Steve and Cathy's Blog

Insignia pulls in to Fort-de-France right on time at 8:00am after a beautiful sail in to port.

Our four and a half-hour excursion, Clement’s Plantation and Balata Garden, is to begin at 8:15am, so we have had breakfast at Waves. Four other excursions are beginning at the same time, so Waves is jamming and appears to be understaffed, as there is only one young staff member, whose name is Okta, running around madly trying to take care of everyone. We feel bad for him, and wonder where the managers are that should be bringing him assistance. He is very good natured about it all, and he serves us very efficiently with a smile, but it is a bit unsettling.

This is a good opportunity to use Wikipedia to describe where we are:

“Martinique is an island and an overseas department/region and a single territory collectivity of France. This essentially means: “They have exactly the same status as mainland France’s regions and departments. The French Constitution provides that, in general, French laws and regulations (France’s civil code, penal code, administrative law, social laws, tax laws, etc.) apply to French overseas regions the same as in metropolitan France, but can be adapted as needed to suit the region’s particular needs. Hence, the local administrations of French overseas regions cannot themselves pass new laws.

“Martinique is located in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea It has a 436 sq m and a population of 364,508 inhabitants as of January 2019. Virtually the entire population speaks both French (the sole official language) and Martinique creole.

“The island was occupied first by Arawaks, then by Caribs. The Arawaks were described as gentle timorous Indians and the Caribs as ferocious cannibal warriors. The Arawaks came from Central America in the 1st century AD and the Caribs came from the Venezuelan coast around the 11th century.

“Christopher Columbus charted Martinique (without landing) in 1493, during his first voyage, but Spain had little interest in the territory. Columbus landed during a later voyage, on 15 June 1502, after a 21-day trade wind passage, his fastest ocean voyage. He spent three days here refilling his water casks, bathing and washing laundry.

“The indigenous people Columbus encountered called Martinique ‘Matinino’. He was told by indigenous people of San Salvador that ‘the island of Matinino was entirely populated by women on whom the Caribs descended at certain seasons of the year; and if these women bore sons they were entrusted to the father to bring up.’ 

“On 15 September 1635, Pierre Belain d’Esnambuc, French governor of the island of St. Kitts landed in the harbour of St.Pierre with 80-150 French settlers after being driven off St. Kitts by the English. D’Esnambuc claimed Martinique for the French king Louie XIII and the French ” Company of the American Islands and established the first European settlement at Fort Saint-Pierre (now St. Pierre).”   

We are to be in Insignia Lounge at 8:15, and by the time we arrive at 8:10, the place is packed. The process of exchanging our tickets for bus passes goes efficiently, and we learn that five busloads of people have chosen the same tour. Bus 25 is ours, and we file out of the ship to the parking lot and board.

We meet our guide, whose name is Yasmine. She advises us that the ride to Clement’s Plantation will take approximately 40 minutes. After winding through town for a few minutes, we find ourselves on an expressway heading east, immediately passing through the industrial and residential town of Le Lamentin.

Le Lamentin, besides being the second largest town on the island at 40,000 population, is also the location of  Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport, named after local author and politician  Aime’ Cesaire, one of the most popular and influential politicians in Martinque’s history. We can tell from listening to Yasmine that he is an authentic hero to the people of Martinique, and that his impact was substantial.

We leave the expressway and drive into the hills. The roads are narrow and are essentially one tight curve after another, and we begin to admire the skill of our driver. Fortunately, there is little traffic, and the trip gives us an opportunity to see the banana and sugar cane plantations that yield the island’s two most important crops.

Yasmine is an incredible guide, and is constantly providing us with information and answering questions from some guests sitting near the front of the bus. The barrage of questions means that the subjects about which she speaks have to change often, so we will resort to using bullet points to cover them:

• Fort-de-France became the capital of Martinique in 1902 due to a devastating volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée that destroyed St. Pierre, the original capital.
• Its history since “discovery” by colonial powers is similar to many Caribbean islands in that its ownership passed back and forth for centuries as a colony. In Martinique’s case, it was England and France, with a short period of Portuguese possession.
• There are two seasons on the island: the rainy season from September through January, and the “hot” season from February through August. Obviously, we are in the rainy season now.
• The towns have mayors, but their power is very limited. Even decisions about land use are often made by the French government.
• Yasmine tells us proudly that Martinique has the largest shopping mall in the French West Indies.
• Animal life: 7 types of hummingbirds, wild pigs, iguanas, tarantulas, geckos, mongooses (Introduced here by one man to fight the snakes). Didn’t work out, so he let them loose. Big mistake).
• Bananas are a huge export crop, and are sent to Europe, not the United States. 
• It takes nine months for a bunch of bananas to grow to maturity. The bunches are checked weekly toward the latter part of their growth, and ribbons are tied to each bunch, with a different color indicating just what stage of maturity they’ve reached.  Eventually, each bunch is covered in a plastic bag to prevent infestations from insects. When they’re ready for harvest, a ‘cutter’ cuts it down, and a ‘carrier’ takes it out of the field. (Remember the Harry Belefonte song with the line “Come Mr. Carry Man, carry me banana!”?) No pesticides or fertilizers are used to grow bananas in Martinique.
• 97% of the sugar cane grown on the island is used to make rum (or rhum). The sugar cane is used directly to make rum, not first turned into molasses before it is used to make that product. Martinique rum is known as agricultural rum, while the product made from molasses is known as industrial rum.

We arrive at Habitation Clément, or, as it’s also said, Clement’s Plantation. It is far, far more than a distillery.

Here is just a brief history taken from azmartinique.com: “Originally called “Habitation Acajou” by its first owners Louis Hodebourg Desbrosses and Simon de Bassigny, Habitation housing was bought in 1887 then by the Mayor of François, Homere Clement. Homere Clement was a descendant of a freed slave. First, he cultivates sugar cane which he sells to the factory of François, then in 1917, following an order, he is allowed to build a small distillery.

“At his death in 1923, his son Charles, a graduate engineer from the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures in Paris and the Pasteur Institute, took over the business and works to improve the quality (fermentation and distillation) of rums. He created the Acajou brand in the ’30s and Clement brand in the 40s.

“The successful business into the 80s before experiencing economic difficulties. It was bought by Bernard Hayot Group in 1986. This is where it definitely takes the name of “Habitation Clement” in honor of the family who made prospered [sic] it.”

We disembark the bus, and begin our walking tour with guide Yasmine. We have 75 minutes, and are scheduled to depart at 10:45. As we said above, this is far more than just a distillery. There are acres of carefully tended gardens – 66 acres, we are told. There is the old distillery building, with much of the old machinery either inside or displayed on the manicured ground. The rum tasting at the end of our tour will take place in the gift shop in the basement of this building. 

There are several “aging cellars” where the rum, which has been produced offsite at the new distillery, is kept in barrels. And the grounds are like an outdoor art exhibit. There are modern sculptures tastefully placed all over the gardens. There are the gardens themselves, where local folks and tourists alike are invited to walk and even bring a picnic. And finally, there is the historic plantation home and outbuildings, kept in pristine condition, for us to visit.

Our walk begins on a path that takes us to La Figuier Maudit, an enormous fig tree. In English, it means “accursed fig tree,” because it carries a curse. If one were to cut this tree, then they are cursed. Yasmine jokes that, whether the curse is true or not, she will never cut one of these trees. If they are planted too closely to a dwelling, they become a curse of their own. People will not cut them, and they can eventually damage the house because of that.

We move on through some of the beautiful gardens, pass by a waterborne sculpture, and trek up a hill toward the old (and no longer operating) distillery building and the aging cellars adjacent to it.

The scenery is beautiful and the grounds are quiet, peaceful and immaculate. We peek inside a couple of the aging cellars. One contains what must be thousands of small barrels; another has enormous barrels of aging rum. Yasmine points out the boutique, where our tour will end with the rum tasting.  

We move along up a paved walkway and walk past the rear of the old distillery on one side and some of the old pieces of machinery and a steam engine with freight cars used in the day to transport the sugar cane from the fields to the distillery. Again, we marvel at how perfect that everything is maintained. 

We slowly move up the side of a hill to a courtyard. We are now coming to the main house and its outbuildings and grounds. To reach these buildings, we must trek up a set of stairs. Cathy decides to stay. There is a small modern building with an informative video about an event that took place in March of 1991. Steve continues up the hill to tour the main house.

The event of which Habitation Clement is so proud was a meeting between United States President George H. W. Bush and French President Francois Mitterrand in March of 1991 after the Gulf War concluded.

The house is open, is in exactly the mint condition it was for this summit meeting, and there are photographs of the conference as well.

Steve spends around twenty minutes walking around looking at the furniture and photos in the main house and then the kitchen building.

Yasmine has told us that separating the kitchen from the main house was common on these plantations as a precaution, because the only fire would be in the kitchen. If an accident were to happen, the entire house would be endangered if the kitchen were there.

By now, everyone seems ready to go. Yasmine gathers up the group and we make the short walk to the boutique for our rum tasting.  Once inside, the store staff takes over. Our first taste is a white rum, which, of course, is delicious. We take our time enjoying it, walking around the store checking out the offerings while we sip. 

Our second taste is a 6-year-old rum; also exceptional. Steve decides to buy a small bottle of that, as well as a small bottle of balsamic vinegar that Cathy has tasted and approved as very tasty and also economical.

Most of us amble out of the store and head for the bus because it’s 10:30. We both compliment our driver as we board, and then sit around waiting for the stragglers. We finally begin the trip to our second stop at 11:00 – fifteen minutes late.

We return to Fort-de-France, pass all the way through town, and head north up into the hills on the Route de Balata. Again, we marvel at the skill of our driver as he navigates these narrow, narrow roads. Yasmine gives us more information about her island, and is asked what language is spoken in her home. Her answer is creole with a proud smile. 

She then proceeds to tell us more about this language, which indeed developed in the Caribbean. The language has three variations, all depending on which country possessed the island where it is spoken: French, English or Spanish. It is both a language and a culture, and both are a blend of African, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Indian (from India), and even some Cajun. 

Our ultimate stop is the Jardin de Balata, but there is one other quick stop at the Sacre Coeur de Balata, a much smaller version of the Basilica of Sacré Coeur of Montmartre in Paris. It was built in 1915, and Yasmine tells us a wonderful story about the reasons for its being built.

This is the period in which World War I takes place, and many men from Martinique were recruited to fight on the side of France in that war. Their wives, mothers, sisters were of course left behind, and were seeking a place to pray for their loved ones’ safety and return to them. The monsignor at the time also was driven to build because of the population increases in Fort-de-France following the devastating volcanic eruption in 1902 that destroyed the then-capital St. Pierre. It was built in 1915, and all of the stones with which it was constructed were carried by women.

We only have ten minutes or so, and we are cautioned not to enter the church as masses might be going on (today is Sunday). Fortunately, the parking lot is empty. There is also an awesome view of the city to photograph as well as this beautiful church. Then we continue on.

In a few short minutes, we are at the entrance to the Jardin de Balata. Yasmine gives us a brief description similar to this one from Wikipedia: “The garden was begun in 1982 by horticulturist Jean-Philippe Thoze and opened to the public in 1986. It is set on former farmland with picturesque views of the Pitons du Carbet. Today the garden contains about 3,000 varieties of tropical plants from around the world, including 300 types of palm trees.” Jasmine adds that the gardens designer traveled to many countries to gather specimens of the plants we will see here.

We enter through a small open building with some that has a small exhibit of creole dresses from a much earlier period, and Yasmine explains the significance of each, which essentially indicates to all male prospects just what the wearer’s marital status is. Very interesting. While we are all preparing for our trek through the gardens, we watch hummingbirds feed at three or four feeders. 

Now we begin the walk through the 7.5-acre garden. Most of it is built on a hillside of varying steepness, and is beautifully laid out. Unfortunately, by now, Cathy’s right hip is very painful, and she opts to stay behind. Steve is anxious to photograph this beautiful place, which he has learned is the work and inspiration of just one man, a lifelong ambition. 

Yasmine is doing a fantastic job describing what we are seeing, but it all goes over Steve’s head, even if he could actually hear what she’s saying. He does take photos, though, to share with Cathy. It’s a shame she couldn’t be there to enjoy this.

We come to a long series of  rope and cable walkways built between trees that will take those who wish to travel it above the gardens. Most of our group opts to follow Yasmine and stick to the path. Steve can’t resist it, and spends the next fifteen minutes with about eight others bouncing up and down and hanging on to steel cable to haul himself along. It requires all the attention he can muster, so he doesn’t exactly see what’s below him,but he does manage a couple of photos between sections. 

At the end of that fun journey, he and the others head back to the entrance, past another interesting piece of art.

Cathy is not there at the entrance, but Steve knows full well that she must be on the bus. After a quick perusal of the gift shop, he heads there. Sure enough, she’s in her seat on the bus. He boards to see how she spent her time. A quote from Cathy: “Watched a movie about the guy who planted the garden. Jean Phillipe something.”

The bus ride takes about twenty-five minutes, and Yasmine is still filling us with wonderful information. At this point in a tour, most guides are content to stop talking and have the guests just talk among themselves. But she is special, and we learn more:

• As we drive back toward the center of the city, Yasmine points out that the houses we see stacked upon each other were some of the modern housing at one time. Land is scarce, of course, so building on these steep hills was necessary and desirable. We can’t imagine what good shape folks that live here must be to climb up the hill to some of these houses.

• There are many sports in which people participate in Martinique, and one of them is a special kind of boat race that takes place in the summer. 
• When Yasmine is asked how she would like to be described, she quickly answers “Caribbean!” Good for her. The U.S. is so obsessed with racial identity, it is a joy to hear this wonderful young woman pretty much dismiss such labels in a one-word declaration.
• Religion was brought up. Yasmine answers that 90% of the population is Roman Catholic. There are small groups of many other religions and dominations, of course. 
• Two other agricultural products grown on the island in small amounts for local consumption (i.e., not export, like sugar and bananas) are coffee and cocoa. Yasmine says that there is a special drink made from the cocoa grown here that is called First Communion Hot Chocolate.
• Slavery was outlawed here in 1848 (and in all French possessions). In Martinique, May 22^nd is a national holiday to celebrate it.
• Yasmine reminds us that today is Sunday, which means that all the restaurants and museums are closed. But there is one place that is open to visitors: the House of Rhum! This is a store owned by all the rum producers on the island, and it is at the top of a tall office building named Lumina Tower.

We have now arrived back at our ship. We both agree that it has been a wonderful excursion, and that Yasmine is indeed one of the best guides that we have ever had on the many tours we have been on. A true professional, and a phenomenal representative of Martinique. We are very intrigued and impressed with this island, and hope that we might return again sometime.

So it’s back on the ship. We are berthed next to another cruise ship, Mein Schiff 2, which accommodates 2,150 passengers. Steve takes a photo of Insignia and this ship together, and it clearly shows how much smaller our ship is compared to a typical cruise ship of today.

Time for lunch! It’s 1:40, the GDR is closed, the Terrace Café will close in twenty minutes. So we head for Waves Grill. It is overflowing and in chaos. Cathy suggests we get small sandwiches at Barrista’s instead, but Steve insists. We do find an available table almost outside of the restaurant bordering the pool deck. In Waves, all the tables have numbers on them, but this one does not. We sit down anyway, and Steve suggests that Cathy order while he sits and hold the table. She does. The procedure is that you go and order your food from a person standing by the grill. He/she gets your table number, and when your order is ready, a wait staff person brings it to you. It is a very orderly procedure that works very well … but not today. 

Today, Cathy is handed a plastic table sign with the number 28 on it. Then we wait … and wait … and wait. Finally, after waiting a half hour for our meager order of two Reuben sandwiches, Steve seeks out someone to help us. It is Okta, the same young man we saw at breakfast running his buns off trying to serve everyone there. He is as gracious as ever, and when we mention that we saw him at breakfast running around like crazy, he jokes “Yes, this is my lucky day!”

Well, it’s our lucky day as well, because he finds out that our order got lost. He orders our food again, and keeps an eye on everything until he is able to bring it to our table. He is wonderful, pleasant and smiling and polite. Classic Oceania service, unlike the s**tshow going on around him.

We are going into such detail because we were actually flabbergasted that we had such an experience on Oceania. This kind of disorganization was unknown to us up until this incident. But enough about that.

Sailaway is at 4pm, which is early. This is necessary, because Insignia needs to cover 254 nautical miles to reach Port of Spain, Trinidad by 8am tomorrow. We have noticed that the ship is sailing early from many ports, and deduce that this is because the stops on this particular cruise are actually farther apart than most conventional Caribbean cruises. While there are four stops enroute to the Amazon River, and four stops after visiting it, the emphasis of this journey is the week we will spend cruising this incredible river, and it is a long distance from where we are now.  

The rest of the day is routine, including dinner at – where else – the Grand Dining Room. As usual, we hit the sack by 8:30-9:00pm. We have had a really interesting day, and have learned a great deal about this island – most certainly because of Yasmine, our wonderful guide.