Your St Barts -Villa Rental in St Barths, Saint Barthélémy

This is a hard one to translate : " La nostalgie n'est plus ce qu'elle était" . "Nostalgia is not what it used to be" … sort of …

When I hit the island a few days ago, I met some people at the airport that I know a bit. As I usually do, I asked "How was the high season for you this year?". They looked at me and said " The island is changind. And not in a good way".

In my head, I was like "Here we go again, the ritual refrain about things not being the same anymore". Anyone who has come more than twice on the island feels like a regular and will readily tell you about how much the island has changed in 20 years, in 10 years, in 5 years, or in 2 months.

But this time around, very sad news was hitting home: a man working on the island had raped two women, a local resident and a tourist. The guy was caught in less then 24 hours by the local gendarmerie and deported to a prison on another island. I am very sorry for these two women.

This was shocking to me on several levels. First, these crimes were depictable : the tourist was hitchhiking and the resident was sleeping at home. Second, this kind of things never happen in St Barts. It is one of the most secure places that I know. I can walk into my friends' villas easily, as they usually do not lock their doors. Same for cars, I never lock mine : where could a thief go with my car, on such a tiny island?

Yet, recently, there has also been a break-in in the local hardware store (I know, big deal compared to Rio de Janeiro or even to Paris or NYC). And tourists have reported personal items being stolen here and there.

So, how safe is St Barts? Well, I guess that tourism officials would say that it is 100% safe. I would say 98%. I am not playing with numbers here. St Barts is one of the only places in the world where you can parade in the street in your Louboutin shoes, your Birkin bag in hand, and feel super safe. It is precisely becauce these isolated crimes are unusual that they are shocking to us.

My advice? Well, do as I do: when leaving your villa, just put your valuables (jewels, watches, iPhone, etc.) in a safe. In our villa, there is a safe in every bedroom. This is it. Lock the villa if you want to.  And just remember that this is a very safe island where terrible things can happen once in a while, like anywhere else.

It seems that in the ninth edition of the Transat Ag2r sailing race, Concarneau and Saint Barth will finally sail as one!! 

Just two years ago, Gilbert Le Bris, mayor of Concarneau, and Michel Magras, vice-president of the Overseas Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy, talked about combining their efforts in the race and in turn giving a chance to two young hopefuls in the open sea racing.  The discussion ended with a promise and a handshake to seal the deal.  Now, the two are seeing their dream become a reality.

St Barts Island :: 2004 Transat Ag2r Race

Since the very first edition of the Transat Ag2r, St Barts has hosted the arrival of this bi-yearly event.  The race itself is quite unusual because all of the Figaro Bénéteau boats in the race are identical single-hull sailboats designed by architect Marc Lombard; each with the same fittings, the same sails, and same safety equipment, the boats are outfitted in the same manner. This years race will begin at the port of Concarneau in Brittany, France on April 20. 

So, who are the two lucky sailors?  26-year-old Eric Péron from Concarneau is a sail maker and a regular on the Figaro circuit; he participated in the Transat Ag2r in 2004.  The other is 22-year-old Miguel Danet, a professional skipper aboard Privilège 45 for Top Loc; this will be his first time in the transatlantic race.  Neither has sailed with the other before, so as of next month, they will be under rigorous training.  Their boat, called "Concarneau-Stain-Barth" will also be involved.

There is no telling how this race will end.  Typically there are about 30 teams involved in the race with varying levels of experience.  Regardless of how this team places though, Michel Magras has promised that their arrival will be celebrated in typical St Barts fashion - big.

St Barts Island :: Fisherman Blockade ~ Photo Courtesy of :: CharterWave.com

On Monday, December 17th, I got the strangest phone call from a friend - he said that there was a blockade enforced on St Barts Island. What?!?  It appears that local fisherman were more than a little upset over the news of the new fuel tax and they were protesting by using their tiny little fishing boats to block the mega yachts from coming in to port.  The blockade even made it to the New York Post Page Six because it had the potential to disrupt the honeymoon of Harvey Weinstein and Georgina Chapman; can you even imagine?!

I really just have three things to say about this: First, St Barts is almost independent and the people voted for this! It's no wonder that the "Collectivité" (the legal body) has to find the financial resources to finance the island budget; I mean, it's not like money is falling out of the sky to pay for everything that runs this island. Being tax-free is an illusion, and the tourists cannot finance our entire yearly operating budget. Someone has to pay for our expenses.

Second, the fact that this made the New York Post Page Six is borderline ridiculous - the only thing more so is the quote in the article that talks about GQ models having to be smuggled on and off the island in the "cover of darkness" before the fisherman's "stranglehold" was complete. It sounds so dramatic, doesn't it?  Which brings me to my third,and final, point. French fishermen are very prone to this behavior, they block ports every year in continental France.

Here on St Barts island, we have nex taxes to look forward to in 2008; Happy New Year to us!

The island's territorial council met on November 13th and voted 19-1 in favor of a new financial code, amidst 100 or so people that came to hear the discussion.  So, what happened? Well, new indirect taxes were approved for starters, some surprising, others not so much.

A new tourist tax was put in place, which was expected and probably the least surprising event of the evening. If you're coming to stay for a visit, expect to pay 5% per night in tourist tax.  Even though the hotel owners have suggested the tax for several years now, the St Barts Tourism Office is complaining that they have to collect the tax from their guests or face a fine for not doing so.  You can read an article (in French) about it here.

Import taxes were raised from 4% to 5% - the first increase in 25 years. Another new tax that will affect business owners is the annual fixed tax.  Set at 300 euros for small businesses and increased by 100 euros per employee, capped at 5000 euros.  I'm not sure what qualifies as a "small business" though.

A capital gains tax on real estate was set at 25% of the profit realized and donations of property between family members will not be taxed, on the condition that they hold on to the property for 10 years or more.  If they don't keep it for 10 years, they will pay the 25% tax on the value of the gift.  Donations outside of the family carry a hefty tax of 40%.

What I found to be the most interesting part of the evening though was the established definition of "fiscal residence."  It is now much easier to obtain as you must only live on the island for 5 years, not 5 continuous years.  This is good for those who commute to St Barts on a regular basis.

Really, it boils down to the fact that someone has to come up with the money to pay for the island's budget.  Being "tax-free" is really just an illusion; for every item you purchase tax-free, there is a service on the island that is being taxed instead.

Here on St Barts island, we typically don't need a reason to throw a party.  However, we've come up with one, and this time, it's to celebrate where we've been. 

In November of 2008, the island will host "Swedish Week" to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the retrocession of St Barth to Sweden; the official date of the anniversary is March 16th, 2008, but it was decided that Swedish Week will be held in November so that it can close with the 18th annual running of the Gustavialoppet 10km race.

In a recent issue of St Barths Weekly, Swedish Week is discussed at length.  Spearheading the planning are Roger Richter, president of Sallskapet and Nils Dufau, president of the Association of Saint Barth Friends of Sweden. They came up with the idea for a celebration after they came to realize that there are many people who do not know the Swedish history of Saint Barth. Just as the people of Saint Barth created a mini-version of our island during "The Colony Project," held in Skansen, the people of Sweden hope to bring the same to our home base.

Details of the activities for the week are obviously not yet firmed up.  But, you can bet that as soon as I know what's going to be happening, I'll pass it along to you!

St Barts Island :: Anne Dentel
Photo Credit ~ St Barth Weekly

In a new issue of St Barth Weekly, Anne Dentel, the new president of the Saint Barth Hotel Association, talks about a few things that might be of concern to our American tourists when they visit St Bart Island :: the value of the American dollar and the delays at St Martins airport.

Anne is a friend from the island, and I value her opinions very much.  Not only does she know every single villa on the island very, very well, she is the go-to person if you need to find a villa at the last minute.  So, when I saw her in the paper, I just had to share her thoughts with you!

First up, Anne tackled a subject that's on everyone's mind: the decline in the value of the American dollar.  According to Anne, the euro/dollar conversion rate is not going to affect the number of visitors to the island this year, but it may change the spending habits of visitors while they are on the island.  Herself and villa owners are more worried about next year and the low season as those reservations have not yet been made.  However, Anne is quite creative, and is investigating putting together some packages and deals to help bolster visitors and keep our little economy humming right along.  Stay tuned; if there are any deals to be had, I'll certainly pass them along!

Next, the delays at St Martin airport.  This has bothered me for quite some time.  Once you go through customs and leave the states, you go nowhere but St Martin.  Once in St Martin, it's not like you leave the airport before you hop on a plane to head here.  Yet, you must go through the same procedures over again; it really gets quite tiring.  What's worse, with these delays, many visitors that arrive to St. Martin after 4:00pm find that they are not able to catch a flight over to St Barts until the next day, or they are forced to take a boat over. As president of Saint Barth Hotel Association, Anne is working with other members of the association, and the president of the island council, Bruno Magras; their goal is to get this process working more efficiently so you can get here and start enjoying your vacation!!

Anne is a great resource for all things St Barts related.  She was an excellent choice to head up the Hotel Association, and I'm sure her work will be wonderful.  Remember, if you're ever in a pinch and need a villa at the last minute, she's the gal to call! 

"St Barth: French West Indies (A Concept Book)" by Charles and Christine Didcott has been around for 8 years and it is still the best coffee table book about St Barts Island that I know of.

St Barts Island :: "St Barth: French West Indies" :: Photo Credit ~ Amazon.com

Filled with pictures that depict the beauty and warmth of the island, it is a wonderful reminder of where you've been, or where you'd like to go.  Consistently earning 5-star reviews on Amazon by readers who have enjoyed it, it is cited as "capturing the charm and beauty of the island," and additionally, the text throughout it gives bits of little known facts about the island to anyone who picks it up; even those who have visited more than once often find something new about the island when reading this book.

A great gift for yourself or someone you know that loves the island, or just appreciates beautiful photography.

If you're headed to St Barts Island for a little get-away, TravelandLeisure.com has publshed a very cool "Island Finder" series that can help you choose what island is best suited for your wants and needs.  The article they wrote on St. Barts says that it's "best for the scene."

Their write-up starts by saying "Glamorous, star-studded, and ultra-exclusive……" I mean, of course you know this, because I've told you a million times how life is here, but for someone that doesn't read this blog, it would sound pretty enticing, no?

They talk about what hotels to stay in, and break them down by "the splurge" (Hôtel Saint-Barth Isle de France) "the classic" (Eden Rock), "the hot spot" (Le Sereno), and the "best value" (Salines Garden Cottages).

And they don't stop there; they break down restaurants and beaches too.  This is a great resource and very organized.  Highlighting just the right amount of information, it makes it easy for the reader to see if an island is going to have what they're looking for.  If not, they can keep searching for the next one.  Highly recommended!

Getting ready for a vacation to St Barts island?  Before you go anywhere, head to stbartstalk.com to get the scoop on all you need to know.  Visited regularly by locals, first timers, regulars, and even me, this is the place to get straight and frank advice on all things St Barts.

Started by "GregB," in 2004, this forum has experienced a flurry of activity.  GregB is a regular on the island, visiting several times a year, while spending the rest of his time in his hometown of Santa Barbara, CA.  He made his first journey to St Barts Island in 2002 and, in his words, knew from the very moment he arrived "that it was possible to feel I was coming home to a place I had been, until then, only in my dreams."

That really describes the feel of St Barts so very well; the moment you arrive, you feel as if you're home.

GregB has found that this forum has enabled him to forge lasting friendships with many people he otherwise never would have met.  His site also serves to provide endless bits of knowledge about the island.  Whenever I know someone is headed for a first-time visit, I always point them to StBartsTalk to take a look at the "First Time Visitors" section.  The website includes information on lodging, dining, activities, and lodging.

There are also forum discussions about the latest on the island, restaurant reviews/questions/experiences, and trip reports.  You can ask a Wimco representative about options for accomodations or check in with a Tradewind Aviation agent about flights.

Today, one thread is talking about the opening of "Le Bistro - Cafe, Restaurant, Epicerie Fine on Gustavia harbor while another is a post from a current visitor that is staying in Gustavia, but is looking for somewhere quieter for an additional week.  What's so great about this is that you have an individual on the island and he's likely going to get a villa for the next week, just by posting the question.  So easy!

Poster "JeffM" announced that he and his wife will be hosting a get together at their place mid-trip this month  and MissKitty let everyone know about the VanHalen tour that is currently making its way through North America.  What you'll find at StBartsTalk is anyone's guess - that's what makes it such a fantastic site!

Check it out when you get a chance; it's well worth the look.  Be warned though! You may find yourself lost for hours on this site - it's easy to do when there's so much to read about!

I find that lately I have been spending way too much time on Amazon because I have been busy buying books for my different family members for the Christmas holiday.  As a result, I have found that Amazon also offers nice posters of St Barts.

On in particular was this one I came across of boats anchored off Shell Beach.  They also have surf boards at Grand Cul de Sac, yachts moored in Gustavia Harbor, and even more kitchy ones like this Swedish street sign in St Barths.  In fact, all in total, there are 84 different posters of St Barts available on Amazon.  Not all are different, but each scene does seem to come in a variety of sizes, some framed, some not. 

I was thinking that, if my family didn't already have a lot of pictures of St Barts, these would make great holiday gifts! The recipient could have a little mini-vacation moment every time they looked at it. How great is that?