ST BARTHS, VACATIONS AND GOOD MUSIC

 

 Three weeks ago I visited the island of St. Barths with my husband to introduce our new musical project The Stereo Lights during the St. Barths Summer Sessions festival and also took the opportunity to take a pre – anniversary holiday.

In fact it is the first time I travel since I made the transition to a vegan diet and had my reservations, but that is why I went super prepared. 

 
For air travel, since healthy options at the airport are practically nonexistant, I prepared for Savy and myself, quinoa with veggies (I stayed away from broccoli, bok choi, onions and other vegetables that give gas to avoid "discomfort" haha) and made a homemade trail mix of nuts, pumpkin seeds, goji berries, carob chips accompanied by a big bottle of water, as you become dehydrated when flying. For Lili, (my dog) I brought carrot and apple sticks which she loves.  

A few days before taking off, we shopped for the trip and I literally took a suitcase full of food. I knew I would spend several days in a hotel and the rest at a friend’s place, and based on that I planned my options.

First problem, juices, how was I going to cover my daily concentrated dose of greens? So I bought packets containing a powder mix of superfoods like spirulina, chlorella, kelp, acai and other sea vegetables to drink with water every morning before breakfast and give my body alkalinity.

Here I give you a peek of my luggage: a package of steel cut gluten-free oats (to be left to soak overnight in almond milk, that way I avoid having to cook it). Packs of almond, cashew and walnut butter. Hemp seeds, stevia, multigrain wraps, granola, canned organic beans, carob chips (chocolate substitute), roasted soybeans, cashews and almonds for the beach, tea for upset stomach, insomnia and bowel irregularity, flaxseed and chocolate raw cookies, vegan protein, and a long lasting pack of unsweetened almond milk. I also took my vitamin B complex (recommended for vegans) and digestive enzymes (I use Digest Gold by Enzymedica) for more efficient digestion.

 

Arriving in St. Marteen, which is where the international airport is, we had to catch a boat to take you to St. Barths in 45 minutes (Savy and I call it the ferry of terror), because the trip is horrible.. you get so dizzy. I ate a couple of ginger candies to avoid it, but it got really bad, to the point that when we arrived to port, Savy’s skin tone was green and he was sick all through the first night.
 

I have to thank all the people at La Plage which organized the festival, they treated us great and let us stay at a spectacular hotel called Le Sereno, where in addition to relax, enjoy a dream room and pristine beaches, we tried kayaking for the very first time. As breakfasts were included, I asked for a plate of fruit and herbal tea every morning we were there.
 

I also went to the supermarket and bought fruit to take with me. Basically you eat what you can find, since everything is imported, there is almost nothing organic and everything is expensive.
 

The next day we had our first live show and many people came up to congratulate us, which made ​​me incredibly happy, as I had never sung in public. Basically we make electronic remixes (deep house, new disco) of our own songs and covers, all played live.
 

After the presentation, we were on honeymoon mode and we set the goal to visit a different beach every day, we went to Guverneur, Flamands, Saline, Petit Cul de Sac and St. Jean, but our favorite was without a doubt, Colombier. First, you must walk 20 minutes along a mountain overlooking the ocean, the breeze in your face, the sun, and wild turtles. It's truly beautiful, but when you get to the beach it turns into a dream. Looks like a swimming pool, shallow, no waves and totally transparent. I was so fascinated that we went twice.
 

Another important thing when you are going to be exposed to the sun, is taking good care of your skin. I bought a safe, organic and 98% natural sunblock from the brand Badger, never went out without a hat, and always tanned with SPF 30. Three weeks later I’m still bronzed and never peeled. After showering, I smeared coconut oil all over my body to hydrate it.
 

 

In St. Barths there are not many vegetarian/vegan options. Here are the restaurants where I ate and what I ordered:

La Plage: It’s located in St. Jean’s beach, directly on the sand. This is where we did the show and where we met with the other musicians of the festival. One day, I had for lunch a salad made of lettuce and tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. And another day vegetable casserole with basmati rice (no brown rice, even at the supermarket).

Le Carré: We had a "date night" here, recommended by a friend and really liked it. I had a spinach and mixed greens salad, with pear and toasted walnuts, also a plate of sliced ​​leeks in beet sauce.

 

The Gloriette: located on the beach and overlooking the sea, we went for lunch and there was literally nothing on the menu that didn’t have dairy or animal protein, so I explained the situation to the owner and compromised in ordering a grilled fish with lemon and a green salad with cucumber and tomatoes.
 

Bonito: this restaurant is spectacular, first of all because the feeling when you walk in is like you're in a friend's house, it’s super cozy, and has a romantic view of the Gustavia bay. We played there twice and had several meals too. My menu was as follows, tomato and zucchini tartare with arrugula, green salad with whatever they had in the kitchen, and twice I had mahi mahi with mango salsa and tomato.

 

On our way back to St. Marteen we refused to ride again in the ferry from terror, so we went for the second option which was another of my biggest fears, traveling on a really small plane of only 8 seats. Thank God it was only a 15 minute trip and to be honest, the image I had in my mind of that flight was way worse than how it really felt. This year I surpassed many things that terrified me and that fills me with relief (the fear of white sharks will stay like it is haha!).
 

We had spectacular time, there is nothing more beautiful than to enjoy the hospitality of new friends, visit their recommendations of the island, go work out in a new place, relax and not worry about any responsibilities, and keep the flame of your marriage alive with your life partner. I hope to return next year, so see you soon St. Barths!
 

With Love,  
Romina