After a fairly rough night at sea it was calm as we slowly made our way into Fort De France in Martinique. We were upstairs having breakfast outside at 07.00 and it was already 26C but with quite a stiff breeze. Once we'd finished we went up to the top deck at the front to watch the docking procedure. The Adonia is not the biggest of ships but even so everything is done quite slowly and we were safely secured fore and aft by 08.00. The shore authorities came on board to complete their procedures and by 08.15 people were starting to depart. At the same time the Silversea line Silver Whisper was berthing alongside us, it looks about the same size as the Adonia. Fiona was chatting to someone who was on a month long trip and this was their second visit to Martinique on this cruise, the first was an unscheduled change to the itinerary due to a storm.
Fiona went to sunbathe and I downloaded my email etc. as our phones work here on our home packages as its technically part of France. We left the ship about 10.00 by which time there was no cloud at all and it was baking hot. At the end of the cruise slip way there were some lovely girls from the tourism department handing out maps. It was only a short walk into the main part of town and we wondered around, being a Saturday morning it was busy and everywhere was open. We walked through a lively market, fruit, vegetables, rum and t-shirts. We had a look at the Schoelcher Library, its a curiously Eastern looking building completed in 1893 with books and ceramics bequeathed by Victor of the same name who was chiefly responsible for the emancipation of the island's slave. In the park opposite there is a statue of the Empress Josephine, although its headless so the guillotine works here. Fiona, who is well informed on these matters, says Josephine was born in Martinique. We stopped and had a drink overlooking the small park that leads to the old fort which is still an active naval base. Fiona's watch had stopped so we got a new battery for that at a jewellers and then strolled back to the ship. We had lunch and then Fiona did some sunbathing,I watched some football and then headed up to join her, after that it was time for the gym again, a shower and dinner. Another casual night but with a tropical theme, some truly awful shirts on view. The main show was Maurice from the Grumbleweeds! So we watched his act, some music, some stories, some jokes, quite professional but to be expected of someone who probably started doing working mens clubs. We collected our washing on the way back but it was too late to put stuff in the dryer as the launderette closes at 22.00.
George
2017-12-12
You 2 live the high life, markets, libraries, culture, grumbleweeds, finishing with washing.....wow I’m only jealous