GRAND Magazine - Spring 2022 - 8

travel
Where to stay
The Eden Rock
St. Barths is known as a getaway for the rich and
famous, and the iconic Eden Rock is the place to see
and be seen. Situated on a sandy beach, the superb
accommodations include beautifully appointed luxury
villas and spacious rooms. It has a fully equipped gym,
pool, spa, a Jean-Georges restaurant, and is within
walking distance to exclusive shopping and a stone's
throw away from Nikki Beach, which is a famous hip
beach club. The hotel offers activities for children of all
ages. While this bustling, chic hotel is not cheap, many
who stay there say it's well worth the splurge. For
information and reservations click here.
Where to eat
Le Select, an indoor-outdoor saloon, is located in
the heart of Gustavia. Locals claim that Jimmy Buffett,
who apparently owned a home on the island for years,
wrote his song Cheeseburger In Paradise there.
Le Tamarin, an outdoor restaurant, resembles a
tropical oasis. The French cuisine and fresh fish menu
selections are notable on the isle. Learn more here
Le Ti is a fun lively spot with French cuisine, where
the rehearsal dinner was held. Not only do they have
an outside terrace and bar, but each night there is a
live cabaret show. Learn more here
Where to shop
Since we were busy with wedding activities, we
didn't have nearly enough time to shop. Fortunately,
one afternoon we were able to explore Gustavia, the
island's capital. Filled with restaurants, cafes, upscale
boutiques and designer shops, it's a fun place to
8 GRAND Winter 2022
Poland, to attend his daughter's wedding, just weeks
before the war broke out. His brother and his family,
who originally had plane tickets to fly from Kyiv to
Miami then on to St. Martin/St. Barths, managed to
escape to the mountains. Yury's 92-year-old mother
is still living in an apartment in Kyiv. While they have
friends bringing her groceries, because of the bombing,
she cannot leave her dwelling.
Gustavia, St. Barthelemy
wander around. Fashionable wide rim straw hats,
designer gowns, tropical swimwear, and lavish St.
Barths logoed home goods, abound.
The Ukrainian connection
The wedding was magnificent and the ambiance
was perfect, the occasion was unfortunately, bittersweet.
Sasha, the bride, is Ukrainian and several family
members living in Ukraine were unable to leave the
war-torn country to attend. They had reservations
and were all set to travel, then the invasion began,
all flights were canceled, and everyone's lives were
upended.
While Sasha and her Ukrainian mom, maternal
grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all reside
in Brooklyn, her dad, Yury, works in Ukraine half the
year. He owns ski resorts there. Typically, he lives in
Ukraine in the winter months, returning to the USA in
the spring. Luckily, he was able to make it out through
The Ukrainian Brooklyn contingency was all able to
make it to the wedding, but what was happening back
in their homeland, was clearly on everyone's minds.
" It is hard to watch the events unfold in Ukraine, "
says Sasha. " I called Kyiv my permanent home from
2006-2008, when I went to high school there. I spent
countless summers in Kyiv, and it's the city where my
parents met, fell in love, and got married. I wake up in
the middle of the night with images of war. My dad's
business in Kharkiv has been destroyed. My grandma
is alone in Kyiv, and the rest of my relatives relocated
to a safer place in the country and opened their doors
to as many people as they could fit. I feel a sense of
hopelessness as I watch what's going on - as do all
my Ukrainian relatives - the ones who came to the
wedding, and the ones who could not get out. "
ALICE BURDICK SCHWEIGER
Alice Burdick Schweiger is a New
York City-based travel, entertainment
and medical writer who has written
for numerous national magazines
including Good Housekeeping, Family
Circle and Woman's Day. She is a
co-author, with Laura and Jennifer
Berman, of Secrets of the Sexually
Satisfied Woman

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GRAND Magazine - Spring 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - Spring 2022