Beautiful Orient Beach

When my college age daughter and I went to St. Martin, we stayed on a beautiful beach in Anse Marcel up at the northwest tip of the island. We always like to visit several beaches on islands (and they usually are very, very different – something that might surprise you). Anse Marcel was a quiet cove, surrounded by mountains, with lots of sailboats at anchor. It was lovely, but we wanted to see what else the island offered.

Getting Oriented at Orient Beach

The most famous beach on St. Martin is Orient Beach – its considered THE beach to visit while you’re on the isladn. Also on the French side of the island, but on the northeast side, it’s a long, flat beach with a beautiful view of rocky islands. There are lots of windsurfers and parasailers in the blue and turquoise water. Finding the beach was a bit tricky (lots of little roads through a very busy development area), but eventually we got there and parked (free parking) in a sandy lot behind some low dunes. There were plenty of spaces when we arrived in the late morning.

If you’ve heard of Orient Beach, you’ve probably heard it is a nude beach. Lots of people head

Busy beach activity on Orient Beach

here just for this reason – assuming there will be a show, in addition to the lovely water show.

We were a bit timid about actually going to this beach because of this reputation, but we decided to be brave (and firmly keep our suits on).

Seeing the Sights

We walked over the dunes and found an open section of beach. There are many beach clubs lining the sands. If you’ve never been to the Caribbean, this is the quintessential beach experience on a lot of busy beaches. There are restaurant/bars that rents lounge chairs for the day. The chairs are lined up the way my son used to line up his matchbox cars – close enough not to be touching, but completely linear and way too close for comfort. You can buy a chair and lunch for a package price or just rent the chair. We brought towels and arranged ourselves on them on the sand, avoiding the beach club scene.  We were located just about in the middle of the long beach, with a perfect view of everything.

Looking towards the shore

And honestly, “everything” did not include “everything” at all. We lounged on the sand for quite a while and saw nothing out of the ordinary. There were kids, families, couples, and older people swimming, sunning, and walking. The older men tended to wear tiny little speedo-type suits (the kind my daughter has forbidden my husband from ever looking at in a store). Eventually we saw a few women strolling by topless. Before you get excited, let me tell you about these women. They all had a faint European air about them and not a single one of them was under age 55 (and most were older). They had real bodies – no silicone in sight and were either thin or chunky, and they were simply comfortable with who they were. They weren’t showing anything off, instead, they were just enjoying the weather. It was actually very refreshing to see.

Stumbling Into the “Zone”

This was as nude as we got!

Eventually we decided to talk a walk and check out the rest of the beach. First we headed south. The beach clubs are tightly packed down there and there are lots of people out and about. Eventually you get near the end of the beach and there are some big rocks going into the water. You have to kind of walk or climb around them and once you do, you notice a security guard standing up on the dunes. There is also a sign stating that photographs are not allowed. This, my friends, is where the suits apparently come off. Once you cross the rocks (which I am pretty sure are left there to purposely discourage people from coming through), you’re in Club Orient, a beach club and hotel that is nude.

It looks like any other beach club – lots of lounge chairs and umbrellas and at the far end is a restaurant. But as you walk, you notice that some of the people (and certainly not all) are topless or completely nude. They’re very casual about it, sprawling on their lounge chairs, standing in groups and chatting, and even, yes, snorkeling (which looks frankly ridiculous – to be completely naked except for your fins, mask and snorkel). There wasn’t a single person under age 50 and most were much older. There was a lot of gray hair. There were plenty of paunches and big bellies. There were women who did a lot of grooming and women who did none. There were a lot of gold chains.

There seemed to be two types of people. There were people who were intent on showing themselves off – strutting around, running, snorkeling with an air of “look at me.” Then there were the people who were just naked because it was comfortable and who didn’t care if other people saw them, but they were in no way courting attention. We saw just one woman who clearly had implants. The rest were just older folks who didn’t really care if they had less than perfect bodies.

I felt that some of the people ought to be a little more cognizant of how they were sitting or laying on their chairs (some of the views were a bit too personal) and the people who were paddle boating and doing water sports nude looked pretty silly.

We did pass one trio of college age young men who clearly were passing through (in their bathing suits), hoping to see something to tell their friends about. I am sure they were extremely disappointed!

We definitely saw more than we planned on and turned around to head to the other end of the beach. After we came home,I checked out the Club Orient web site. It shows pictures of attractive people in their 20s and early 30s with young children. No one I saw resembled anyone in those photos.

The north end was more deserted, with the beach clubs becoming fewer and farther between. We passed a couple of male couples tanning in the nude, but they were discretely tucked back away from the water by the bushes or big rocks.

Should You Go?

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Orient Beach to any traveler. It’s a simply gorgeous area where you can plan to stay all day if you rent chairs and buy some lunch. I wouldn’t have a problem bringing children here either. I probably wouldn’t take my young children to the south end but if you don’t head into Club Orient there isn’t much that will shock anyone. Yes, a few older women may walk by topless, but honestly no one really pays attention.

Should you take it off? Women who go topless will fit in all along the beach, but if you take your top off to reveal glaring tan lines, you will stand out for sure and people will mostly likely look at you – everyone who was topless was completely tan and was also practically a senior citizen. There is no complete nudity on the public part of the beach. Go, but keep your clothes on is my advice!

When my college age daughter and I went to St. Martin, we stayed on a beautiful beach in Anse Marcel up at the northwest tip of the island. We always like to visit several beaches on islands (and they usually are very, very different – something that might surprise you). Anse Marcel was a quiet … Read more →

This is a bit of a modification of a recipe I found in The Family Table (which I’ve mentioned previously). What struck me about the recipe is it’s really similar to the way my mom likes to make oven baked chicken. The way she describes it is “dump some of everything in your spice cabinet” into a bag with flour and shake and bake. This recipe doesn’t use any flour and it adds a wonderful little zing of lime. This is a definite keeper for me!

The original recipe uses 2 1/2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs – I prefer breasts. I also cut the spice mix amounts in half and although I’ve left it in the recipe for you, I didn’t use any cayenne.

This makes chicken that is brightly colored and full of amazing flavor. It’s not overpowering in any way. The leftovers are fantastic the next day as chicken sandwiches or in a salad.

This recipe is highly adjustable. If you don’t have one of the spices on this list, substitute something else. If you want to taste some flavors more, include more of them. You can’t mess this one up. Definitely drizzle the lime sauce over the chicken – it is spectacular.

4.5 from 2 reviews

Pushcart Chicken

 

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• ¾ tsp garlic powder
• ¾ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Mix spices with tomato paste and olive oil in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Let it marinate 1-4 hours in the fridge. Grill the chicken. Mix lime juice, kosher salt, sugar and olive oil in a small bowl and drizzle over the chicken before serving.

3.2.1230

This is a bit of a modification of a recipe I found in The Family Table (which I’ve mentioned previously). What struck me about the recipe is it’s really similar to the way my mom likes to make oven baked chicken. The way she describes it is “dump some of everything in your spice cabinet” … Read more →

I am a fan of baby red potatoes. I usually like to cut them in half and then roast them in the oven with olive oil and butter and salt and pepper. I like the outsides to be crisp and the insides to be creamy. I was nodding my head in agreement as I read a recent article in Cook’s Illustrated. It was all about how achieving this combo of crunchy and creamy was the ultimate goal with these potatoes. The article claimed to have perfected a method to achieve this. I had to give it a try right away.

And I have to say, I was disappointed. This method took a LOT of work and attention and the results were not as good as my usual toss it in the oven and let it cook method. I’m including the recipe for you here to try yourself if you would like. I did enjoy the garlic, lemon and chives that are added to this recipe. The potatoes themselves were not nearly as crunchy on the outside as they are when I do them in the oven.

Braised Red Potatoes with Lemon and Chives

 

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Ingredients

• 1½ lbs small red potatoes, halved
• 2 cups water
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme (I confess I used dried)
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp minced fresh chives

Instructions

1. Arrange the potatoes cut side down in a 12 inch nonstick skillet. Add water, butter, garlic, thyme and salt and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes.
2. Remove the lid and take out the garlic, reserving. Turn the heat up to medium high and swirl the pan around. Cook until the water evaporates, about 15 minutes. Cook until the sides of the potatoes are spotty brown, about 4-6 minutes.
3. Mash the garlic into a paste and mix with lemon juice and pepper.
4. Take potatoes off the heat and add the garlic mixture and chives and toss to coat.

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I am a fan of baby red potatoes. I usually like to cut them in half and then roast them in the oven with olive oil and butter and salt and pepper. I like the outsides to be crisp and the insides to be creamy. I was nodding my head in agreement as I read … Read more →

I tend to be a big unconventional when it comes to parenting.  Both of them have  told us how shocked their friends are that we don’t have time outs, curfews, phones that are taken away, or a lot of disagreements with them. When my kids were babies, I parented by instinct a lot. Even though everyone said not to, our babies shared our bed, my husband kangarooed our son in the hospital (that got a lot of looks), I breastfed on demand, talked to them as if they understood me, and did crazy things like taking my newly 1 year old outside to stomp in mud puddles. I’m not big on following what you’re supposed to do in most instances.

I was interested to read Christine Gross-Loh’s new book, Parenting Without Borders: Surprising Lessons Parents Around the World Can Teach Us, because I do think there is a lot we can learn from other cultures when it comes to parenting. We as Americans are a bit stubborn when it comes to parenting – certain that our way is the best and that other methods are weird. There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about Asian parenting styles, fueled by The Tiger Mom. I was ready to read what other parenting styles really are like.

Gross-Loh’s approach is one I really liked. This is not a book that tells you everything you’re doing wrong. In fact, she points out the benefits of American parenting styles throughout the book. What she does offer however, are lessons she learned from other cultures that could be helpful to American parents. I was fascinated to learn that in Japan, preschoolers spend most of their time in unstructured play, outside, with other children. The teachers hardly intervene at all, believing that children need to learn to work out their own problems. Many other cultures spend a lot of school hours teaching children living skills – cooking, homemaking, etc. yet they score higher on standardized testing than Americans. Scandinavians spend much less time in school total than our kids and do better than we do.

There are kindergartens in Germany in the woods – literally open air in the woods – where the children spend most of the day doing outdoor activities. There is a tremendous emphasis on children being outside and playing in so many other cultures.

Gross-Loh lived in Japan and raised her children there for several years, so she has great insight into Japanese parenting. She not only shares the way parents in other countries do things, but she analyzes why they do things that way. In Japan they emphasize getting along with others and being part of a group, while here we are all about fostering individuality. I was fascinated to consider the cultural reasoning behind parenting techniques.

She points out in Japan parents are very involved with their babies (they are carried often and sleep in a family bed exclusively) and slowly step away as the kids get older (first graders are expected to walk to school alone). In the U.S., family co-sleeping is considered wrong by most parents (and doctors) and babies are supposed to learn to sleep alone, yet as our kids get older we micromanage and helicopter parent them – almost the exact opposite of what happens in Japan. And honestly when you think about it that way, it makes a lot of sense to do things the Japanese way.

While I really loved this book, most of her real experience is in Japan, although she visited Korea, China, Finland and talked to parents from other countries as well, and did a lot of research into parenting in other countries, presenting the result of many studies. However, there is little or no information about South America or Africa, where I imagine parenting styles are quite different from ours. That would have been an interesting addition to the book.

There’s a lot of information in this book that will make you think about why you parent the way you do and how some small changes might benefit  you and your child. You will really feel comfortable with Gross-Loh’s tone, which I found to be very supportive, gentle, and friendly.  She is quick to point out the benefits of all the parenting styles she discusses, while never making you feel that any choice you make is wrong. She merely presents other ways of doing things, never labeling any approach as better than any other. Instead, she lets you make up your own mind about what works. Finally, a parenting book that doesn’t make you feel guilty! Gross-Loh also tells you how she has tried to incorporate some of the parenting styles into her own family and how successful that has been.

I definitely would give this book as a baby shower gift and as a gift to new moms for sure. And if you have young kids, this is a book you must read. If you have trouble putting your baby to sleep in his crib (or getting him to actually sleep in it!) you HAVE to read this because it makes it clear co-sleeping is not dangerous, and in fact, the studies in the book show it actually is safer (contrary to what the medical establishment tells us). There’s also lots of great ideas about kids and food, and how children in other cultures learn to eat healthy food, in the right amounts, and listen to their bodies. That is something Americans definitely need help with.

I highly recommend the book and know it will enlighten any parents who reads it.

P.S. If you want to get a taste of the book, read the author’s HuffPo piece here.

I tend to be a big unconventional when it comes to parenting.  Both of them have  told us how shocked their friends are that we don’t have time outs, curfews, phones that are taken away, or a lot of disagreements with them. When my kids were babies, I parented by instinct a lot. Even though … Read more →

When I put away the Easter decorations, it was time to do some rearranging. I get tired of always having things in the same place and in the same arrangement. When I’m bored, I go shopping around my house to see what kind of collection I can put together. This time I decided to pull together everything I had that’s white. I was surprised at how many pieces I found. The pitcher was my grandmother’s and I love to put flowers in it in the summer. The vase at the back right was bought at an art show in Naples, FL – it’s a special sculpted piece I love. The big platter was a wedding gift from my aunt. It’s Lenox. The two little vases in the center were bought at an antique barn and so were the salt and pepper shakers.  The two plates in the front on either side came from TJ Maxx!

When I put away the Easter decorations, it was time to do some rearranging. I get tired of always having things in the same place and in the same arrangement. When I’m bored, I go shopping around my house to see what kind of collection I can put together. This time I decided to pull … Read more →

I love to make this acorn squash recipe when I get tired of other veggies. It’s so simple, Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Then cut each side up into about 4-6 slices (depending on how big your squash is). Lay them on a greased baking sheet and drizzle a small bit of olive oil over them and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for about half an hour until the squash is soft to a fork. Take them out of the oven and lightly brush the squash with maple syrup. Return to the oven for a few minutes until the squash begins to brown. How’s that for simple and delicious?

I love to make this acorn squash recipe when I get tired of other veggies. It’s so simple, Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Then cut each side up into about 4-6 slices (depending on how big your squash is). Lay them on a greased baking sheet and drizzle a small … Read more →

“Bison?” You might be asking.  Yes, really. We first had bison when we were in Colorado a few years ago. We really enjoyed it. I hadn’t made it at home, although my grocery store does sell ground bison meat. A new grocery store opened in our area and they carry a large selection of game. We bought a fresh bison tenderloin roast to try.

I roasted it in the oven and made a blackberry sauce to go with it. The results were amazing. Bison tastes exactly like beef (I kid you not – exact same flavor – nothing scary!), but it is leaner and less chewier. It has a somewhat smoother texture. We loved this very much and I will be making it more often.

Bison and Blackberry Sauce

 

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Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1½ pound bison tenderloin roast
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 12 ounces blackberries
• ⅛ tsp sugar
• 2 tsp cooking sherry
• 1 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub the bison with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for about 1 hour until it reaches 150 degrees (for medium rare), then allow it to rest about 10 minutes before serving.
2. Meanwhile, make the blackberry sauce. Put the berries in a saucepan and cover them with water. Cook on high, stirring often until the berries break down. You may need to add water as it evaporates. Cooking time will be about 15 minutes.
3. Strain the berries and place the juice back in a saucepan. Add sugar, sherry, butter and salt and pepper and stir over medium heat until combined. Serve with the bison.

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“Bison?” You might be asking.  Yes, really. We first had bison when we were in Colorado a few years ago. We really enjoyed it. I hadn’t made it at home, although my grocery store does sell ground bison meat. A new grocery store opened in our area and they carry a large selection of game. … Read more →

My friend Irene recently wrote a post about having lunch at the top of the Eiffel Tower, in which she debated whether it was worthwhile since it was such a tourist trap. This got me thinking about tourist traps in general.

Tourist traps might be crawling with tourists, but there is generally a reason for their popularity.  And my opinion is you should visit some of them, but go with proper expectations and also with a plan. I believe that you never regret having gone, but your opinion of the place might change after you’ve been there. For example, we took our kids to Disney and honestly I hated it, but I was glad I had been there to know what it was all about. Here are my tips for visiting touristy spots:

#1 Determine if the spot is one that is important or meaningful to you before you go. Will you kick yourself if you are in the vicinity and don’t go? I would have always regretted skipping the Leaning Tower of Pisa when we were in Italy, but there honestly wasn’t much to do there.  We skipped Pearl Harbor in Hawaii because it sounded like a major time investment and it felt depressing. I haven’t regretted not going there. Don’t just go because everyone goes. Go only if it is something you’ll be sorry you missed.

#2 Never allow yourself to head to a popular spot without completely researching what’s there, what else there is to do, what kind of waits and ticket prices are involved, and what you’ll have to go through to experience it. Knowledge is power. While in London we went to the British Museum to see the Rosetta Stone, but because I did my research, I knew there wasn’t much else in the museum that would really interest my family, so we made a beeline for that exhibit, then headed out to explore other parts of the city. When you have a short time, you must prioritize!

#3 Let yourself be a tourist. Take time to just stare at the amazing place or thing you’ve come so far to see. Soak up the atmosphere. Take lots of pictures. Gawk. You’ll treasure the memories (and the photos!) for years to come.

#4 Fit the tourist trap into your trip schedule, but don’t let it be your entire trip. You’re bound to be disappointed if you spend an afternoon at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, when there is so much more to explore and see. I’m not one to spend hours and hours at any location. My family gets in, sees the important sights, and gets out.

#5 Take the tour, but know when to bail. You learn so much more about a place when you take a guided tour with a knowledgeable guide. The tour guide who took us through the Roman Coloseum and the Roman Forum brought to life what might otherwise have been a pile of rubble. My family is interested in ancient Rome, so it was a good fit for us. On the other hand, we pulled out our headphones and raced through the rest of the rooms several times on some far too long tours of castles and palaces in England. We also used a tour to skip the line at the Accademia in Florence, but ditched the tour so we could see the David and then bail on the rest of the museum.

#6 Let yourself have a real experience of a lifetime at key places. For example, Irene had lunch at the top of the Eiffel Tower. My family took a gondola ride in Venice, went to a lumberjack show in Alaska, and we took a family photo in front of the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. There are some iconic experiences at famous places that you simply must do, or you’ll always wonder what they would have been like. It’s fun to be able to say “Hey, I’ve been there and done that!”

#7 Don’t let the experience own you. Don’t shed dollars for bad souvenirs, cheap t-shirts, or really bad food. We ate at one of the Grand Canyon Village restaurants and it was atrocious. We spent far too much time among the sidewalk vendors in Pisa looking for a magnet for my collection. It’s easy to get sucked into the money-making schemes, and it can be hard to separate them from the authentic experience of the place. I didn’t buy a thing at Disney and that was a good decision for me!

#8 Plan to overpay for mediocre food. The quality of the food was one of the concerns my friend Irene mentioned in her post. We’ve eaten at tourist traps such as a luau in Hawaii, Cafe Florian in San Marco Piazza Venice, and the top of the Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls Canada in the rotating restaurant.  The food these places was nothing remarkable (although it was fun to eat poi!). You eat at these places for the experience, not for the Michelin quality of the food. You pay for the quality of the experience, the view, and the atmosphere, not for the food. If you set that expectation going in, you’ll be happy. So, yes, Irene, I think I will follow your lead and dine at the Eiffel Tower when I am in Paris!

My friend Irene recently wrote a post about having lunch at the top of the Eiffel Tower, in which she debated whether it was worthwhile since it was such a tourist trap. This got me thinking about tourist traps in general. Tourist traps might be crawling with tourists, but there is generally a reason for … Read more →

 I was turned off at the idea of putting mayo on asparagus, but honestly, this quick little recipe is your savior when you need to dress up asparagus with almost no work. I found this little gem in Family Table by Michael Romano, a book that offers recipes for the dishes top restaurants make to feed their own staffs before service begins. So far I am loving this book.

Roasted Asparagus with Mayo Cheese Sauce

 

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Ingredients

• 1 bunch asparagus
• olive oil
• lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• ¼ cup light mayo
• 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a 9x9 baking pan with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Place the trimmed asparagus in the pan, all facing the same way. Sprinkle about 2-3 tablespoons olive oil and 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice over it and season with salt and pepper. Toss. Bake for 15 minutes or tender.
2. Remove from the oven and spread the mayo on top then sprinkle the cheese. Broil until it begins to brown.

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 I was turned off at the idea of putting mayo on asparagus, but honestly, this quick little recipe is your savior when you need to dress up asparagus with almost no work. I found this little gem in Family Table by Michael Romano, a book that offers recipes for the dishes top restaurants make to … Read more →

My grandmother traveled to every continent except Antarctica (and I’ll bet if they had had the cruises they do now, she would have gone there as well). My grandmother was a collector. She collected Depression glass, cut crystal, milk glass, spoons from her travels, and dolls from her travels. The dolls have a special place in my heart and I hope to soon be posting about them. She left all of them to me and they have been in a cardboard box in my closet, waiting for a case to display them in (they’ll be waiting a bit longer as I haven’t found anything yet that is right). I recently decided to move them to a plastic storage box. When I did so, at the bottom of the doll box, there was a piece of tissue paper. I picked it up and it had some weight to it. I unwrapped it and found this spoon.

It’s a deep-bowled spoon, the kind used in Chinese restaurants for soup. I’m guessing she brought it back from Japan since that is the only country I know of that she visited where she might have gotten something like this. There are no markings on the back.

I was delighted to find one more gift from her after all these years. Moving the dolls had made me miss her terribly and this gave me one more link to her.  I’ll never know for certain where the spoon came from, but I’ll always cherish it.

My grandmother traveled to every continent except Antarctica (and I’ll bet if they had had the cruises they do now, she would have gone there as well). My grandmother was a collector. She collected Depression glass, cut crystal, milk glass, spoons from her travels, and dolls from her travels. The dolls have a special place … Read more →