Posts Tagged ‘St. Maarten’

A Different 9/11 Video

October 11, 2016

I’ve always had a problem with the second day of our honeymoon cruise.  Don’t get me wrong — my Bride was as sweet and beautiful as ever, and the weather was absolutely perfect.  We were visiting the island of St. Maarten/St. Martin, which is part Dutch and part French.  The island seemed like a tropical paradise, and the people were very friendly and helpful.

So what was the problem?  The date — September 11, 2001.  We knew very little about what was happening in New York until later in the day.

I guess I’ve always felt a little guilty about enjoying such a beautiful setting on such a tragic day.  I wasn’t sure if I should post my pictures and make this video, but finally decided that since the pictures showed our experiences that day I would go ahead and post them.  The music used in the slideshow is “The World Turned Upside Down,” which somehow seems appropriate for that day.

If you would like to see these and other images taken during our visit to St. Maarten, along with a caption for each image, click HERE.

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Posted in Travels | 11 Comments »

Our World: Marigot, St. Martin

April 16, 2012

Looking out to sea from Fort Louis, Marigot, St. Martin. September 11, 2001.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)
This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

I’ve gone to my archives to get these photos taken in the ruins of Fort Louis in Marigot, St. Martin.  Betsy and I hiked to this hilltop ruin while on our Caribbean cruise in 2001.  Our ship had docked on the Dutch side of the island, and we joined a bus trip to the French side.

Marigot Bay, St. Martin. September 11, 2001.

The best thing about the old fort was the view it offered of the Caribbean and Marigot Bay.  The sky was a pretty blue and the water was a marvelous blue-emerald color.  All in all, the view was spectacular.  But that beauty was in many ways almost surreal.  These pictures were taken on 9/11.

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Posted in Our World | 15 Comments »

Watery Wednesday #66: St. Maarten Sunset

December 16, 2009

Sunset off St. Maarten. September 11, 2001.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your own pictures to share, click HERE.

This picture of the sun setting on a smooth ocean was taken in 2001 off the coast of St. Maarten.  Some of that warmth would really be appreciated today!

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 13 Comments »

Watery Wednesday # 31

April 14, 2009
Sunset off the coast of St. Maarten. September 11, 2001.

Sunset off the coast of St. Maarten. September 11, 2001.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday, a weekly meme created and hosted by 2sweetnsaxy of Eyes Mind Heart.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your pictures to share, click HERE.

The picture above was taken from our cruise ship on a September evening as we were leaving Philipsburg, St. Maarten in the Caribbean.  You can see a little of the coast of the island at the extreme right, but mostly you see water and the vastness of the ocean — a perfect scene for Watery Wednesday.

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Posted in Watery Wednesday | 30 Comments »

Watery Wednesay # 25

March 3, 2009
Marigot Bay, St. Martin. September 11, 2001.

Marigot Bay, St. Martin. September 11, 2001.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our watery world, or to post your own watery pictures , click HERE.

The picture above, which can be enlarged by clicking on it, was taken from the ruins of Fort St. Louis on the island of St. Martin.  Our cruise ship had docked on the Dutch side of the island (St. Maarten) and we took a bus tour which took us to Marigot, the capital of the French side of the island.

St. Maarten – St. Martin is the smallest land mass in the world shared by two different nations.  The island is only 37 square miles and is owned by France and the Netherlands Antilles.  The French territory covers about two thirds of the island and is technically a part of Europe and the European Community.  The Dutch side is a member island of the Neterlands Antilles and is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but is not considered European territory.  There is no real border between the two parts of the island.

Fort St. Louis, built in 1767, overlooks Marigot Bay, and is the largest historical monument in St. Martin.  The plans for the fort were sent to the island from Versailles at the order of King Louis XVI.  After the French Revolution the fort was temporarily occupied by the Dutch to prevent the spread of revolutionary democracy.

The fort no longer serves any military purpose, but the steep climb we made to the summit of the peak did provide this panoramic view of the island and the sea.  I would say the hike was definitely worth the effort.

Just a reminder that you are invited to visit my photo blog, Photos by Senior Hiker, by clicking HERE

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday, Watery Wednesday | 28 Comments »

Skywatch Friday # 31

February 12, 2009

Sunset off St. Maarten. September 11, 2001.

Sunset off St. Maarten. September 11, 2001.

Welcome to Sky Watch Friday if you would like to see more of the sky from all over the world click HERE.  Last week over 300 people shared their skies.

Cruises are very nice — there’s (too much) good food and beautiful scenery.  Betsy and I especially liked sunrises and sunsets at sea.  They were almost magical moments.

The picture above, which can be enlarged, is of a sunset off St. Maartens in the Caribbean.  We watched the sun sink toward the horizon, the ocean get darker and darker, and the sky fill with golds and reds.  It looked like a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Now look at the date — September 11, 2001.  We had heard about the World Trade Centers and had seen television footage.  There were many more questions than answers at that time.  How can such horror coexist with such beauty?

I don’t know the answer to that question — just as I don’t know the answer to many other questions.  But this I do know —

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
. . .
”Be still, and know that I am God; ‘”
— Psalm 46, 1 – 3, 10

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Betsy and I hope to celebrate Valentine’s Day by seeing some new waterfalls, so we will be away from the computers for a couple of days.  Hopefully we will be back Sunday.  Have a happy Valentine’s Day and a great weekend.

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Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 37 Comments »