34 The Courier SUN • DECEMBER 18, 2014 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com victoria’s secrets VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS [email protected] tweet me @vschneps Dynamic $1000 off Lumineers $500 off Invisalign DENTAL WORK Free Whitening included the inViSiBle WAy to Some excluSionS Apply StrAighten teeth third generation dentist 175-15 Jamaica avenue, Jamaica 718-297-4100 • 718-297-4106 As the ferry made its way through gently cresting waters under a brilliant blue sky filled with puffy, cotton ball clouds, I saw a boat with the imprinted words “two much fun.” That’s how I felt about my week away on the secluded island of St. John in the Virgin Islands. Stu, my beloved husband who I miss more with each passing day, and I bought a time share at the Westin Resort & Villas after spending a week there as hotel guests in 2008. I have a designated week in a predetermined room. It seemed like a good idea at the time and on our second year there we expanded our “ownership” to a three-bedroom unit thinking it would be great to have the kids, after all we had seven between us. As life is they have never come to St. John. It’s a 10-hour trip from the time I left my house, got to JFK, flew to St. Thomas, then after a two-hour wait took a ferry to St. John nestled in Great Cruz Bay. Landing at the Westin dock we were then taken by a shuttle up a steep hill to our villa. Most of the villas on the 42-acre property are built into the well-manicured tropical flowered terrain. But none of my kids could come the week I own, since it is before Christmas break and the young ones are all in school and the older ones have families with multiple commitments, so I was on my own. Stu’s cousins had come with us twice and Marcia, who also lost her husband, was a good travel companion, so she joined me on what was a bittersweet week for both of us. Filled with special memories and now alone we got along perfectly. It was a week of ultimate laziness. Our routine was to have breakfast in our well-stocked kitchen. At the ferry stop we bought “breakfast food” and some snacks so we could have breakfast in our room on the terrace surrounded with local fauna overlooking the homes dotting the surrounding neighborhoods. They look like they were just plunked down on the hillside and then swallowed up by lush shrubbery with only their windows open to the world. When we did get to the beach, I wanted front-row seats with only the quiet lapping of the water on the shore to listen to. What a luxury to just sit under an umbrella and read, and then read some more and then take a break for lunch and swim and read. Lunch was beach side and that is where we enjoyed watching the peaceful waters with sailboats and speed boats dotting the bay just outside the swimming area. If we weren’t so lazy we could have gone kayaking, sailing or even scuba diving or snorkeling. But it was to be a very laid-back week, getting pleasure from doing nothing! We decided to spend one day on St. Thomas for a shopping excursion, and I’m never too tired for that! So we picked up the ferry at the Westin dock and took the gorgeous 45-minute ride, enjoying the wind in my hair and the sun on my sun-blocked face. On the ferry ride over, a lonely seagull kept us company for a few minutes, flying just kissing distance away. When we landed at St. Thomas, open-air taxis were waiting to take us on the short 10-minute ride to the center of town. When we got off we wandered down a narrow roadway surrounded by stores on both sides. The storekeepers called to us and in one we were mesmerized by an African craftsman, Charles Matthew, whose shop is Shaks-Man-Zulu (shakazuluui@yahoo. com). He was dressed in native makeup and costume because he was doing a fundraiser for the local schoolchildren to send them to St. Croix for a day of fun. Marcia and I were taken by his charm and talent and we laughed and danced as he played his drums and of course I bought a “native” bracelet. Half the money was to go to the project. Hopefully it did! While walking on Main Street, we asked for an outdoor restaurant for lunch and found one right on the harbor overlooking the cruise ships. The Greenhouse offered freshly caught fish and we both shared the mahi-mahi blackened on a bed of romaine salad. It didn’t disappoint us and we left refreshed to continue our quest for who knows what! We did discover a market at the end of the shopping strip and had fun negotiating with the vendors who sold local stones and endless stalls of beach cover-ups. From there I found the camera store Royal Caribbean where for years I bought each year’s latest model of a pocket-sized Canon, my favorite brand. This year they had a package for $100 including a 12x zoom camera, a card, a camera case and a friendly face. The same people have been there all these years and shared with me that during the down years the camera business held up but the jewelry business declined. His store is stocked with both and like him, I believe diversification is the key to a successful business. When we got back to St. John we had dinner at Lemongrass, the Westin’s only on-site restaurant, but it quickly became our favorite because we were mesmerized each night as we watched the sun set from our outdoor terrace table and then watched in amazement as the sky took fire flaming in pinks, reds and oranges all within minutes of each other — spellbinding. Yes, even the food was good, but the setting sun was an unfair competition! A $5 ride into town offers restaurants with menus from Thailand, to Caribbean, to Asian, to tapas to American featuring several local fish. Truly something for everyone. Our favorite was Zozo, which just moved to a hilltop location at the incomparable and memory-filled exclusive Caneel Bay Plantation. I went there on my first honeymoon. Zozo was as good as I had remembered from previous trips. We ate an amazing combination of spicy meatballs in a tangy red sauce surrounding a luscious ball of imported baratta cheese. It’s similar to mozzarella but stuffed with smooth, luscious, rich ricotta cheese. Remarkable! As a main course we had a perfectly prepared slab of thickly cut swordfish. Of course we couldn’t resist dessert and the lemon gelato in a crispy crust was calming to the palate, ending a memorable evening that had offered a beautiful sunset to add to the ambiance. The Westin of St. John is one of their most requested locations in the world. No surprise that we met people from Vail, Colo., and New Hampshire. Although I can trade my time share to Cancun or the Atlantis or Hawaii, this is a unique haven from the world. I was grateful to be there. Maybe I can convince my kids next year that the 10-hour traveling time is worth it. Keep you posted! ‘Two’ much fun The view of Great Cruz Bay from the beach at the Westin Resort & Villas on St. John in the Virgin Islands On the lushly landscaped hillside leading up to Lemongrass, the Westin’s only on-site restaurant African craftsman Charles Matthew, owner of the shop Shaks-Man-Zulu, dressed in costume
SC12182014
To see the actual publication please follow the link above