The "Jimmy Returns To St. Barts" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading one of my favorite online sites: www.caribjournal.com.  Caribbean Journal presents stories about a variety of subjects all related to the Caribbean Islands.  

Aerial view of St. Barts.  Click to enlarge.

Recent story told of Jimmy Buffett's return to one of his favorite islands, St. Barts, to perform a free concert to help the island with their recovery struggles related to last summer's Hurricane Irma.  It was back in 2005 that Carol and I took a day trip from Sint Maarten to St. Barts to see how the French island compared with the other Caribbean islands we were lucky enough to have visited beforehand.  St. Barts, also known as St. Barthelemy or St. Barths, is located approximately 160 miles east of Puerto Rico and lies immediately southeast of St. Martin/Sint Maarten and Anguilla; It also lies northeast of Saba and St. Eustatius and north of St. Kitts.  On March 19, 1946 the people of the island became French citizens with full rights.  The island had no electricity until 1961 and many took ferries to surrounding islands for work.  The island's main harbor is U-shaped  and called Gustavia.  On the day we traveled to the island we landed at Gustavia and after showing our U.S. Passports, began our tour of the island.  Took a taxi ride around the rather small island with a stop at Grand Saline Beach for a dip.  We walked from the beach back to the harbor and headed to a small restaurant called Le Select for lunch.  

The harbor at Gustavia.

As we walked into the restaurant we instantly saw the sign that told the story telling that Jimmy Buffett wrote "Cheese- burger in Paradise" while sitting in the restaurant.  Whenever Jimmy visits the islands for pleasure or for a concert, he usually makes a stop at one of his favorites, St. Barts.  He had had a decades-long relationship with the island and some of his most legendary songs were inspired by the island including "One Particular Harbor", "Au Tour de Rocher" and "Cheeseburger in Paradise".  

I took this photo in 2005 at Le Select on St. Barts.

To sit in the restaurant was a thrill knowing I may have been in the exact same chair where he penned the song.  Well, the Caribbean Journal story tells of his return to the island where he will perform the free concert along with local muscian Soley on December 27 on the quai in Gustavia.  Wow, would I love to return one more time to the tiny island to see one of my favorite musicians and performers.  

Jimmy performing at Le Select in the past.

I can just imagine the crowd that will be there to hear Jimmy and his band.  Jimmy is hoping that his concert will bring a large crowd to the island and help boost the struggling economy.  If you care to be part of the crowd your best bet to get there is to fly to Sint Maarten and take Winair or St. Barth Commuter to St. Barth's airport.  You also can take a ferry from Sint Maarten, but it is a rough ride.  You might be lucky enough to fly through San Juan directly to St. Barts, but as you know, they too are struggling and their airport might not be a good choice.  If you do go, think of me sitting at home wishing I could be there in the warm breezes of the harbor with a rum punch in my hand.  Oh Yeah, tell Jimmy I'm thinking of him.  He'd be impressed I'm sure!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - following YouTube video shows Jimmy playing at Le Select on St. Barts.