Dear Downhome magazine crew: Just back from a wonderful cruise on the Allure of the Seas, where we visited Nassau, Bahamas, St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and St. Maarten, which is an island that is split in half between France and the Netherlands. The Allure of the Seas is Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, and is currently the biggest cruise ship in the world. While there, on Wed. Feb. 23rd, my niece got married at the Synagogue of St. Thomas, which is the oldest US synagogue in continuous use. The congregation was founded in 1796 by descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jews who were persecuted during the Inquisition, and the synagogue itself was constructed in 1833. The floor is made of sand, which was used to muffle the sounds of their footsteps while they gathered to worship. I am enclosing a picture of the bride and groom (Monique and Alan Cohen), taken at the synagogue, along with the Feb. issue of Downhome magazine. The groom has never been to N.L., but as his new bride owns a piece of land up by her mom's house in Bay L'Argent, I'm sure it won't be long before he visits. Yours, Charlene (Pike) Peverill   Submitted By: NULL