Martinique
Aurora_b
Mike and Liz Downing
Thu 26 Feb 2009 02:35
As all the French Islands are on a general strike, and have been for 6 weeks or more, we were only planning to stay one night and be on our way at first light next day. We had a swim off the boat, but didn't go ashore. We hope to visit the Island again on the way south later in the spring when we hope the strikes will be well in the past.
As it gets dark St Pierre is an eerie place with the volcano Mount Pelee towering above, its peak covered in cloud. St Pierre used to be the capital of Martinique until 1902 when the volcano erupted and wiped out the entire population of the town except for 2 people who survived in cellars (one in a prison cell!). All was quiet for us. The wind dropped out and the lights from the town reflected across the water to the boat as we were gently rocked to sleep (hoping that the volcano was not going to wake up for a while longer!).
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