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T&T Tour Gromits Trip Report - Day 6
T&T Tour Gromits Trip Report - Day 6
Day 6 - Drift Away Spa review, Purple Toes, Lunch at Plancha Del Mar, picking up G-Mama Flip Flop, Dinner at the villa or Gromit plays Chef and tries to set herself on fire getting fancy with the flambé.
Spaaaaahhhhhhhh
The previous night’s debacle well behind me I was looking forward to a day at the spa with my BFF.
Flip had heard about a new spa opening up on island called ‘Drift Away’ and I let her make all the arrangements for the day which included a 90 minute massage and a manicure/pedicure.
My initial impressions of this new spa are good. The décor is bright and pleasant and someone obviously put a lot of thought into the look of this place. They are very proud of their environmentally friendly products which include creams, lotions, soaps, make-up etc.
I was a bit put off initially when we got the sales pitch about all their products before we even got started but I understand that this may be their way of educating customers about what they sell there.
My advice to them would be to wait until AFTER the treatments or have the staff recommend the appropriate things as you go.
My other issue at this point were their robes. They have these very heavy, navy blue, thick, men’s style robes all of which are probably a men’s large.
Given the temps and the fact that people’s skin is probably more sensitive due to sun exposure I would have thought they would have chosen lighter robes that are softer and less bulky. They should also have larger and smaller size robes available for guests since we all know—one size does not fit all. Luckily I brought my own cover-up.
I opted to get my pedi/mani first and let Flip get her massage first. This is a small spa and there was not a lot of staff. I had great fun with the woman who did my mani/pedi. We laughed and she was surprised at how much I knew about STJ. I really enjoy connecting with STJ locals who were born on island. They take pride in their work and life on STJ. We had a blast.
I also convinced the pedicurist to hide all of the pale pink nail polish so that Flip would not have that option and would branch out and get some other fun color. She’s a neutral gal but I was working hard for her to go a little wild!
It was at this point that the staff brought me a little gift courtesy of Ruth. All I can say is THANK YOU!! Loved it!! I heart Ruth!!
We ran into some serious difficulty when it was my turn to get a massage, since my nails were still wet. Again, they should have thought ahead and not done the polish on my nails until AFTER my massage.
Thankfully, the young woman didn’t mind fixing the damage after my massage.
I had the same massage therapist that Flip had and I also agree that she left much to be desired. She was nice enough, but when I realized that we were running out of time and she wasn’t taking care of my trouble spot (which is my hip) then I spoke up and asked her to do some work on it and she did.
I agree with Flip that we have had better massages thru Nomadic.
Constructive criticism for Drift Away
The staff at Drift Away is friendly and the environment there is great. I do like their products and can report that the eco-friendly nail polish held up well under the rough conditions on STJ (which is a good thing). They could use some better lighting in the mani-pedi room so their technicians can see what they are doing. They could also use some different robes in varying sizes and they could probably find a better massage therapist who communicates a bit better about what the client wants out of the massage.
Their prices were excellent but in this case I kind of felt that you get what you pay for and in some ways I left wanting more but it was sufficient.
I would probably give this place another try in future, especially after they have had some time to work out the kinks. But if I didn’t see some significant change then I would probably go back to Nomadic.
Here’s a shot of my purple toes…
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3v ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/SkowD ... 9.JPG"></a>
And Flip branching out to BLUE!!!!
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qk ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/SkowH ... 1.JPG"></a>
Lunch
After our morning at Drift Away we decided it was time for lunch. Flip wanted to try Plancha Del Mar at the Marketplace so off we went.
Plancha Del Mar has a great menu and does high quality food at reasonable prices. Given its somewhat hidden location you really have to want to go there so advertising is key to the survival of their business. It wasn’t busy at all while we were there but the food was fresh and delivered fast. Great iced tea! If you are at the Marketplace I highly recommend giving it a try.
Here are a few shots of the joint taken with my iPhone.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/uS ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Skov7 ... 3.JPG"></a>
They also have some pretty cool art for sale on the walls:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vt ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Skov8 ... 4.JPG"></a>
Sadly most of my food porn shots were overexposed and couldn’t be corrected in Picasa so please see Flips report for this day for the money shots.
But here's a decent shot of the calamari app:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vR ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Skov- ... 5.JPG"></a>
Shop til you drop
After a leisurely lunch we wandered around the Marketplace and poked our head into a few shops. After some browsing we jumped in the car and headed to Mongoose Junction for some serious shopping.
I hit all my faves: Bamboula, Caravan Gallery, Nell and R&I Patton to name a few. I always like Caravan for their earrings. I can always find some that are funky and tasteful and unique. I also thanked he staff for saving my ass on the replacemtnt for the lost earring for my MIL. The staffer who helped me was there and we had a good laugh over the whole thing.
I then took a closer look at their STJ hook bracelets. I have never bought one and decided that I would just go ahead and get one. I love their hook bracelets. They are simple and have clean lines. I love mine. If you’re looking to buy one stop in and take a look at what they have. They even have a pic of the local who makes them for the shop.
Nell is cute little spot if you’re into preppy stuff (which I admit having an unnatural affinity for). I can always find some cute hair accessories and other stuff in this shop.
Finally we poked into R&I Patton and I bought a cute pair of starfish earrings for my pal who was staying home and puppy sitting for us. R&I Patton has some beautiful, unique jewelry. Their gold pieces are on the pricey side but their silver pieces are very reasonable and make very unique gifts.
Overall it seemed that many of the shops at Mongoose were suffering. A few were going out of business and many shops were offering deeeep discounts. I’m used to the sales in the off season but these seemed even more extreme. Sign of the times I guess….
While shopping we ran into the men folk who were doing a little shopping of their own. Hugs and kisses all around and we continued on our way.
We stopped at Deli Grotto so that Flip could get her cocochoco (aka CRACK) bar for a snack. I’ve had this before and it is so sweet it takes me a week to finish it. Nowadays When I see these bars behind the glass my teeth hurt and I get visions of my dentists brand new yacht paid for with my fillings floating in my head, so I pass.
While killing time and sitting outside R&I Patton we ran into Pia and spent some time catching up. I think this is the point at which I (and probably Flip too) started to feel that Pia was a long lost friend or distant cousin ‘cause conversation with her is so effortless and fun. Flip and I are all about effortless and fun! We heart Pia!!
We talked about the plan to head to Jost in a couple of days and agreed that we were all looking forward to it!
It was about this time that we started trying to get in touch with Flips Mama who had just landed (we hoped) on STT. Thank god for cell phones.
After saying good-bye to Pia we headed off to the ferry dock.
I dropped Flip off to wait for her mama while I ran to Pine Peace to grab a few more groceries for tonight’s dinner. We had decided with her Mama’s long travel day that eating in might be more fun and relaxing. And since I had skipped out on the villa dinner earlier in the week I agreed to do the cooking.
We successfully picked up Flips Mom and with groceries in back we headed back to Coral Bay.
Since I didn't take too may pics his day, I will use this opportunity to show you a few shots of Casa Luna and the views from the deck:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iI ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Sky9E ... 4.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0L ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Sky9L ... 9.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kk ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Sky9K ... 8.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rJ ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Sky9G ... 5.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/J8 ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Sky9G ... 6.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CI ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Sky9I ... 7.JPG"></a>
Trying not to set my tits on fire
We had frozen burgers and hot dogs in fridge that needed to be eaten so I whipped up some “doctored” baked beans (fried onions, bacon and rum); some Zatarain’s red beans and rice (to which I added a little bit of sausage crumbles); and finally some plantains which I tossed in sugar and ground cloves and then sautéed in a pan with butter and olive oil.
Once the plantains were nicely caramelized and cooked I finished them off with a little Pussers rum.
Now I don’t have a gas stove at home and I clearly had overdone it a bit with the rum, because when I tilted that pan I swear it was a miracle I didn’t burst into flame.
The whoosh was audible and the flames shot up about three feet in the air. My hair even blew back from my face like one of those models in a photo shoot with fans.
Everyone in the kitchen heard the WHOOSH but it was gone by the time they turned around to see where the sound came from.
It was kind of like when you trip and fall in public but then jump right up, look around and act like nothing’s happened. Only by the time they were looking at me I was examining my tits and grateful to God almighty that I hadn’t set them on fire.
Like any good chef I smiled and pretended like it was all part of the master plan while silently thanking my guardian angel for, yet again, working overtime.
After the kitchen festivities we all sat down to a great meal and some good conversation. Everyone proclaimed that the plantains were fantastic.
I can’t honestly remember much from the rest of the night, except sitting on the deck with cousin Gromit doing Margarita Jell-O shots and singing “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off.”
I think we also put on a DVD, Blue Crush - I think. But we were so wiped we all drifted off to our respective bedrooms and hit the sack.
Tomorrow (Day 7) - Jumbie, Lunch at the Tourist Trap again, Dinner at ZoZo’s and packing for our overnight trip to Jost
Spaaaaahhhhhhhh
The previous night’s debacle well behind me I was looking forward to a day at the spa with my BFF.
Flip had heard about a new spa opening up on island called ‘Drift Away’ and I let her make all the arrangements for the day which included a 90 minute massage and a manicure/pedicure.
My initial impressions of this new spa are good. The décor is bright and pleasant and someone obviously put a lot of thought into the look of this place. They are very proud of their environmentally friendly products which include creams, lotions, soaps, make-up etc.
I was a bit put off initially when we got the sales pitch about all their products before we even got started but I understand that this may be their way of educating customers about what they sell there.
My advice to them would be to wait until AFTER the treatments or have the staff recommend the appropriate things as you go.
My other issue at this point were their robes. They have these very heavy, navy blue, thick, men’s style robes all of which are probably a men’s large.
Given the temps and the fact that people’s skin is probably more sensitive due to sun exposure I would have thought they would have chosen lighter robes that are softer and less bulky. They should also have larger and smaller size robes available for guests since we all know—one size does not fit all. Luckily I brought my own cover-up.
I opted to get my pedi/mani first and let Flip get her massage first. This is a small spa and there was not a lot of staff. I had great fun with the woman who did my mani/pedi. We laughed and she was surprised at how much I knew about STJ. I really enjoy connecting with STJ locals who were born on island. They take pride in their work and life on STJ. We had a blast.
I also convinced the pedicurist to hide all of the pale pink nail polish so that Flip would not have that option and would branch out and get some other fun color. She’s a neutral gal but I was working hard for her to go a little wild!
It was at this point that the staff brought me a little gift courtesy of Ruth. All I can say is THANK YOU!! Loved it!! I heart Ruth!!
We ran into some serious difficulty when it was my turn to get a massage, since my nails were still wet. Again, they should have thought ahead and not done the polish on my nails until AFTER my massage.
Thankfully, the young woman didn’t mind fixing the damage after my massage.
I had the same massage therapist that Flip had and I also agree that she left much to be desired. She was nice enough, but when I realized that we were running out of time and she wasn’t taking care of my trouble spot (which is my hip) then I spoke up and asked her to do some work on it and she did.
I agree with Flip that we have had better massages thru Nomadic.
Constructive criticism for Drift Away
The staff at Drift Away is friendly and the environment there is great. I do like their products and can report that the eco-friendly nail polish held up well under the rough conditions on STJ (which is a good thing). They could use some better lighting in the mani-pedi room so their technicians can see what they are doing. They could also use some different robes in varying sizes and they could probably find a better massage therapist who communicates a bit better about what the client wants out of the massage.
Their prices were excellent but in this case I kind of felt that you get what you pay for and in some ways I left wanting more but it was sufficient.
I would probably give this place another try in future, especially after they have had some time to work out the kinks. But if I didn’t see some significant change then I would probably go back to Nomadic.
Here’s a shot of my purple toes…
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3v ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/SkowD ... 9.JPG"></a>
And Flip branching out to BLUE!!!!
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qk ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/SkowH ... 1.JPG"></a>
Lunch
After our morning at Drift Away we decided it was time for lunch. Flip wanted to try Plancha Del Mar at the Marketplace so off we went.
Plancha Del Mar has a great menu and does high quality food at reasonable prices. Given its somewhat hidden location you really have to want to go there so advertising is key to the survival of their business. It wasn’t busy at all while we were there but the food was fresh and delivered fast. Great iced tea! If you are at the Marketplace I highly recommend giving it a try.
Here are a few shots of the joint taken with my iPhone.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/uS ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Skov7 ... 3.JPG"></a>
They also have some pretty cool art for sale on the walls:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vt ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Skov8 ... 4.JPG"></a>
Sadly most of my food porn shots were overexposed and couldn’t be corrected in Picasa so please see Flips report for this day for the money shots.
But here's a decent shot of the calamari app:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vR ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Skov- ... 5.JPG"></a>
Shop til you drop
After a leisurely lunch we wandered around the Marketplace and poked our head into a few shops. After some browsing we jumped in the car and headed to Mongoose Junction for some serious shopping.
I hit all my faves: Bamboula, Caravan Gallery, Nell and R&I Patton to name a few. I always like Caravan for their earrings. I can always find some that are funky and tasteful and unique. I also thanked he staff for saving my ass on the replacemtnt for the lost earring for my MIL. The staffer who helped me was there and we had a good laugh over the whole thing.
I then took a closer look at their STJ hook bracelets. I have never bought one and decided that I would just go ahead and get one. I love their hook bracelets. They are simple and have clean lines. I love mine. If you’re looking to buy one stop in and take a look at what they have. They even have a pic of the local who makes them for the shop.
Nell is cute little spot if you’re into preppy stuff (which I admit having an unnatural affinity for). I can always find some cute hair accessories and other stuff in this shop.
Finally we poked into R&I Patton and I bought a cute pair of starfish earrings for my pal who was staying home and puppy sitting for us. R&I Patton has some beautiful, unique jewelry. Their gold pieces are on the pricey side but their silver pieces are very reasonable and make very unique gifts.
Overall it seemed that many of the shops at Mongoose were suffering. A few were going out of business and many shops were offering deeeep discounts. I’m used to the sales in the off season but these seemed even more extreme. Sign of the times I guess….
While shopping we ran into the men folk who were doing a little shopping of their own. Hugs and kisses all around and we continued on our way.
We stopped at Deli Grotto so that Flip could get her cocochoco (aka CRACK) bar for a snack. I’ve had this before and it is so sweet it takes me a week to finish it. Nowadays When I see these bars behind the glass my teeth hurt and I get visions of my dentists brand new yacht paid for with my fillings floating in my head, so I pass.
While killing time and sitting outside R&I Patton we ran into Pia and spent some time catching up. I think this is the point at which I (and probably Flip too) started to feel that Pia was a long lost friend or distant cousin ‘cause conversation with her is so effortless and fun. Flip and I are all about effortless and fun! We heart Pia!!
We talked about the plan to head to Jost in a couple of days and agreed that we were all looking forward to it!
It was about this time that we started trying to get in touch with Flips Mama who had just landed (we hoped) on STT. Thank god for cell phones.
After saying good-bye to Pia we headed off to the ferry dock.
I dropped Flip off to wait for her mama while I ran to Pine Peace to grab a few more groceries for tonight’s dinner. We had decided with her Mama’s long travel day that eating in might be more fun and relaxing. And since I had skipped out on the villa dinner earlier in the week I agreed to do the cooking.
We successfully picked up Flips Mom and with groceries in back we headed back to Coral Bay.
Since I didn't take too may pics his day, I will use this opportunity to show you a few shots of Casa Luna and the views from the deck:
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iI ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Sky9E ... 4.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0L ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Sky9L ... 9.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kk ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Sky9K ... 8.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rJ ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Sky9G ... 5.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/J8 ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Sky9G ... 6.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CI ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4ypwZiy7vU8/Sky9I ... 7.JPG"></a>
Trying not to set my tits on fire
We had frozen burgers and hot dogs in fridge that needed to be eaten so I whipped up some “doctored” baked beans (fried onions, bacon and rum); some Zatarain’s red beans and rice (to which I added a little bit of sausage crumbles); and finally some plantains which I tossed in sugar and ground cloves and then sautéed in a pan with butter and olive oil.
Once the plantains were nicely caramelized and cooked I finished them off with a little Pussers rum.
Now I don’t have a gas stove at home and I clearly had overdone it a bit with the rum, because when I tilted that pan I swear it was a miracle I didn’t burst into flame.
The whoosh was audible and the flames shot up about three feet in the air. My hair even blew back from my face like one of those models in a photo shoot with fans.
Everyone in the kitchen heard the WHOOSH but it was gone by the time they turned around to see where the sound came from.
It was kind of like when you trip and fall in public but then jump right up, look around and act like nothing’s happened. Only by the time they were looking at me I was examining my tits and grateful to God almighty that I hadn’t set them on fire.
Like any good chef I smiled and pretended like it was all part of the master plan while silently thanking my guardian angel for, yet again, working overtime.
After the kitchen festivities we all sat down to a great meal and some good conversation. Everyone proclaimed that the plantains were fantastic.
I can’t honestly remember much from the rest of the night, except sitting on the deck with cousin Gromit doing Margarita Jell-O shots and singing “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off.”
I think we also put on a DVD, Blue Crush - I think. But we were so wiped we all drifted off to our respective bedrooms and hit the sack.
Tomorrow (Day 7) - Jumbie, Lunch at the Tourist Trap again, Dinner at ZoZo’s and packing for our overnight trip to Jost
*Another fine scatterbrained production
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sailorgirl
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