Martinique

I almost forgot Martinique, one the most beautiful islands of the Caribbean. We stopped there after Barbados. We took a bus tour through the interior - lush, mountainous, steep lopes -and I was glad I had not booked the hiking tour because it would have been very strenuous. It is probably easy to hike on your own because I saw trails and maps the way they mark trails in Germany and France.

Martinique is a French Department and therefore part of the EU.

Our guide was cute and had excellent English pronounciation.

Our goal was a Rum distillery. It had an excellent gift shop with wonderful rum-sugar candy and premium rum.

The distillery is on an ancient lavafield right below Mount Pele, a dormant volcano.


Our next stop was the town of St. Pierre which had been completely destroyed by the eruption of Mount Pele. Somehow, I thought they would have preserved important buildings in an archeological park, but today, St.Pierre is a small, traffic chocked town, rebuilt, a few ruins left. It is still very interesting and beautifully located. 

Saint Pierre and Mount Pele from afar.

The above picture was taken when we sailed along the coast to our next destination, but before we get there, I have to show you the biggest surprise in the harbor of Fort de France, capital of Martinique.

The real Fort der France