Martinique

Martinique is only a short 26 mile sail from St. Lucia which we made on the 3rd of May. Although the island is French, the English in St. Lucia kept a watch over the movements of the French fleet.





During the Napoleonic Wars, Admiral Samuel Hood landed British sailors on Diamond Rock. It was registered as the British naval vessel HMS Diamond Rock and was able to enforce a blockade of Martinique on the south side of the island. Frustrated by its inability to capture the rock, the French floated barrels of rum on the tide to the rock and were able to capture it after the English sailors partook of this unexpected bounty.









We came upon this bull grazing in a traffic circle on our walk to Anse D'Arlet. It is common to see goats grazing along the side of the road but but we had not seen cows and bulls grazing by the roads since the Dominican Republic.











Trois Ilets a quiet town across from Fort-de-France was once the home of Empress Josephine who was born nearby. It gets its name from three islands that provide some protection from the winds and seas.








Fort-de-France one of the larger cities in the Eastern Caribbean Islands. Many fine restaurants can be found here.















The public library building is a metal building manufactured in France and shipped to Martinque.


















The interior of the library.






















Leaving Fort-de-France for Anse Mitan.


















Anchored off the beach in Saint Pierre.

















Overlooking the harbor at St. Pierre, Mount Pelee in the background. Its eruption in 1902 killed almost 30,000 residents with only one or two survivors. Up to that point, St. Pierre was the capital of Martinique. The town has been rebuilt. Luckily these volcanoes only erupt every 100 years or so. Nervous?

















Portable Marimbas on display on the butterfly farm. But alas the butterflys have flown and art and music have taken their place.