenchman, has been on the island for a month and balances his time between Zurich, Naples and here.

6pm. Watched the sun disappear over the mountain ( see photo above ) while listening to Ray Charles.

7pm. Prepared dinner: Loire Valley mache, cold chicken, sauteed mushrooms and cooked egg drenched in fresh lemon and olive oil. Oh yes, and some Provence rose. More dates for dessert.

8pm Prepare post for blog. Watch evening news on CNN. (Note: CNN is the the only channel on the satellite in this villa that isn't in French. I pine for the Today Show, the Bravo Channel and the Discovery Channel. )

...And now, I think I'll wait for the moon to rise over the hills and try to count the stars.
M.C.