So the downside of the beginning of Carnival season is that the music and practicing goes on at all hours. We were all awaken at 5AM by the drumbeats of the parade on shore. It was loud and relentless and even earplugs and a pillow weren’t enough to drown it out. Makes for a quiet morning when everyone is a bit tired.
We then had a full day on Les Saintes today, and my immediate objective was to get to a bakery that promised excellent pain au chocolate. Nicole, one of the ship’s captains, wanted to collect some pastries for the crew, so we headed over on the first dinghy, found the shop, and I, for one, was not disappointed. From there I joined several others from the ship for a hike up the hill to tour and visit Fort Napoleon. It was humid, but the cloud cover was a blessing as we climbed about 1,000 ft to the top.
Originally Fort Louis, when commandeered by Louis XVI in 1777, it was renamed Fort Napoleon in 1805 and was rebuilt between 1844-1867 on the ruins of the earlier Fort. There were 18 rooms with various historical references, monuments, photographs, etc. to the Battle between the French and the British in 1782, which was apparently a turning point in the various wars for the Caribbean between the two countries. There was also a succulent and cactus garden surrounding the Fort, and some local iguanas. It had been very well restored, although the fort had never seen any battle, so it had mostly gone to ruin from disuse.
From there, I walked with Karin and Lilly to Pompierre Beach on the other side of the island, having read that it was lovely. It was only about a mile and it was a really nice beach; white sand, lots of palm trees, calm water in a bay surrounded by large rocky outcrops. But it was windy and a bit cloudy and while I had planned on a swim, I found the wind resolved my heat from the walk, so we sat and talked and read and watched the chickens and roosters. Antonia and Tina joined us for a bit and then we walked back to town.
On the road we stopped when we heard some rustling in the brush and found at least a dozen iguana! They were of several different colors and ages and sizes, and some moved very quickly through the trees and across branches, while one large spiny one left his tree perch and walked slowly towards us and the lily pond just below. We were captivated by all of them — their mean faces and different skin patterns and way they appeared suddenly in view. Lots of photos taken there, especially when Karin got out her extra long lens.
We continued to encounter others from our group throughout the day— it is a small town — and once again the carnival in training parade passed by more than once. After our cocktail at a bar that several other of us also selected, we went to a deli that we had discovered the day before and bought stuff for dinner on board. A baguette, cheese, salami, olives and salad were perfect with some wine and potato chips. We played some games and chatted with others and the crew; we all agreed that this was a perfect little island with plenty to keep all guests busy, whatever the interest. Some rented e-bikes, some hiked, some went out on Hobie-Cat sailboats, and some strolled and shopped.
But we all hope that there won’t be any further parade or drums or music late into the night or early morning. We sail tomorrow towards Guadeloupe. And early sails are early enough.
