Beauregard Canal or Canal des Esclaves

We had a little excitement on our sail north to St. Pierre when we lost our genoa halyard, so we motored the last half of the 30 mile trip and dropped anchor in front of Blue Moon in the anchorage just after lunchtime. Sitting under the looming presence of Mt. Pelee, a dormant volcano that dominates the landscape at this end of the island, we made plans for a few of the hikes we'd like to tackle. We also need to figure out how to rethread the halyard through our mast since the break occurred right up at the top and the remaining line fell down the mast, but we'll leave that for tomorrow.

Up bright and early on Sunday morning, we headed south from St. Pierre and up into the hills above Le Carbet. Although the canal is just over 4km to hike, the walk to get there is another 4km up into the hills, but as we went along we were treated to beautiful views of the plantations below us. We also made sure that we stopped at the boulangerie and stocked up on pastries and a fresh baguette to keep us going through the morning.

Brita, Jason and I all ready to rumble.

Like a carrot before a donkey, the promise of a fresh baked baguette worked wonders for our motivation.  Can you see it in Henry's backpack - very French-style!

Beautiful plantations and gardens laid out below us on the hillsides.

We picked up the canal at the lower end and proceeded to follow it "up stream". When I had read about a canal up in the hills above the plantations I wasn't sure what to expect, thinking of the canals of Europe and even the Rideau Canal at home. It turns out that this canal was built by slaves in 1760 to provide water to the plantations and rum distilleries in the area. The sign at the entrance warned away people who suffer from vertigo or unruly children, and as we stepped onto the 18" wide wall of the canal we began to understand why.

As with all the other hiking trails on Martinique, they are well sign posted.

Stepping onto the ledge:  yes, that's the trail and it's just 18" wide!

Lush vegetation and some steep farmland was laid out like a little diorama below us.

It didn't take long for us to stand in awe of the countryside and the construction that had us perched up in the air on a sheer hillside, dropping to the river far, far below. Occasionally there was a wider spot, useful for passing other hikers or to plant your feet for a photo, but often I found myself thinking if I lost my balance I would happily throw myself into the canal.

Cool, amazingly clear water flowed quite quickly along the canal.  The engineering was a marvel on the precipitous mountainside.

Looking straight down to the river below - not for the vertigo-challenged.

With a little leeway to the edge we stopped to admire the mountainous interior of the island.

Striking trees along the way and in the canopy around us.

Given the drop below the wall it was quite scary to sit down ... and then get back up!

This little family greeted us at one corner on the trail, but given the greenery around them they were uninterested in what Jason had to offer.

At places where there was runoff from the hill above, the canal was covered to prevent it being filled in with debris.

All too quickly we found ourselves at the source of the canal where water was diverted from the river; we took the opportunity to tuck into our baguette and other snacks before deciding how we were to get back to the boats.

A dam had been built on the river with an inflow at the top as the source of the canal.

A perfect place to stop and enjoy a little early lunch.

Checking on the map, we had the choice of returning the way we had come, via the canal, or exploring further along the secondary roads through Fonds St. Denis. We opted for new territory but didn't realize just how much climbing this would involve. By the time we actually arrived in the town of Fond St. Denis, we were ready for a cold drink and a chance to catch our breath.

Look carefully in the traffic mirror - not for oncoming cars, but our intrepid group of hikers.

The little town of Fonds St. Denis nestled in the lush hills at the top of the valley.

The little cafe of KayTiJo offered up refreshing cold drinks where we relaxed and watched the Sunday morning traffic.

Even high up in the hills of Martinique, this little town boasted extensive manicured gardens surrounding a cenotaph, Parisian-style lamp posts and an astounding Banyan tree on the outskirts of town.

The cenotaph, with homage to the island troops and extensive manicured gardens.

Could this lamp post once have graced the banks of the Seine?

The Banyan tree sits high atop the little hill, but it's roots span all the way down to the road, and probably below that as well.

We finally crested the ridge above St. Pierre and began our downward descent, arriving in time for a late lunch in town. Best of all was that the restaurant offered menus in French and English so we were able to learn new terms and really understand what we were ordering, although we still had difficulty understanding some of the food we had ordered. Guess we need to work on our French gastronomy!

Mt. Pelee - still in the clouds!

The descent begins - all the way to St. Pierre on the coast.

We walked through banana plantations where the fruit is bagged on the tree.

This little guy and his mom were tethered at the roadside where there was plenty to eat.

A magnificent baobab tree stands above a pretty little restaurant overlooking the cliffs of St. Pierre.

Mowzer and Blue Moon are about half-way between the dock and the left side of the picture - just where we left them of course.

I have to say that the Beauregard Canal goes down as one of best Caribbean hikes we have done, although I think next time we'll return the way we came rather than crossing the ridge to Rivière du Jardin des Plantes which based on the map topped out at somewhere around 600 meters above sea level.  Still a great day's accomplishment and a great way to see the countryside.

More Yoga??

Martinique continues to dish up lots of fun with the festive season.  This beautiful island, also known as the Island of Flowers has so many options.

We joined up on Sunday with Barefoot Life, Out of Africa and Moose Tracks, along with Brita as Jason had gone home for the holidays and we headed out of the same hike we did the other day but this time in the reverse direction.  The most notable thing about this hike was that the tide was out so the little bridge and stepping stones we had tenuously crossed previously, felt like a cake-walk.  Brita was even inspired to try one of her yoga moves!

Our hiking crew testing out the bridge.

Check back on the previous post and you'll see that just the tips of these rocks were visible - much easier this time to almost 'fly' over them!

Who knows - maybe a Caribbean beach bar is in our future?

Our favourite - cold Lorraine beer to keep us going on our walk.

It's hard to comprehend the size of this anchorage - it can't all fit on one photo.  Mowzer is the first boat just a little to the left above the tip of the tree.

Yesterday (Wednesday), we shared once again on a rental car with Brita and Jason and this time we decided to check out the Martinique Golf Club.  The club is officially named for the Empress Josephine who was born on her father's plantation not far from where the golf course stands today.  The course is quite spectacular with a couple of holes backing right onto the bay at Trois Ilets.  I definitely think we will have to anchor around here one day so we can walk to the country club from our yacht ;-).

Ready for action.

The views across the inlet to the anchorage and Fort de France in the distance were stunning.

We couldn't resist capturing photos at every opportunity.

Loving the chance to golf here - and the game wasn't too bad either.

Although we have to admit that the bay did swallow a ball or two, especially from the raised tee-box in the background.

Final putts - but then ... on to lunch on the bay.

These were more good days shared with Jason and Brita on Blue Moon - our cruising buddies extraordinaire!!

Along with all this active fun, we also took advantage of the car to get in a little shopping with a visit to the Galleria, largest shopping mall in the Caribbean.  My favourite stop though was to Decathlon - a sporting goods warehouse store.  Time to replace a few sweaty tank tops and worn out shoes.

Now, it's New Year's eve and the plan is to enjoy some French champagne as we watch the fireworks over the beach at the local Club Med.

Happy New Year everyone, and all the best for 2016!!

Joyeux Noel!

One again, totally through planning and design we find ourselves celebrating Christmas on a French island.  Last year Jim joined us on St. Martin, this year we said farewell to family on St. Lucia and headed north to Martinique for the celebrations.  I have to say that after the excitement and hustle & bustle of the wedding, Christmas was feeling a little flat this year, almost like we'd already celebrated with everyone.

Well, never fear, with the charm of Ste. Anne on our doorstep and friends on neighbouring boats, a quiet little bit of Christmas spirit infused itself into our demeanours.  On Wednesday (23rd) Venessa and Gary organized us into a dinner party to try a little Italian restaurant just up the road, called Casanova's.  The little covered patio, barely big enough for our party of eleven, backed by an open kitchen dished up some amazing meals paired with lovely French or Italian wines.  When we sat back to enjoy an aperitif, Marina circulated with our Secret Santa sack distributing little presents to each amid much laughter over the appropriateness, or not, of each gift.  Such a good time to share with Jason & Brita (Blue Moon), Fiona, Mark & Kiran (Avatar) and of course Venessa, Gary, Elliot & Marina (Neptune II).

Elliot & Gary wait with anticipation, and then Henry receives his gift from our very own Santa's Helper.

Christmas Eve had Jason making a quick trip home to surprise his family back in New Jersey, so we joined Brita in the rental car to drive Jason to the airport and then explore the island a little further with the added bonus of some wheels.  We headed east to Le Francois where we stopped for lunch at a bakery and enjoyed our sandwiches on the steps of a church in the middle of town.

Small town, huge town square and magnificent colonial building were in our view for lunch

The church looked like it was fronted by an old facade but with a thoroughly modern structure behind.

Fortified and ready for a little leg stretch we headed to a spit of land that juts out into the Atlantic on the east coast just above Le Vauclin.  With the wind and waves pounding the reefs and beaches along the shore, all the little fishing boats were hunkered down and no-one was out on the water.  The Christmas winds have been blowing steadily in the 25-knot range for the past week and at the shore accelerate up over the land before stalling inland. We were buffeted and blown as we walked the coast path all around the peninsula, marvelling at the views and ticking off "most easter point in the Antilles" on our list of accomplishments.

No chance of getting lost along the way with signs of "Vous etes ici" guiding us.

As we have come to expect, the Sargassum weed piles up on the windward coast of the island, making a stinky mess of the beaches.  The brown hue in the water is weed that is yet to come ashore.

Windblown grasses and stunted trees lead inland to beautifully manicured properties on the peninsula.

Along the shore, fishing boats are tucked in safely behind protective reefs.

More sargassum weed coming ashore under this little fishing jetty.

Chickens scratch in the gravel among the locally made fish pots.  Made of sticks and chicken-wire, these pots are launched from the local fishing boats and hauled up a day or two later with their catch.

Like some ghostly water horse come ashore, the remains of this tree were well dug into the seaweed strewn beach.

Brita and I - yoga buddies and intrepid hikers! :-)

We finally arrived at the farthest tip of the peninsula - wind blown and devoid of trees, the pounding surf arrives from the Atlantic.

Only the hardiest of trees and cactus survive of this arid landscape.

We finished up our hike in the little village of Chateau Paille, where white picket gates and bougainvillea prevail.

Ready for Christmas, without a single piece of tinsel or LED light to be seen!

With the sun making it's way to the horizon we made our way back to Ste. Anne where the church bells started ringing, and jazz music enticed from the waterfront bars.  After a hasty dinner aboard we headed back into the village to watch the faithful, and curious, head to church while we enjoyed the sights and sounds in the village square.

Standing room only but open doors meant we could enjoy the hymns from the square.

A second Christmas on the boat, away from family and friends back home, but made special with the people we have met along the way and the little celebrations of the day.  Skyping with Jim in Belgium, Caitlin & Jamie in Innisfill, Peter, Beth and Mom in Ottawa - what an international celebration.

We had a few blustery moments, but having scored a "Roule de Dindeau" at the grocery score, which turned out to be a roll of dark turkey meat, we enjoyed a lovely lunch replete with the precious can of cranberry jelly I had found back in Grenada - no fresh cranberries to be found here for home-made cranberry sauce.  

Wind and rain howled through the anchorage on Christmas morning - they don't call them the Christmas winds for nothing!

Fingers crossed our turkey would cook up in our little oven.

Delicious - turkey, cranberry, roast veggies and gravy, along with my new favourite Provence Rose (maybe not a perfect match but tasty nonetheless).

Merry Christmas to all, and all the best for 2016!