Grenada: the Spice of the Caribbean

Sunday, 12 December

As the big white orb that follows our wake nears the half-moon stage, we approach the halfway point of our cruise.  One more night, and it will be a week since we boarded the Grand Princess.  We can do nothing but accept the march of time and make sure we enjoy the rest of our time in the Caribbean at least as much as we have the days gone by.

Grenada is fondly known as the isle of Spice.
(the inset shows the falls we visited and the beach we went to
in relation to where the ship docked in st George’s.)

This map shows the areas we toured in St George’s.

Today was another new island for us — Grenada — the largest spice-producing island in the Western Hemisphere.  Awake at 6:00a, I left Mui to snooze a bit longer and sat on the veranda to read and enjoy the gentle breezes.  An hour later, we were having our usual light breakfast at the Horizon Court.  Shortly after 8:00a, we walked off the ship and into “the sauna.”  At least that’s how hot and steamy it felt as we walked down the pier with Grand Princess on one side and SilverSea’s Silver Spirit on the other side.

The welcome sign says it all!
(silver spirit [left] and grand princess)

Undaunted by the less-than comfortable temperature, we climbed the hill to Fort George, situated atop a 175 feet (53 m) high volcanic spine.  We were soaked in sweat by the time we arrived at the entrance to the fort, but the views of the port and the Carenage (natural harbor) were worth the effort.

From the fort, You can view the port from one side …

… Upper St George’s & the ruins of the Anglican Church from another side …

… and the Carenage from yet another side.

The fort itself, built between 1705-1710 by the French, was a bit of a disappointment as much of it was in a state of disrepair — not quite what we were expecting of a national historic site.  It was quite apparent that the fort was being used for some purpose or another … one of the old barracks contained modern gym equipment; men’s underwear flapped on clotheslines; bits and pieces of furniture were visible through grimy windows.  It turns out that the police headquarters/training academy are based in the fort (or so we were told).

LEFT: A white-washed tunnel leads to the interior of the fort.
right: the guard tower on the ramparts makes a good lookout point.

not rainproof, is it?

It was our misfortune to visit this island on a Sunday.  Grenada is one of the world’s major producers of nutmeg, mace, clove, cinnamon, and cocoa … hence the nickname, “Spice Isle.”  We had hoped to visit a spice plantation and processing co-op, and tour the island’s oldest rum distillery, but everything was closed today.

In hindsight, we should have moved onto our beach plans after our visit to the fort.  Instead, we arranged with one of the non-Union taxi drivers to take us on a two-hour island tour with a stop at Annandale Falls.  The tour was OK, and gave us a glimpse of the outskirts of the city, but we didn’t come back wowed by anything we saw.

Annandale Falls (L) and unnamed Falls near the Constantine Bridge.

When we returned to St George’s, we had the driver drop us off at the Carenage.  Wandering around the paved path that circles the harbor was more rewarding than the tour.  I’m glad we spent this bit of time in town before taking the shortcut through the tunnel back to the ship.

one side the Carenage with Fort George on the hill at the far left.

All’s quiet on the waterfront.

“Christ of the Deep” overlooks the carenage.
the statue was gifted to the city by the costa line of Genoa, Italy.
the commemorative plaque reads: “to the people of Grenada in grateful
remembrance of the fraternal Christian hospitality shown to passengers
and crew of the Italian liner Bianca c … destroyed by fire in this harbor
on October 22, 1961.”

The Sendall Tunnel, built in 1895, is shared by vehicles and pedestrians;
walk tight against the wall for safety.

After having a light lunch at the Horizon Court, we grabbed our beach bags and headed for the nearby water taxi dock for a 10-minute ride across the bay ($8/person R/T) to Grand Anse Beach.  There were plenty of people already on the beach, but we headed in the opposite direction and had no problems finding a quiet spot ($15 for two chairs and an umbrella).  The water temperature was to my liking … almost bathwater warm … so I joined Mui for frequent (and long) dips in between relaxing in the shade.

Just a small portion of the 2-mile stretch of white sand that
is Grand Anse Beach.

The port is just around that spit of land.

Ready to enjoy the beach, are we? …

… yes we are — with a cold brew and a fan to keep me comfortable.

We caught the return water taxi around 3:00p and had a bit of a misadventure along the way when the outboard motor kept dying on us.  It was nothing serious, and with plenty of other boats around, we were in no danger of being stranded.  Eventually the captain stopped flooding the motor and we made it back to the port with an hour to spare before the 4:30p all aboard.

blue is the color of the day.

Next to the 2600-passenger Grand Princess, the 540-passenger
Silver Spirit looks very small.

By the time we settled down on the veranda for the 5:00p sailaway, a nice breeze had come up and the temperature had cooled down from its high of 83F (28.5C).  A glass of wine, a good book, and a gorgeous sunset … what a way to spend the time until dinner.

I love the way the setting sun creates a spotlight through the clouds.

Though tired and drained after a hot and humid day on Grenada, we pulled ourselves together to have dinner in the Da Vinci Dining Room.

Mui: shrimp cocktail; garden mixed greens salad; tandoori spice-roasted tiger prawns.

Me: shrimp cocktail; Caesar salad; tandoori spice-roasted tiger prawns.

Dessert: frozen chocolate praline cake and New York style cheesecake … to share … the former was very rich and a bite or two went a long way; the latter was one of the yummiest we’ve ever had and not a crumb was left on the plate.

Tonight’s entertainment was unable to entice me away from the veranda, so I returned to the cabin to write up today’s blog post while Mui wandered around the ship to get his people-fix.  Now that I’m done and he’s back, it’s time to hit the sack … tomorrow we will be in Barbados and we have a couple of beach stops planned.

Next Up … Video: Grenada