God I Love this Hill

So you have 10 days left on Martinique. It took 3 days to settle in, to let go of life on the main land. Your cell phone doesn’t ring. Your bungalow is 400 feet up the beach and 200 feet inland. Coconut palms surround your place. You’ve moved your chair twice. You said for a better view of the ocean. Your real reason you didn’t want to take a chance of being hit on the head with a coconut. There is a machete in your kitchen. You’ve opened two coconuts since your arrival. They dropped out of the tree on your lawn. They are heavy. You don’t want to take any chances.

Booking a flight to Martinique

When I saw this Yoles boat race photo with the blue and green square sail, the wind chopped water with the charcoal gray sky I wanted to immediately book my trip to Martinique.

You have to walk to Dinner

Your Bungalow is painted pink. The other 6 buildings are all tropical pastel colors. Breakfast is 7-9. Lunch is noon to two and for supper you’ll have to go in town a mile away. You walk most evenings.

The Sea is Close

The sea is so close. Martinique is 50 miles long and 20 miles wide. The sea is always near. From anywhere on the island the ocean is less than seven miles away.

A Martinique Stamp

I collected stamps as a kid… not like a serious collector for rarity and money. I collected like a jeweler for beauty, color and interest. This is a stamp showing two Martinique women in 1933. The 8 year old me would have pasted this stamp into my big book of stamps because it was interesting.

I Love Light on Water

I could sit all day and watch the light bands echo through the water. I truly believe there is a peace and tranquility button that gets pushed on these tropical islands when we visit. All of us need several gallons of this medicine.

Diamant Beach

In a moment of magic one winter day you were whisked away to a tropical beach. Somewhere in the Caribbean, you’re not sure. Shorts, silk shirt, bare feet. To your left is an azure sea. To your right palm trees. Ahead two pointed volcanic mountains. Yes welcome to Diamant Beach Martinique.

Caribbean

We’ve all stood, sat, swung in a hammock beneath a stand of palm trees on a beach next to an azure sea and listened to a tropical breeze rustle through palm fronds.  We’ve all traveled by jet in a few hours to one of these destinations.  Imagine 100 years ago a trip from a cold climate by ship.  A trip of several weeks.  It would indeed feel like true magic.

Volcano

Mt. Pelee volcano last eruption 1902 and wiped most of the city of St. Pierre off the map. The volcano has been sleeping for over 100 years. Mt. Pelee’s presence makes for a dramatic backdrop on Martinique.

Starfish

Large starfish are one of the dramatic sea creatures on Martinique.

French Island Italian Stamp

Stamps like money are one of the beautiful things done by countries. Color, pattern, meaning, aspirations are all imagined in each stamp. In the olden days of lick to stick there was the taste of the stamp to consider. This stamp was issued by Italy in 2017 showing an old map of Martinique.

Ginger Flower of Martinique ”The Torch”

You studied Botany in college because you liked color, exotic shape and form. Never in your wildest dreams did you ever imagine that you would settle into an adult life on your yacht spending 3 months of winter examining the flora of the Caribbean islands.

Wildlife at the shore

We were on a tropical Island in the Caribbean having a late dinner by the sea. Our table was next to a three and a half foot coral cement stone wall. Everything was fine. It was a great dinner when we noticed a crab on top of the stone wall, a crab that came over the edge and walked down the wall. There was one, then three then five, then seven. Dozens began crawling up, over and down the wall, scooting confidently about the patio. The waiters seemed nonchalant about the invasion. We northerners at first reacted like it was a space alien invasion. The locals took it in stride. The rare exotic and unusual are part of why we travel to see what we would never see at home. Was this the same type of crab… probably not. Tropical crabs are nimble but not all are acrobats. Welcome to the Tropics.

Parked at Black Bay for 3 Days

There are a thousand places to stay on Martinique. This was the view from our yacht at Black bay looking landward. What’s three days of life when you have a world class French chef onboard preparing three meals a day? The water temperature at Black bay was perfect for snorkeling.

Blue Hummingbird

A blue hummingbird and a pink flower on the island of Martinique.

Castaway

If I was going to be a castaway, this island of Martinique with its coconut palms and wave swept beaches looks like the ideal island to be stranded upon. Those are the cones of ancient volcanoes in the distance.

Suspension Bridge

Imagine trusting your life to a long looping suspension bridge hung in the upper branches of tropical trees swinging above a gorge. Three planks 18 inches wide with woven mesh sides walking barefoot in the rain. It’s your moment of clarity on the island of Martinique.

Snow maybe on Martinique

At first from above they look like snowflakes but this is Martinique and its 82 degrees in the shade. And these are sail and motor boats anchored in the bay. Your 10 days on the island are going to be awesome.

Boat Race

Wind, Waves, Boat, Color, competition, a traditional Martinique Yoles boat race.

Postcard to Paris

The French had good taste. They chose a really nice island. Its paradise in the Caribbean. When this postcard arrives in Paris it says so much.

Saint Pierre & Mount Pelee Martinique

Imagine living on Martinique and having the Caribbean in your front yard and a 4,000 foot volcano in your backyard.

Yellow Flower

One of the native flowers of Martinique.

Cove DuFour- Martinique

They still have wooden boats on the beaches on Martinique. Yes fiberglass is gaining but wood is so beautiful. The warmth of the sun on a new seasons paint job, the smell of the wood and the smell of the paint, the sound of the boat as you slide it across the sand to the shore and surf. All these memories are eternal.

Paradise

Yes this is one of your beaches on Martinique. That’s Diamond Rock offshore and coconut palms leaning out over the beach. When you get home and try to explain paradise, no one will believe you.

Diamond Rock

This is an island rock to warm any jeweler’s heart. It’s called Diamond Rock with a rainbow arching by, just offshore of Martinique.

Snails at the Shore

Yes you found these snails tucked in a piece of driftwood on a beach in Martinique. Their patterning of beaded swirls is so perfect both have found a safe home snuggled into their little log openings. You want to take them home but being a good environmentalist you leave them to live another day.

Your March Yacht on Martinique

Of course you traveled to Island by private yacht. The one in the foreground. Your friend insisted you come with him on his March trip to Martinique. You particularly enjoy his boat because it has a captain a crew and a magnificent chef. Accommodations are never an issue because your room and fine dining are always with you.

Sunset on Saline

Sunset and coconut palms on Saline beach in Martinique.