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The South Atlantic coast
The weather is gloomy, but it is supposed to clear up.
We have yet to visit the southeast coast known for the "Salines beach" and the "Savane des Pétrifications"
A hiking trail runs this part of the island and allows us to admire various coves.... but this will not be for us.... an insurmountable lookout forces us to turn back.
No problem : we enjoy a meal by the sea.
We take advantage of being in a French department to make various purchases, especialy for the camper.
The Centre and The East
Rainy morning
We take "La route de la Trace" that crosses the island in its centre.
It is in the heart of the rainforest that this road meanders for about 40 kilometers. It was built by the Jesuits in the 18th century to bypass the Pitons du Carbet, then was extended to « Mont Pelee ».
It is the deep and wild Martinique: tree ferns, balisiers, bamboos, giant trees and lianas…
We visit the "Balata Garden", a work of Jean-Philippe Thoze who, for more than twenty years, has collected tropical and endemic plants. Porcelain roses, begonias, orchids. 3,000 plants are present in the plantation.
We are greeted by hummingbirds...nice show...then we take a unique walk to "the top of the botanical garden", more than 15 meters high, completely secured by nets!!!
It is raining what prevents us from visiting the waterfalls that line the road.
* Saint Peter: Founded in 1635, the town soon became the centre of economic and cultural activity in the West Indies. The "Petit Paris des Antilles" had a theatre, consulates and a botanical garden. On May 8th 1902, the "Mount Pelee" eruption destroyed and submerged the 2,985 dwellings.
We follow the coast of the Caribbean Sea with its coconut trees and sandy beaches until "Fort de France" which we will hardly visit because of rain. Too bad.
The South coast of the Caribbean
Morning : round of golf on the only course in Martinique.
Unbeatable price: 22.50 euros!!! 18 holes.
The course is not worth more than 22 €.... a not maintained field...a catastrophe.... no fun to play!!!
To forget this course, we have lunch, feet in the sand, in a small restaurant in "Petite Anse"
The bay, the sandy beach, the palm trees leaning over the sea and the bougainvilleas on the side of the road leave us a good memory.
The road to reach the "Three Ilets" is winding and impressive. There, we visit "La Pagerie" Museum.
Birthplace of Empress Josephine, this former 18th century sugar factory traces the fate of Marie-Joseph-Rose de Tascher de la Pagerie who married Napoleon Bonaparte. On December 2nd 1804, Napoleon I, sacred emperor, placed the imperial crown on her head. Repudiated, she died of pneumonia in 1814.
La Caravelle
Today we are hiking on the "Peninsule dela Caravelle".
Before we get there, we get acquainted with the Martinique traffic jam. They are not as impressive as in Guadeloupe but they are real.
"La caravelle" is an almost 12-km-long island with a 400-hectare nature reserve, with beautiful bays that can be accessed by trails along the coast.... not always easy, the rain of the previous day has left loads of mud.
10 km hike......and a ti punch on arrival at the restaurant.
On the way back, we cross magnificent landscapes made up of tropical vegetation, sugar canefields or bananas plantations, and small villages with Creole houses, all made of wood.
We end the day on our terrace.
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The Atlantic coast
We spend the whole morning at the dermatologist, but nothing serious.
It’s the opportunity of meeting "Arlette", the lovely medical secretary.
The time spent in the waiting room was a treat. We discovered a woman passionate about her work, always smiling despite the number of phone calls, patients with or without appointment, the organization of the office, open only from 6 :30 am to 12 , twice a week.
She knows all families, and always has a nice word for everyone.... It is a Creole atmosphere where all the patients participate in the conversations..... a superb moment.
Thank you " Arlette "
We cannot visit the French West Indies without visiting a rum distillery, the industry that has made the fortune of many settlers from France. (Fortune built thanks to the slavery of many Africans torn from their land)
We choose " La Maison Clément"
When Doctor Homer Clément buys the house "Mahogany", it is to transform it into a sugar cane plantation. In 1917, he revived the tradition of the house by reinstalling its distillery.
We discover the different stages of production: harvesting, maceration, distillation, maturing in barrels as well as bottling.
Located in the heart of the production site, it houses a very nice botanical garden, where one discovers many varieties of tropical plants.
* Saint-François: Last bastions of the Amerindian population repelled by the colonial movement at the end of the 17th century. Overlooking the Atlantic coast and protected by the coral reef, the region is thriving very quickly thanks to the cultivation of cane, cocoa and coffee. But the sugar crisis of the 19th century led to the end of a prosperous era. The region is now the main stronghold of the Béké community ( White Creoles)
* Vauclin: this small village awakens at the beginning of the 18th century. Like others before, it is a privileged place for the first settlers who produce one of the best coffees, soon replaced by the cane. With its white sand bars, its immaculate beaches and its numerous walks in the forest, it quickly becomes a place prized by tourists.
We follow the coast to the south and cross huge fields of sugar cane but also of bananas.
Diamant
As always, transfer days are lost days.
By the time we clean the apartment, head to the airport, return the vehicle and register the luggage , we land at "Fort de France" in the late afternoon.
Finally we arrive at our new residence around 6:00 p.m.
This time, we are warmly welcomed by "Myrtha" who gives us all the advices about the residence and a load of information about the island.
It makes a change with Guadeloupe where we didn't see anybody, except on the departure day.
We just have enough time to do some shopping before dining in a small restaurant by the sea.
Not an exciting day!!!
On the second day, we visit our small seaside resort and rest on our terrace overlooking the "Rocher du Diamant".
This jewel is a volcanic rock and was the object of numerous clashes between French and English.
Due to its advanced position and the currents surrounding it, the bastion plays an important role in controlling the St Lucia Canal.
The British settled there and defended the place with four powerful guns, cutting the way to the French ships.
In May 1805, the admiral of Villeneuve took it back after 3 days of battle.
ROAD BOOK 064
MAVROS ODYSSEE
