Docked in Castries, the Viking Sea rests safely moored after a 205 nautical mile overnight journey along the island chain referred to as the Lesser Antilles from St. Kitts to St. Lucia.
Tidbit – the origin of the term Antilles stems from the Portuguese navigators and Portuguese language.
Anth = before & ilha = island
Translated to the “forward or barrier islands” (I.e. the islands before the landmass they sought to discover.
This small island nation became independent from Britain much earlier than our last stop on February 22,1979 Named after the Italian Saint Lucia of Syracuse, this is the only nation on the planet whose name is directly linked to a woman of history.
Our included excursion gave us a great overview of this hilly and lush volcanic island. High up the steep and windy roads, vistas pay you back for the effort.
Along the way we learned about the local economy dominated by tourism (75%) followed by agriculture of bananas, Star fruit and mangoes. Over 30 species of 🥭 grow on the island.
In the above pictures you see the signature Grand et Petit Piton mountain tops which define the landscape. Our last stop at a private residence perched high atop a steep hill offered panoramic vistas, refreshments, and a botanical garden experience of local flora and fauna. Thus came to an end a beautiful but hot day. Stay tuned for more from our next stop – Barbados.
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