Easter morning, St.Barts

It's a bright, golden morning, Easter Sunday. And last night we had a gentle motor sail to St. Barts. The westerly winds, a bit on the north side, were light, the night watches uneventful. At 6am we're approaching the hills and outlying rocks of Gustavia Bay (Rade de Gustavia). The tall mast at the entrance is Norwegian "Canica". At 7am we've tossed out our anchor, 8 meters, into the clear bluegreen waters. We have Swedish "Ramnsoe" beside us; "Full Circle" is on its way in.
Gustavia Harbor today is mega yachts with helicopters where we would have a dinghy. The boats are polished to a blinding white, with smoked black windows, not much deck. These floating 5-star hotels are a bit out of touch with the lovely warm waters surrounding them. As "Babette"s crew jump off the boat.
Gustavia of yesteryear was St.Bart's Swedish capital for about 90 years. It seems Louse XVI traded St. Barts, its 600 Normandie farmers included, for some dubious trading rights in Gothenburg, Sweden. Then the French got it back for 80,000 francs almost a century later. The hard-working French farmers barely noticed the exchange of European rulers.
The Swedes had done some building on the island. Some of these houses can still be seen. First floor stone, second in wood. They also gave St.Barts a lucrative "free trade" status. Which some yachties and tourists still appreciate today.

We're content to have lunch on the pier with "Full Circle", and, later, a good boat-made Easter cake at Swedish "Ramnoe". And to see another day's orange ball of fire be quenched in the azure blue waters.