The Musings of Ron Kapon

Bloody Saturday

I went 50 years without spending a day in a hospital.  Then along came 2006.  I had a stent placed in my heart and other minor surgery.  I felt great while teaching, writing and traveling.  Three months ago I passed out at a restaurant but thought it was the lack of food and the fact that I had consumed two glasses of wine.  I was fine after 10 minutes and promptly forgot about the incident.  As it turned out that was God warning me and I didn’t listen.  As time passed I had problems walking and was out of breath and tired all the time.  Again, I figured it was lack of exercise, so I increased my stretching and yoga instruction to once a week at my apartment.  I added acupuncture, message therapy and bio-cleansing to my home schedule and resumed riding my stationary bicycle.  I had no difficulties during any of these sessions. But my problems were getting progressively worse.  I could not walk ½ a block without resting.

One week before my 72nd birthday I could not get from my room to the kitchen and called my doctor.  I took a stress test and it turned out not to be a heart problem.  My doctor noticed my pallor was a pasty white despite the fact that the rest of my body was sunburned.  Also, my eyes had no red cells of any type.  He took a blood test and promised the results after the weekend.  I was scheduled to spend two days sitting by a pool and relaxing.  Saturday morning he called and told me to go right to the emergency ward, which I did.  He came back from his summer house and along with two other doctors informed me I had less than three pints of blood in my system.  “The human body contains approximately 5 liters (5.3 quarts) of blood making up 7 to 8 % of a person’s body weight.  Approximately 2.75 to 3 liters of blood is plasma, the liquid portion of the blood.” I had been losing blood for months and never knew it.  They gave me three pints of blood and began checking all possible sources of blood loss including a sonogram and a test for bleeding ulcers.  So far they have not found the source.

I was officially declared anemic which means “without blood”.  Anemia results in a reduced ability of blood to transfer oxygen to the tissues.  “Since all human cells depend on oxygen for survival, varying forms of anemia can have a wide range of clinical consequences.  Anemia goes undetected in many people, and symptoms can be vague.  Most commonly people with anemia report a feeling of weakness or fatigue, general malaise and sometimes poor concentration.  People with more severe anemia often report shortness of breath on exertion.  Very severe anemia prompts the body to compensate by increasing cardiac output, leading to palpitations and sweatiness, and to heart failure.  Pallor is often a useful diagnostic sign in moderate or severe anemia.”

I am an intuitive person who knows his body.  Why I didn’t call my doctor sooner is still a mystery to me.  They could have discovered my problem weeks earlier.  The doctors told me I probably would have had a brain hemorrhage and died without ever knowing why.  Even smart people do stupid things.  Know your body and call your doctor if things don’t seem right.  It could save your life.

A Bit of France in the Caribbean

My Trip to St. Martin & St. Barths

St. Maarten, St. Martin, Sint Maarten, St. Barts, St. Barths and Saint Barthelemy are all spellings I saw during my four days on the two almost adjacent islands. Throw in Guadeloupe and Martinique and you have a bit of France in the Caribbean. Several airlines fly from the New York area to St. Maarten. It is the smallest piece of land shared by two countries. Sint Maarten/St.Maarten is the Dutch spelling; St. Martin/Saint Martin the French version. The international airport (very modern and fully air-conditioned) is on the Dutch side with a regional airport at Grand Case, on the French side, where you can fly to St. Barths in 10 minutes. Dutch, French, Creole, Spanish, Papiamento and English are spoken here with both the Euro, Dutch Antillian Guilder and US dollar accepted. The Atlantic Ocean sits on the east and the Caribbean Sea on the west. The French side of the island (where I stayed) is 21 square miles with a population of 40,000; the Dutch side is 16 square miles with 37,000 people. The Dutch side has casinos, golf and a cruise ship port in Philipsburg, the Dutch capitol, located at the far south-east corner of the island. From the observation deck atop Cole Bay Hill one can view all the neighboring islands: Saba, Anguilla, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts and St. Barths. Marigot is the French capitol and is located on the western coast where ferries leave for Anguilla every 30 minutes. That island is only 10 miles north and is part of the English Commonwealth. A block away from the Marigot waterfront is the craft market with the obligatory t-shirts, hats and jewelry. Major French designers can be found in shops here and on St. Barths. I took a 1 ½ hour ferry ride to St. Barths from the same terminal. There are no natural springs on the island making water very precious. Because the pipes run underground the water, at its best, tends to be on the warm side. The island is mostly volcanic (inactive). It never was an island with luxurious vegetation, due to a lack of rainfall and rivers. I was able to circumnavigate the entire island in less than two hours.

In 1493 Columbus discovered the island of St. Martin on his second visit to the “West Indies” and gave it the name of the saint of the day (Saint Martin of Tours). In 1627 the Dutch explored the island and in 1638 Spain threw out the Dutch. Spain left in 1648 and the French and Dutch shared the island. A wives tale is that a Frenchman and Dutchman were placed back-to-back and began walking in the opposite direction. Each country’s boundary was determined by where they met on the other side. In 1946 the French territories of St. Martin & St. Barths became the department of Guadeloupe and in 2007 both became independent (this does not apply to the Dutch section) of Guadeloupe but remained part of France. 

I stayed at the Le Marquis Resort & Spa in Anse Marcel on a beach cove and hilly area to the north of the island. It was built overlooking a marina and the Caribbean Sea in 1992 by Gerard de Vion, the Marquis de Gaillon who owns a vineyard in St. Emilion. The hotel has only 18 rooms and suites all named after a Caribbean island. Breakfast is served around the pool and tennis, squash and a fitness center are available. There is original French art (by Francis Eck) in every room and the common areas. The shuttle will take you to the beach in a few minutes. The nearby town of Grand- Case is said to have the finest dining in the Caribbean (I think the folks on St. Barths would dispute that fact). I ate at Le Tastevin a seaside gourmet restaurant and a “lolos’ which are open-air eateries or grill huts with family style dining featuring grilled lobster and chicken. There are many beaches included one where clothing is optional. If tanning and eating are not your thing you can visit the Butterfly Farm, Mont Vernon Plantation (a former sugar mill) and Le Fort Louis in Marigot. There is no local rum produced here but I did enjoy Wild Sint Maarten Guavaberry Island Folk Liqueur.

I could have chosen the 10 minute flight to St. Barths but when I heard the 10 passenger plane landed next to a beach I decided to spend 1 ½ hours on the ferry. It was a beautiful ride going but a stomach turner coming back. Columbus discovered the island in 1493 and named it after his brother Bartholomeo. In 1648 sixty French colonists arrived and there is a story about their being massacred by the Carib Indians. In 1753 it was resettled by French mariners and was sold to Sweden in 1784. It was resold to France in 1878. In 1946, Martinique and Guadeloupe, including St. Barths, were given the legal status of a Department of France. This is analogous to the Americans conferring statehood upon Hawaii. The citizens were given French passports. In 2007 they became an independent Overseas Territory.

The 8.3 square mile rocky island (with 22 white sand beaches) has a population of 9,000 and has the toughest immigration laws of any of the Caribbean islands. There is no natural water source on the island so the glitterati that descend on St. Barths for the winter season drink Champagne. This is “Hampton South” with mega-yachts and mega-stars galore. Many of the top French chefs move their torques to St. Barths for the winter and everything has to be imported. The only budget priced restaurant I found was a classic- Le Select, “Hamburger in Paradise” open for lunch. The Super Marche at the airport has an impressive French wine selection as does Le Cave in Marigot and Le Cave du Port Franc near the harbor. Le Cave specializes in Caviar, Foie Gras, First Growth Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundies.

I stayed at the Carl Gustaf, named for the present Swedish king (he gave his permission). In 1989 Jacques Laurent broke ground on his dream hotel. Because it sits at the apex of a hill overlooking Gustavia Harbor it took him three years to build. His daughter Emmanuelle took over management in 1998 and renovated the property in 2006. There are 14 one and two bedroom suites (and a 7 bedroom villa named The Golden Reef. Each suite has a private plunge pool. Two flat screen LCD TV’s, a DVD player, I Pod System, Bose speakers and a small kitchen. It is a two minute downhill walk to the beach (back up is a bit longer). Executive Chef Emmanuel Motte features Caribbean flavors and abstract gastronomic French Cuisine at the Sunset Restaurant. There is live music in the bar area and over 300 wines on the list. The hotel was voted #3 in the Caribbean/Atlantic region by 2005 Conde Nast Traveler Magazine and is on their Gold List. The hotel has a 52 foot Cayman boat available for rental by guests. It has two bedrooms, a kitchen, Jacuzzi and TV room. I asked General Manager Pierre-Alexandre Maillard for several restaurant recommendations (besides his own). “There are over 70 restaurants on the island and I enjoy the following: Maya’s for seafood; Hostellerie des 3 Forces for Creole eclectic; Le Gaiac, “French Inventive”; Francois Plantation which features Mediterranean cuisine.”

Besides food and the beaches a visitor should see: Municipal Museum- Gustavia Harbor near the Town Hall. The history of the island from the Indians to today. The Lighthouse overlooks Gustavia Harbor and has great views. St. Jean Beach sits right next to the airport. Watch the small planes come over the hills and straight down stopping a few feet from the sun worshippers. Inter Oceans Museum is privately owned but open to the public. The International Seashell collection has over 9,000 shells. Every February is the Mardi Gras parade and the end of March brings almost 30 sailing yachts for a three day race around the island.

Since the weather is mostly the same year-round going to the two islands in the “off-season” makes sense economically. The hotels and restaurants are not full and you can revel in reading the gossip columns during “the season”, realizing you stayed or ate at that place where the cognoscenti are seen and written about.

Before You Go-
www.st-martin.org
www.st-maarten.com
www.hotel-marquis.com
www.guavaberry.com
www.butterflyfarm.com
www.saint-barth.fr
www.st-barths.com
www.stbarth.hotels.com
www.cariblook.com
www.hotelcarlgustaf.com

Ahoy: A Maine Course

For those of you who are geographically challenged Maine is often confused with its sister states New Hampshire and Vermont. 90% of the land in Maine is forest (mostly inland) with low mountains. With 3,500 miles of shoreline and 3,000 plus islands along the jagged, rocky coastline Maine borders the Atlantic Ocean on the south and east; New Brunswick, Canada on the north and north east; and Quebec on the north west. With a population of only 1,321,505 the state is 98% white with a large French-Canadian community. It is the northernmost portion of the eastern United States.

I was offered the opportunity to experience a four day cruise aboard the Windjammer Heritage and decided to spend one week along Coastal Maine. For those of you in the New York City area it was a 5 hour drive (290 mile) to Ogunquit -just over the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border- and my first nights lodging: The Cliff House Resort & Spa. It is only an hour from Boston.  The original mantra was “clean rooms, fine food, fresh air, personal hospitality, all in an incomparable scenic location on top of Bald Head Cliff and the Atlantic Ocean.” The Cliff House has been in the Weare family since 1872. Kathryn Weare is the fourth generation operator. Meals are served in the main dining room which allowed me to watch the waves running over the rocks and up to the cliffs. They scheduled me for a signature blueberry body wrap (using organic Maine blueberries) the next morning in the spa which features an indoor and outdoor pool, large fitness center, yoga room, sauna, tennis and a conference area all on 70 acres. The 194 rooms range from $255 to $350 (European plan) during July & August. For breakfast and dinner add $60 per person per day.

I drove through Kennebunkport (the Bush family had hosted Russian President Putin the week before) and on to Freeport, the original outlet city. There are 170 stores here including three belonging to LL. Bean. Over 3 million people visit their flagship store that is open 24 hours every day.

It was another 1 ½ hours along coastal Route 1 before I reached Rockland. This is the entry point to Penobscot Bay, the most scenic body of water on the eastern seaboard (according to the local chamber of commerce). There are scores of islands, a dozen historic lighthouses and protected harbors filled with lobster boats. Rockland is called the Lobster Capital of the World. Look for Ospreys, bald eagles, puffins, deer, moose and harbor seals. I saw them all during my visit.

I boarded the 95 foot (145 overall length-24 feet wide) Windjammer Heritage and unloaded my gear in Cabin 10. Built in 1983 from solid oak by Captains Douglas & Linda Lee (and friends) this was my home for 4 days, along with 29 other passengers. My cabin had a sink and upper & lower berth, with only a few feet to stand. I had the cabin to myself but wondered how I would have dealt with two people in that small a space. There was one shower and three heads aboard with a request not to use the shower until after 9AM, reserving the hot water for the galley's need. This turned out not to be as big a problem as I thought as it encouraged social exchanges between passengers. There were three large tables in the galley & that is where two of our meals were served. Lunch was topside. There was lots of food in large variety all served family style. The cooks used a wood-burning "cook stove" that seemed to work. Water & ice tea were always available as well as lots of coffee. The passengers were a blend of senior citizens with a few “younger passengers.” There was much social interaction and everyone seemed to enjoy each others company. The young crew (15 to about 25) was very professional and mixed easily with the passengers. Each night we anchored in a shallow cove and I felt absolutely no movement. I didn’t use the patch or my other sea sickness remedies. Since the ship had no engine (just a push boat) we traveled when the wind was available.

The Maine Windjammer Association includes 12 tall ships from 45 to 135 feet in length. All are privately owned and operated. The day before I arrived there was a Maine Windjammer Parade with the entire fleet participating in an afternoon “Parade of Sail” in Rockland Harbor.

The first day out it rained and stormed and it was early to bed. The 2nd & 3rd days the sun shined and it was smooth sailing. We dropped anchor at a small island for a lobster bake. After two I quit. Our last day on the water included a stop at Stonington, a lobster fisherman’s town that had a famous granite quarry used to build many American cities in the early 1900’s. The Deer Isle Granite Museum recreates that era for guests.

I spent two days at the Historic Inns of Rockland. First at the Berry Manor Inn, a AAA 4- Diamond property with 12 rooms in the main and carriage buildings. My room had a six way power shower which I needed after four days at sea. Many of the rooms had working fireplaces. It was Gallery Night in town with wine and cheese served at many of the art galleries. I spent most of my time at the Farnsworth Art Museum showcasing works from three generations of the Wyeth Family. There was a separate exhibition dedicated to Andy Warhol and Jamie Wyeth. I also managed a visit to the Maine Lighthouse Museum. Dinner was at Café Miranda where owners Kerry Altiero & Evelyn Donnelly have a very eclectic menu. “We don’t serve the foods of cowards.”

The next day I spent 1 ¼ hours on Captain Jack’s Lobster Boat Adventures. Captain Steve is a lobsterman (Jack is his 8 year old grandson). His 30 foot boat takes people out in the harbor to check and refill his traps, all the while learning how to catch lobsters. I moved to the eight room Lime Rock Inn and even had my own private entrance through the garden. I also toured the nine room Captain Lindsay House which was less than a block from the shops and restaurants of Main Street. Lunch was at chef-owned Café Rustica; dinner at In Good Company, another chef owned restaurant. Like at Café Miranda I sat at the counter watching Melody Wolfertz cook in her one person kitchen. The location was a former bank and the wine cellar is located in the old walk-in safe.  The afternoon was spent at the Owls Head Transportation Museum (3 1/2 miles outside Rockland), showcasing antique aircraft, autos, motorcycles, carriages, bicycles and engines. Most of the exhibits are in operating condition. I watched a World War II fighter plane take off and circle the field.

It was a long eight plus hour trip back to New York with frequent stops to stretch. Because I had learned to relax during my week stay there was no anxiety about the traffic. I must remember that feeling the next time my pulse starts beating quickly. Maine can sell all of us on that feeling.

Before You Go-
www.visitmaine.com
www.maineguide.com
www.cliffhousemaine.com
www.llbeam.com
www.freeportmaine.com
www.schoonerheritage.com
www.sailmainecoast.com
www.deerislemaine.com
www.historicinnsofrockland.com
www.farnsworthmuseum.org
www.cafemiranda.com
www.ingoodcompanymaine.com
www.captainjacklobstertours.com
www.owlshead.org