Fort de France, Martinique
Of all the islands Marc and I have visited in the Caribbean, Martinique is one of our favorites. Although thousands of miles away from France, this island is without a doubt very, very French. As soon as we left the ship to explore the city center, the spirit of France could be seen and heard everywhere.
Tours to historic sights were available but Marc and I decided to do our own touring, stay put in downtown, and explore its sights. A visit to a beach and some shopping were likewise in our plans.
Right before we arrived here, we were already told that many shops here offered the full range of French perfumes, clothes by La Coste, and Mont Blanc pens. "Perfect!" I thought. I did have plans of purchasing a bottle of the Signoricci Cologne I had run out of back in the States. It was not available in San Francisco and fortunately for me, it was sold here.
At La Savane Park where the statue of Josephine, Napoleon's better half, stood. At the time of our visit, the statue had been beheaded and red paint even splashed on the monument.
I assume locals did not really like her even though she was a local and a native of the island.
In front of the beautiful and historic Bibliotheque Schoelcher.
Right close by was the Cathedrale Saint Louis. This was the upper part of the cathedral's façade.
In front of the main entrance to Cathedral Saint Louis
After walking around downtown, we went to the ferry terminal to get to one of the beaches recommended by our guide book. We went to Pointe de Bout where the resort hotels were located.
Here I am waiting for one of the ferries.
Here's one of the ferries departing Fort de France to Point du Bout
This was one of the coves where we swam. It was simply amazing coming here to swim. The water was warm, clear, and calm. We could have spent the entire afternoon here had we not had other plans.
In downtown Fort de France after doing a bit of shopping. I purchased a Signorrici Cologne here. Ever since I made my first purchase of this cologne while a student in Madrid, I never stopped using it. Once I ran out of it, Marc bought me one bottle on his business trip to Amsterdam. After that ran out, I just had to purchase another one here in Martinique. Unfortunately, fast forward to 2013, this cologne brand has been discontinued and is no longer sold anywhere in the world.