Sunday, December 10, 2023 (continued)
So now our shore excursion has brought us back into Sint Maarten, where the Viking Sea is docked in Philipsburg.
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Simpson Bay Lagoon is one of several protected
areas for seacraft on the island |
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| Hey, a McDonald's! |
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| Bell's Lookout Point for a view of Cole Bay |
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Calotropis gigantea/Giant Milkweed is the larval plant of the
Danaus plexippus/Monarch Butterfly, and our driver-guide
broke the leaf on the lower left to show the "bleeding of milk" |
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A statue (2017) of William Henry Bell II,
whose family owned the property consisting
of three plantations, yet "Willy" died
before he could enjoy or profit from the land |
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| The Caribbean Sea from Bell Lookout Point |
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| Chickens seems to be everywhere |
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| View of Cay Bay |
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| Great Bay at Philipsburg, the capital of St Maarten |
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| A hotel used to be on the beach here before Hurricane Irma |
We were brought back to the Viking Sea for lunch. Afterwards we headed into town in Philipsburg, which was a mile from the ship.
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| First, the Welcome to St Maarten sign |
We took a taxi (for $6), because we would be walking several miles in town. We started east along
Voorstraat/Front Street.
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Hmm, why hasn't the Guavaberry Emporium
been open since 2022? |
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Pasanggrahan Royal Guest House (1905),
the oldest hotel in town |
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| The Yoda Guy Exhibit was also closed |
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| AMAsterdam is a local pub |
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| The AMAsterdam trolley |
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| The former New St Joseph Convent and School (1954) |
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| The former St Joseph Convent and School (1890) |
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| Commander Rink House (1720-1780) |
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Entrance to Old Street, which is a replica street
of colonial architecture |
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| Old Street is known for its "Yellow Car" |
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Sint Maarten van Tours Kerk/
St Martin of Tours Church (1952) |
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Courthouse (1793, rebuilt after 1825) was once the home
of the founder of Philipsburg, Captain John Philips,
a Scotsman in the Dutch navy who located the city
between the bay and the Great Salt Pond, where
he also revived the salt-making industry |
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| Cyrus Wathey Square, named for a local respected businessman |
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The square led to the Boardwalk along the water,
with this map of the island |
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| Looking east along the Boardwalk |
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| Police officer with a German shepherd |
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| Coconut and juice stand |
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| Methodist Church (1851, reconstructed 1978) |
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The Oranje School (1738, as the Dutch Reformed Church)
opened in 1851 and is the oldest school in town |
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| Watkins House was once a slave depot |
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Walter Plantz Square has the iconic hut-style
buildings and is named for a local fishing legend |
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| The square led to the wharf that was once the tender jetty |
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| The Christmas tree in the square |
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| White House (1904) |
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| De Weever House (late 17C) |
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| Two boys on the veranda of a small home |
Next we headed west on Achterstraat/Back Street.
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| This photo shows there is no glass in the windows |
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| French Caribbean "gingerbread" style house |
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| Corner House (c 1880) |
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| Dollison House |
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| Market Place |
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| Market Place |
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| 44 Back Street has lost its roof |
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We returned to the Port of St Maarten;
Tamiko with a statue of Pieter Stuyvesant, who
lost his leg in an unsuccessful battle to regain
the island from the Spanish in 1644 (KSS) |
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Statue of Dr Albert Wathey. a member
of Parliament of the then Netherlands
Antilles beginning in 1954 during
which time he transformed St Maarten
into a thriving tourist destination |
Next: Philipsburg Murals.
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