Sunday Bloody Sunday

The weekend in St Barts was pretty adventuresome. Mills really wanted to visit one of the Forts. There were two on the Gustavia side where we were anchored. We found out from a local that only one was open to the public. We hiked up to Fort Karl and enjoyed the amazing views from up top. One spot we could see clearly was Shell Beach which we were told we should definitely visit before leaving. After coming down from the top of the fort we took a short walk to Shellona. Literally the entire beach was covered with tiny shells 🐚 instead of sand. There was a DJ 🎶, plenty of activity,  and it’s a popular spot for catamarans and day boats to anchor and swim ashore. Spent a few hours there before heading back to the boat for dinner on board. It rained most of the night and we woke up to an overcast and drizzly morning. We had discussed going to church and contemplated bagging it because of the poor weather. There was a momentary break in the rain so we threw on the best clothes we had (note Charlie’s shirt in pics 🤣) and dinghyed In the heavy drizzle 🌧 to church. ⛪️ We arrived looking pretty disheveled and wet. The church was Anglican, built in 1855. (“Church of England” but felt Episcopalian by similarities in ritual even though technically more Catholic in beliefs) A really lovely structure, windows and doors open to allow a cool breeze during the service. There were more people there than expected for a rainy day on an island. We sat a few rows from the front on the right. One of the greeters approached the kids to see if they would be willing to collect the offering when the time came. Mills willingly agreed, Charlie was somewhat hesitant but said yes anyway. Service went on and we arrived at the time for the passing of the peace. As people in the congregation milled about shaking hands and greeting, I looked up and saw Lee frantically waving me to come toward the back of the church. I thought someone was having a heart attack or something. Then he started saying “it’s Bono, it’s Bono” over and over. I looked in the very back row on the other side and sure enough, there Paul Hewson sat between two young girls(not his daughters..I googled it) with his iconic circular glasses and a black collared shirt and black pants. His hair was sorta messy like ours.... but I’m certain it’s not because he dinghyed to shore in the rain. He was not passing any peace back there. ❌☮️ The rest of the service was quite a blur except when Charlie collected his offering (allegedly just a $5 - but it might have been a $50 - charlie couldn’t remember 😂) and we sneakily took pictures.📸 Also when he passed by on the way up to communion. -we drank from the same cup!! 😉 🍷-No one else in the building seemed to have a clue who he was, or be quite as starstruck 🤩🤩as we were. ????  Lee is a huge U2 fan, always has been, so while we all kneeled and prayed I’m quite sure he was deliberating on how he was going to get a pic, an autograph on the church bulletin, or just a moment of conversation with him. He was on the very back row so we knew he‘d slide out quickly. As the minister offered the benediction, Lee made his move. The first note of the chime 🔔 had not even resonated and Lee was gone. Leaving his wallet, sunglasses, and the three of us behind in the church. Several minutes later Lee came back through the church gates with a huge grin. 😃 SUCCESS!! The kids were clueless. We had to play “Baby Please come Home”-U2 Christmas song - for them to explain who he was. They asked if he was more famous than Justin Timberlake. (Valid inquiry and certainly room for discussion there?? 😂) We found out in conversation with the Lay Reader, a British attorney turned Caribbean physician, that Bono is a regular while on the island. I did a lil’ research and found out one of the girls he was with was his artist pal, Guggi, but couldn’t figure out the other.   The rest of the day..... well, wasn’t quite as exhilarating..., but we made it over to St Jean beach. Super cool spot right by the airstrip to watch planes land and take off. Unbelievable approach through a narrow notch in the mountains and just a few hundred yards from the waves breaking. The end of the runway IS THE BEACH! Pilots must have special training. The wind was 40 knots east, but there was still a steady flow of air traffic. Very cool to watch. Way too rough to swim but we also watched some skilled windsurfers rip across the waterfront just off the end of the runway. Sailing to Saba tomorrow. HOS Lesson of the Day: Go! Do it! Even in the rain. ☔️  (literal or figurative)  😊  DJL list: 1. Deck chair 2. Hairbrush 3. Spatula 4. Mills snorkel mask 5. Mills bathing suit 6. Lots of clothespins 7. A fender 8. Some rusty fishhooks 

9. Custom cockpit mat (🤦🏻‍♀️) Thanks for following! ✌🏼 💕  ⛵️ Miss and love you all!