Roseau

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Tue 3 Mar 2009 23:25

Roseau

 

         

 

From Beez Neez it is a short dinghy ride to the jetty (fuel and water available). The walk to terra firma is not for the faint-hearted. Then a ten minute walk into town.

Roseau (pronounced roo-sew) is the capital and largest city of Dominica. Its population is 14,847 (2001 census), it is a small and compact urban settlement, located within the Saint George parish and surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, the Roseau River and Morne Bruce. Built on the site of the ancient Kalinago Indian village of Sairi, it is the oldest settlement on the island. It is located on the west (leeward) coast of Dominica, and is a combination of modern and colonial-French Style architecture. Some exports include bananas, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges and cocoa. It is the see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Roseau.

 

    

 

Overview

The central district of Roseau is tightly packed with small and large houses and even larger modern concrete structures. There is little green or open space situated within the city, and this is even more so today, as many of the courtyards which was once commonplace within the city are giving way to office space. The district is, however, framed in every direction by natural elements. The sea and the river provide water element while the Botanical Gardens and the Government House gardens frame the city with green space, rare in the Caribbean. No other centre in the region has such extensive botanical gardens with such central location, and the Roseau River is amongst the largest rivers that flow through any Caribbean capital.

 

   

 

First thing we saw was a chap sitting on the side of the road having a sleep. I particularly liked his carrier bag hat. There are no world famous hotel chains in the city. The most famous hotel is The Fort Young Hotel and a cruise ship in. In addition to Fort Young there are several small family owned establishments within and on the outskirts of the city.

 

         

 

Phone boxes and a chap with a hair do that he modeled on Kon Tiki

The urban structure of Central Roseau is based on an irregular grid system, even though the grid area is not very extensive, it is relatively easy for a visitor to get lost here. The grid area has some 80 blocks in the area of 74 acres. In comparison, the grid area of Castries - capital of Saint Lucia - has some 60 blocks in the area of over 99 acres. Fewer people live in the city than commute daily so the streets however narrow are crowded with parked cars.

 

 

I was lucky enough to catch this little fellow in a front garden as we ambled along.

History

The city of Roseau sits on an alluvial fan formed hundreds of years ago as the river after which it was named meandered across the area from what is now known as Newtown to its current location. Over the last two thousand years Amerindians migrating through the islands settled the area attracted by the nearby river. With the arrival of the Europeans on the island in the 16th and 17th centuries, a small settlement was established by the French who in their tradition of naming places after what they found there named the settlement with their name for the river reeds which grew along the river banks. A plan was created for the settlement which mirrored examples in France where streets extended from a central point at what is today the Old Market and extended out to the rest of the settlement.

 

       

 

       

 

Conflict raged between the French and the British over the area on several occasions. Finally the British gained a stronghold and by the late 18th and early 19th centuries set out plans for the city which included fortifications and government structures, the grid road street system and blocks and new urban areas to the north and south known today as Potter's Ville and Newtown. Goodwill was established in the 1950's and Bath Estate in the early 1980’s. Since that several new semi-urban settlements- such as Stock Farm, Castle Comfort and Wall House - have been constructed around the existing ones. Some older settlements like Fond Cole and Canefield lie around Roseau. The French influence can still be seen today, in its architecture and crooked streets which extend from the Old Market Plaza. Examples of the English influence is also evident in architecture and street names. The churches in Roseau are fine examples of Europe in Dominica with a bit of creolisation. The Roman Catholic Cathedral stands prominent in Gothic Romanesque revival and the Anglican Church on Victoria Street in Georgian style. Amongst these buildings you will find much of the urban vernacular squeezed in between larger colonial and more modern buildings.

 

   

 

We felt this was a great property for sale, "little cosmetic work required" complete with a great next door neighbour, who popped out wearing just pants and a genuine post box a few steps away.

Sports

There are dedicated sports facilities around the city. Private tennis courts are located on High Street; netball and basketball courts also abound in the city's major high schools. These are complemented by community facilities at Goodwill. A dedicated netball and basketball stadium is located at Stockfarm near the Dominica State College. In 2007, Windsor Park, home to the Dominica National Football Team, was completed with the generous donation of EC$33 million from the government of the People’s Republic of China.

 

   

 

  Dominica Broadcasting Corporation, the national radio station, and two other private radio stations is located in the capital.

Communication

As the most important town on the island and hub of all business activity, the city is a central point of the road networks on the island. It is an important link between northern, eastern, and southern bound traffic. As a result its streets are frequently clogged with busy workers, shoppers and schoolchildren. When there is a cruise ship in port, people are amazed at how the narrow streets of the town accommodate the huge influx of tourists. The city is served by a nearby small aircraft airport which provides direct link to the nearby islands as well as occasionally to the larger Melville Hall airport to the north. The ferry terminal provides direct link to the neighbouring Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique and St. Lucia to the south. There are no rail or subway systems.

 

       

 

The boarded up Anglican church, Library, Catholic Cathedral, Government building and Berger Paint still has a lot to answer for. You see many houses painted in obvious "clearance" colours.

Education

Roseau has been the historical centre of education on the island. There are six secondary schools in the city and eight primary schools. A community college and several nursery schools - The Dominica State College is also located in Roseau. A private medical school, All Saints School of Medicine, has recently moved into the city.

 

   

 

Market day in Roseau is a riot of colour and tropical fruits and vegetables. The Market is open Monday to Saturday. The hill people travel down to Roseau overnight arriving and setting up ready for Saturdays trading. Friday night is when we went for our fruit and veg but Saturday is the best time, early morning.

 

 

Beez Neez seen centre of the three boats.

 

   

 

After a mooch round town it was back to the bar at the end of the jetty for a local beer - Kubuli, chill and wait for sun down.

 

         

 

A look down from the bar along the bay, some local children playing with a Swedish brother and sister and a chance for me to watch the many frigate birds we see daily.

 

 

 

ALL IN ALL Roseau is like stepping back in time to a really friendly town filled with helpful, smiling people.