27 Nov 19 Roseau, Dominica

This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our cruise in 2019. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).

Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.

The weather forecast in the Viking Daily newsletter said “Partly Cloudy 86° F / 30° C.”

We woke at 6:10 am and had room service breakfast delivered at 6:45.

MT Wednesday, November 27 7:10 AM – Dominica: view of sunrise from Viking Sea as we neared the port in Roseau.

The Viking Sea was scheduled to arrive at Roseau, Dominica at 7:30, but actually arrived around 7:15.

The Viking Daily and the Viking Cruise Documents described Roseau, Dominica as follows:

“Called the ‘Nature Isle of the Caribbean,’ Dominica is celebrated for its mountainous rainforests and rare flora and fauna. Its compact capital of Roseau boasts a collection of French and English colonial architecture. The city’s Botanical Gardens are rare in the Caribbean for their central urban location and the Roseau river is one of the largest waterways to meander through a capital in the region. Outside the city, the Caribbean of yesterday unfolds as the island’s indigenous Kalingo people retained their rich culture ever through centuries of colonialism. Nine volcanoes bring heat to the island’s boiling lakes and sulfur springs. The island’s centerpiece for nature lovers is Morne Trois Pitons National Park, named for its triple-peak mountain,”

Viking map of Roseau, Dominica; callouts of locations actually shown on the map are as follows:

  1   Port [the map actually shows 2 ports and says: “Your ship will likely dock in one of the locations indicated here by the *1* marker.” We seem to have docked at the port to the south, near the old town center.]

  4    Botanical Gardens

  8    Champagne Reef

 11   Laudat, Morne Trois Pitons National Park and Fresh Water Lake

 12   Abilities Unlimited

 16   Our Lady of Fair Haven

 17   Windsor Park

 18   All Saints University School of Medicine

 19   Narakiel’s Inn

 20   Woodbridge Bay Deep Water Harbor

 21    People’s Pentecostal Family Church

 22    Princess Margaret Hospital

Dominica (pronounced DOM-ih-NEE-kə, pop. 71,625), not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, is officially the Commonwealth of Dominica. It is part of the Leeward Islands chain in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea.

The island was settled by the Arawak arriving from South America in the 5th century. The Island Caribs or Kalingos displaced the Arawak violently  by the 15th century. Columbus is said to have passed by the island in 1493. It was later colonized by Europeans, predominantly by the French from the 1690s to 1763. The pronunciation of the island’s name is related to its French name of Dominique. The French imported enslaved people from West Africa to work on coffee plantations. Great Britain took possession in 1763, after the Seven Years’ War, and it gradually established English as its official language. The island republic gained independence in 1978.

Roseau (Dominican Creole: Wozo, pop. 14,725), located in the Parish of St. George, is the capital and largest city of Dominica. It is on the west (leeward) coast of Dominica and surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, the Roseau River, and Morne Bruce mountain. Built on the site of a village the ancient Island Carib (Kalingo) people called Sairi, it is the oldest and most important urban settlement on the island.

With the arrival of Europeans on the 16th and 17th centuries, a small settlement was established by the French who, in their tradition of naming places after what they found there, used their name for the reeds that grew along the banks of the river. The French word roseau (meaning reed) became the name of the river, the town, the cathedral, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Roseau.

The French created a plan for the settlement that mirrored examples in France, where streets extended from a central point, the Old Market. Conflict raged between the French and British for the area on several occasions. Eventually, the British gained a stronghold. By the late 18th and 19th centuries, they set out plans for the city that included fortifications and government structures, as well as streets laid out in a grid system. However, the French influence can still be seen today, in its architecture and crooked streets that extend from the Old Market. English influence is also evident in architecture and street names.

There are some fine examples of West Indian architecture in Roseau. The ones that stand out the most are the French Colonial and the vernacular form. (Vernacular architecture is characterized by the use of local materials and knowledge, usually without the supervision of professional architects.) Much of the French influence can be found along King George V Street, with an English name.

At 8:45, we went to the Theater meeting place for the optional shore excursion “River Tubing Safari.”

The 3-hour River Tubing Safari is described in the Viking Cruise Documents as follows:

“Paddle Down a River in a Modified Inner Tube

“Embark a modified inner tube for an invigorating paddle down the Layou River. After a scenic drive to our launch site, meet your guides and receive a short safety briefing. Once you have been provided with your life jacket, modified inner tube and paddle, it is time to hit the water. Gently spin and swirl in the current as you make your way down the river past lush tropical scenery. Your guided will be nearby at all times to ensure your comfort and safety. Along the way, enjoy a stop to partake in a popular Dominican pastime—river bathing—before continuing on to your end point. You will then return to the reception center, where refreshments will be served. Sip on a glass of rum punch and nibble on fresh fruit before boarding your motor coach and returning to your awaiting ship.”

The bus driver said the Layou River was the longest in Dominica, 11.5 miles. The Wacky Rollers company ran the tubing. Several of their guided floated along with us and steered or pushed us away from rocks in the many white-water portions. We had some rain during the tubing, but we were wet anyway. Of course, we did not take a camera or iPhone with us; so we have no photos of this excursion. It was exciting in places but was one of our best experiences on this trip.

We got back to the Viking Sea around 12:30 and had some time to kill before our (included) shore excursion at 3:15.

When we reboarded the ship, MT was presented with a large bouquet of flowers, from the management, apologizing for the problem with our room.

MT 12:29 PM – Roseau: MT with her bouquet, in corridor of Deck 3.

At the beginning of our bus ride in the morning, Don had seen a building just a couple of blocks from the port with a sign that said “Beef Patties  Chicken Patties,” a treat we had enjoyed at a Jamaican restaurant back home. So, after a quick lunch at the World Café onboard, we went there and got one patty each.

1:43 PM – Roseau: exterior of the building Don had seen from the bus, with a sign for “Beef Patties  Chicken Patties” to left of man standing near open door.

1:44 PM – Roseau: sign for “Beef Patties  Chicken Patties” (telephoto 119 mm).

1:39 PM – Roseau: “Collect Here” sign at pick-up counter with name of store “Patty Shack” with “Real Jamaican Patties!” (telephoto 156 mm).

The Patty Shack, located on King George Street (at the corner of Old Street) near the center of downtown Roseau, is a fast food restaurant that serves “take on” Jamaican cuisine for breakfast or lunch. They offer many delicious items besides Jamaican patties (beef, chicken, veggie, shrimp, or soya), such was barbecue chicken sliders and the occasional Creole special.

Jamaican beef patties are made with a flaky and buttery pastry filled with highly seasoned ground beef. They are usually baked rather than fried. This may also be called Jamaica’s sunshine patty or Jamaican meat pie and is similar in shape to an empanada or a turnover.

Coco bread wrapped around a beef patty (By Jason Lam - originally posted to Flickr as 04 coco bread wrapped beef patty, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6350196).

In Jamaica, the patty is often eaten as a full mean, especially when paired with coco bread. A favorite way to eat them in Jamaica is sandwiched between coco bread (a yeasted sandwich bun that contains no cocoa and no coconut despite its name). According to Wikipedia and several other Internet sources, coco bread contains some coconut milk. It is popular in Jamaica as well as other areas of the Caribbean. The coco bread is often split in half and wrapped around a Jamaican patty to form a sandwich.

MT 1:35 PM – Roseau: Patty Shack – cook taking Jamaican patties out of oven.

MT 1:35 PM – Roseau: Patty Shack – cook with Jamaican patties in paper bag with Patty Shack logo.

1:45 PM – Roseau: our Jamaican patties – chicken with green dot and beef in foreground.

MT 1:37 PM – Roseau: our Jamaican patties – chicken on left with green dot and beef at right.

MT 1:45 PM – Roseau: Patty Shack – paper bag with Patty Shack logo.

Although most of the customers were doing take-out, we could eat our patties at a small counter by a window. We divided each of the two patties so we could both try each kind. Back home, we had only had the beef.

1:47 PM – Roseau: MT with whole chicken patty and the half of the beef patty she had already started.

Back on the Viking Sea, we discovered they had put up Christmas decorations in the Atrium.

MT 1:53 PM – Roseau: Viking Sea - Don by Christmas tree in Atrium.

Then MT stayed onboard the Viking Sea, but Don went back ashore to see the nearby “Our Lady of Fair Haven” church we had seen on the Viking map, at red callout number 16.

Viking map of Roseau – close-up of part between south “Port” (number 1) and number 16.

Don was confused what he found in the area shown on the map was a Methodist church.

2:33 PM – Roseau: Bethesda Methodist Church – west façade (with steps leading to entrance) bell tower on southwest corner, and south side (with gate to cemetery).

Roseau: Bethesda Methodist Church – tower with steeple in 2012 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dominica,_Karibik_-_Bethesda_Methodist_Church_-_panoramio.jpg).

Next to the Roseau Cathedral stands the Bethesda Methodist Church, at the corner of Cross Street and Virgin Lane, with a most beautiful bell tower. Its architectural style stands in sharp contrast to the neo-Gothic cathedral. The square base of the tower, signifying the material world or earth, is transformed into an octagon or 8-sided tower at the top, symbolizing rebirth, regeneration, and the “eighth day,” Sunday, on which the Resurrection took place. The church lost its spire during Hurricane Maria in 2017.

Methodists split from the Anglican Church in 1784. However, the Methodist revival had originated in England in 1739 and came to the Caribbean in 1760. In 1787, Methodist missionary preachers arrived in Dominica. In 1788, a small group of about 20 Methodists led by a Mrs. Webley met in a house. However, the Roman Catholic faith was firmly entrenched in Dominica, and wealthy planters stirred up trouble. In 1814, the Methodist mission had dwindled to only 6 members. However, in that year, one of the planters was converted and worked hard in the mission. By 1822 the Roseau Chapel was built. By 1865, The Methodist community in Dominica a grew. and soon the construction of the Bethesda Methodist Church was started. It was completed in 1893.

2:33 PM – Roseau: Bethesda Methodist Church – sign for “Methodist Church” with drawing of present church (with steeple) and caption in red background below it about “[most of caption illegible] Chapel”; at bottom left is and old photo with caption [mostly illegible] to its right in blue background of “This 19.. photograph of Castle Street …and the junction of Church Street ... the Methodist Church]”; at right is a timeline with the following:

“1787 First Methodist missionary, Dr. Thomas Coke arrived.

“[between 1787 and 1800] It was originally a dwelling house.

“1800 The lot where the church is now was initially leased to Catholics who later converted to Wesleyan Methodism.

“[between 1800 and 1840s] Construction of the church began.

“1840s There was tension between the Catholics and Methodists due to the close proximity of the churches, which led to riots during the 1840s.

“1893 It was completed with the construction of the steeple.

“[below 1893] Close by is Wesley High School, a Methodist High School for girls.”

2:37 PM – Roseau: Bethesda Methodist Church – west façade with shuttered windows around entrance and tower at right.

Then Don found the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Fair Haven with its main (west) façade on the same block of Virgin Lane.

Roseau: Bethesda Methodist Church (lower left) and the larger Our Lady of Fair Haven Cathedral in background center (both with steeples on towers) in 2012, seen from a cruise ship (i.e., from the south) (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bethesda_Methodist_Church_and_Our_Lady_of_Fair_Haven_Cathedral_-_seen_from_the_Cruise_Ship_-_panoramio.jpg).

2:35 PM – Roseau: Our Lady of Fair Haven Cathedral - square tower on left and smaller tower on right – with gate closed and sign for “Renovation of Our Lady of Fair Haven Cathedral – Roseau / Lot 5 – Installation of New Roofing System.”

Roseau: Our Lady of Fair Haven Cathedral – square tower with spire in 2008 and smaller tower to its left (By Nelro (talk) - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7806087).

The Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Fair Haven  was originally known in French as  Église de Notre Dame du Bon Port du Mouillage de Roseau (Church of Our Lady of the Good Anchorage of Roseau) or colloquially sometimes just Our Lady of Bon Port or Roseau Cathedral. The cathedral is an example of European creolization influence in Dominica. Built in the Gothic-Romanesque revival style, it was consecrated in 1916. It is located on Virgin Lane northeast of the Methodist Church.

The church at Roseau was initially a small wooden hut with a thatched roof made of locally available reed. (Roseau is the French for reed and was the name of the church and the town.) The Carib people built the church in the local building tradition.

In 1727, the plot of land was first surveyed for building, and a permanent church was established in 1730, to meet the needs of a growing congregation of settlers from France. It was 39 x 16 ft and made of solid wood (timber-framed) with stone flooring. That church survived until 1816, when it was destroyed by a hurricane.

The present church was built in 1840 but also became inadequate to meet the growing needs of church-goers. This was a result of the abolition of slavery and permitting former slaves to attend church services. The program of expansion that began soon after that took almost 100 years to complete to its present form. The additions to the cathedral started with the steeple built in. 1855. A hurricane in 1863 caused substantial damage to the cathedral. Funds for its restoration were raised by imposing a levy on the French planters. In 1873, the Chapel of St. Joseph was established at the southeast end. The refurbishing started with stained-glass windows being added to the church and the addition of new stone pillars in 1902. The steeple was added to the west end, which was built with stones brought from the old church at Point Michel, which was then demolished. Building this part of the church brought symmetry to its façade. The cathedral’s spire was completed in 1916. The restored cathedral was formally consecrated in 1925. After that, there were only minor additions, such as the clock on the bell tower.

The cathedral is a stone edifice in the Gothic-Romanesque Revival style,  constructed of volcanic rock, both inside and out. The bell tower is stubby with a giant clock. The windows are Gothic with stained glass in the upper sections and aligned wooden shutters in the lower sections, to provide good ventilation.

2:35 PM – Roseau: view, through bars of closed gate, of Our Lady of Fair Haven Cathedral - square tower on left and smaller tower on right.

Roseau: Our Lady of Fair Haven Cathedral – matching smaller façade and tower on left with square tower on right (By Edgar El, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54527136).

2:35 PM – Roseau: sign for “Roseau Cathedral”; photo at left says “Cathedral of Our Lady of Fair Haven” at its left side and has caption in red background below it reading: “1980s photograph of the Roman Catholic Cathedral”; on the right side of the sign is a timeline with the following:

“1730 First started as a 16 x 40 ft timber church. This was fashioned after Kalinago Kabays, consisting of strong posts and woven palm leaves. It was constructed by French lumbermen and peasant farmers.

“[between 1730 and 1800] The original main door used to face west down Church Street to the Bayfront.

“1800 Built in the gothic-romanesque revival style which was very popular in the 19th century. It took 100 years to complete (1800-1916).

“[between 1800 and 1855] The church was made out of cut volcanic stone.

“1855 The main steeple completed.

“1916 The small west steeple completed.

“[between 1916 and 2006] Referred to as ‘L’eglise de Notre Dame du Bon Port du Mouillage de Roseau’ or Our Lady of Fair Haven.

“2006 During the restoration, many discoveries were made including a tomb near the altar.”

Below the timeline is the following:

“Look out for

“A little further up the road is the beautifully designed Bishop’s Residence, built in 1902.”

2:35 PM – Roseau: Our Lady of Fair Haven Cathedral - square tower with clock and statues (Christ in center flanked by Mary and probably Joseph) above and entrance below (mild telephoto 49 mm).

Then Don went around to Turkey Lane on the back side of the block to see if there was another way into the church. However, that was where the construction was more visible.

2:39 PM – Roseau: Our Lady of Fair Haven Cathedral – apse end of church with scaffolding and corrugated metal fence.

2:42 PM – Roseau: view, through hole in corrugated metal fence, south side Our Landy of Fair Haven Cathedral (with scaffolding at apse end) and tower at southwest corner.

2:39 PM – Roseau: Our Lady of Fair Haven Cathedral – sign on stone wall around apse for “Renovation of Our Lady of Fair Haven Cathedral Roseau” (telephoto 81 mm).

Continuing northeast on Turkey Lane, Don came to another building, on the other side of the street from the cathedral apse, that looked like a smaller church. Google maps identified this as the Roseau Cathedral Chapel.

2:40 PM – Roseau: Roseau Cathedral Chapel – west façade (with original entrance bricked up) and south side, possibly connected to a school, across narrow Turkey Lane behind Our Lady of Fair Haven Cathedral.

Roseau: Bethesda Methodist Church (lower left) and the larger Our Lady of Fair Haven Cathedral in background center, seen from a cruise ship (i.e., from the south) in 2012 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bethesda_Methodist_Church_and_Our_Lady_of_Fair_Haven_Cathedral_-_seen_from_the_Cruise_Ship_-_panoramio.jpg). [Don added red circle to show the location of this Roseau Cathedral Chapel building, to the right of the apse (east end) of the cathedral.]

2:40 PM – Roseau: Roseau Cathedral Chapel - statue in niche on façade (telephoto 105 mm).

2:41 PM – Roseau: sign above door to left of façade of Roseau Cathedral Chapel with coat of arms of Pope Francis (telephoto 105 mm).

In 2013, Pope Francis adopted papal coat of arms with the Latin motto “Miserando atque eligendo” (by having mercy, by choosing him), which he had used since his consecration as a bishop in 1991. The motto is taken from a homily of St. Bede (672/3-735) and refers to the calling of St. Matthew.

2:41 PM – Roseau: south side of Roseau Cathedral Chapel with view, behind it and to right, into courtyard of what looks like a modern school complex with a tan building at rear of chapel and blue building on the far side of the courtyard with sign saying “Ora et lab[ora].”

2:41 PM (Cropped) – Roseau: blue building with white metal roof and sign saying “Ora et lab[ora]” painted on the wall below the balcony of the second floor.

Remembering that the sign on Bethesda Methodist Church said: “Close by is Wesley High School, a Methodist High School for girls,” Don thought that might be the school in the photo. An Internet search for that school turned up photos of a very similar-looking blue building with a white metal roof that is the Wesley High School, located or Cross Street. (See photos at whsdominica.org/about/ and https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobindrums/3373868862.)

The Wesley High School is an all-girls Methodist high school founded in 1926. The school was born out of a great desire for Protestant young  women to gain access to secondary education—something that was almost nonexistent for them in that era of Dominica’s history. Not having a home of its own, the school was first housed at the home of the Methodist minister, whose daughter had attended college in England and became the school’s first teacher. The school occupied various locations until settling in a one-story wooden building on Cross Street. That building was later destroyed by fire, and the Main building on Cross Street was rebuilt and expanded. From the late 1950s to the present, that building has housed the upper forms [grades], with the Chateau building on Hillsborough Street (a few blocks away), which had served as a place of refuge for the school when it faced disasters, now houses the lower forms. The school’s web site says “we venture into the future holding fast to our motto ‘Striving for the best.’ ”

The fact that the Wesley High School had a different motto and was located on Cross Street rather than Turkey Lane led Don to try another Internet search for “Catholic school” in Roseau. This led him to discover the Saint Mary’s Academy.

Saint Mary’s Academy, an all-boy private Catholic secondary school, was established in Roseau in 1932. Painted in bold letters on the school wall is the school’s motto “Ora et labora.” The Redemptorist Fathers opened the school in 1932 in a corner building on Virgin Lane across from the Bishop’s Residence. The Christian Brothers took over the school in 1955. The new school building was opened in the early 1960s on Turkey Lane and replaced the old building that still stands on Virgin Lane. The two-story building from the 1960s is now known as the Old Wing. The latest addition to the compound is the three-story New Wing, built in 1998.

Photos of the Old Wing building on web sites http://ercbna.org/Christian_Brothers.php?op=Article_St.+Mary%92s+Academy+-+Roseau%2C+Dominica+%97+One+Year+Later or https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/st-marys-academy-hosts-green-day-assembly/ show the blue building with a white metal roof and “ORA ET LABORA” painted on the wall below the railing of the second floor balcony. Google maps also identified this site as St. Mary’s Academy.

“Ora et labora” (Pray and work) is a Latin phrase referring to the Catholic monastic practice of working and praying, generally associated with the 6th-century Rule of St. Benedict and the Benedictine order. Although the motto does not actually appear in the rule itself, it sums up the spirit of St. Benedict’s Rule; some experts say it may have its origins in the 19th century. It is also used by other religious orders. Also, several schools (not always Catholic) use it as their motto. It is used by Wesley College, a Methodist high school in Sri Lanka, but apparently not by the Wesley High School in Roseau.

2:46 PM – Roseau: old wooden building on way back to ship.

Don got back to the Viking Sea and met up with MT in time to go down at 3:15 to the meeting place on the pier of the cruise ship terminal for the (included) shore excursion “Panoramic Roseau.”

The Viking Cruise Documents describe the 2.5-hour Panoramic Roseau excursion as follows (although the Viking Daily newsletter said it was only 2 hours):

“Sights and History of Dominica’s Capital City

“Discover vibrant Roseau during a scenic guided tour of its charming Caribbean capital. Embark your coach for a drive through the ‘City of Verandas,’ one of the widespread examples of Creole vernacular architecture found throughout the city, while your knowledgeable guide provides lively commentary on the city’s history. Visit Abilities Unlimited, a local craft workshop that was established by the government to help the visually impaired learn skills and earn an income by producing baskets and other craft items. Make a brief stop at the Botanical Gardens, where your  guide will point out plants of interest such as banyan trees and David and Goliath—a giant African baobab tree toppled by Hurricane David in 1979. Enjoy panoramic views of Roseau and the surrounding countryside from a viewpoint atop Morne Bruce, then drive past landmark buildings such as Parliament and the State House en route to your awaiting ship.”

2:48 PM – Roseau: view of coast with mountains, from pier.

2:48 PM – Roseau: view of mountains on coast and Viking Sea, from pier.

Unlike the Viking summary of this excursion, the bus took us first to Morne Bruce, for the overlook of the city.

3:26 PM – Roseau: Morne Bruce - view of Botanical Gardens just below and city of Roseau, with Viking Sea in port and Windsor Park stadium at right.

Morne Bruce is a small mountain on the southeast edge of Roseau, rising from the back side of the Dominica Botanical Gardens. From the top of Morne Bruce, one can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of Roseau and the western coastline, with the island’s signature steep, verdant slopes plunging into the blue Caribbean Sea.

Morne Bruce is named for Captain James Bruce of the Royal Engineers, who designed many of Dominica’s forts in the 1700s. Once cannons defended the harbor from atop this hill. The British fort built here defended the harbor from the French from the 1770s to 1854. The British used slaves to clear the land, quarry and haul the rock for the structures of Morne Bruce Garrison, and drag 235 cannons up the hill. Only one rusty cannon still points its muzzle to the harbor. Today, it is visited for its splendid views of the city, ships in the harbor, the stadium, and the Botanical Garden.

MT 3:17 PM – Roseau: Morne Bruce - view of Botanical Gardens just below and city of Roseau, with Windsor Park stadium at right.

MT 3:20 PM – Roseau: Morne Bruce - view of Botanical Gardens just below and Windsor Park stadium (mild telephoto 51 mm).

MT 3: 22 PM – Roseau: Morne Bruce – Don and MT with view of Botanical Gardens and Windsor Park stadium in background.

MT 3: 22 PM – Roseau: Morne Bruce – Don and MT with view of Botanical Gardens in background.

3:27 PM – Roseau: Morne Bruce – sign for “Morne Bruce Garrison – The Defence of Roseau” with text that reads:

“Dominica was ceded to Britain by the Treaty of Paris in 1763. To keep the island under her rule, Britain had to defend it from the French. Some small forts were started in 1765. Military engineers were commissioned to produce plans for the defence of the colony. Captain James Bruce, Royal Engineer, was head of that project. In March 1770 he dispatched a report to London giving his proposals, maps and designs for major fortifications needed for the island.

“Extensive plans were made for the fortification of this site which was called Guye’s Hill, where French settlers had installed some guns before the British came. This was to be the main garrison on the island. The name was later changed to Morne Bruce in honour of the engineer himself. The cliffs and steep slopes which surrounded it on three sides gave it natural security for the defence of Roseau. Work on Morne Bruce Garrison began in 1771.

“Enslaved African labourers and skilled craftsmen were rented by the government from planters to cut stone from quarries, carry boulders, haul cannon and clear land. When Britain had completed the project, 235 cannons of varying types and sizes were pointing seawards from the coast of Dominica waiting for the enemy. Many British, French, and West Indies Regiments served here.

“Morne Bruce Garrison was closed in July 1854 and most of the cannons were removed. The top of the plateau was held for government use up to the present day. It served at various times as hospital, infirmary, agricultural school and residences for government officials. Now the main soldiers’ barracks are used as the Police Training School.”

3:27 PM (Cropped) – Roseau: Morne Bruce – map of forts and batteries at top right of sign board; text below the map reads as follows:

“Captain Bruce planned forts and batteries around Roseau to protect the town and the bays to the north and south of the capital. He laid our Melville’s Battery overlooking Newtown; expanded Fort Young to contain 17 cannons. He designed defences for Morne Desmoulis, Loubiere, and Woodbridge Bay.”

Below that text is a drawing of “French Plan of Morne Bruce 1780” and across the bottom of the sign (left to right) are drawings showing views from the sea of “British attack on Roseau 1761,” “Roseau from the sea 1837,” and “Morne Bruce 1848.” Below the main text is “You Are Here” with arrows pointing to this location on each of the four drawings.

3:27 PM (Cropped) – Roseau: Morne Bruce – four drawings at bottom of sign board, with arrows from “You Are Here.”

3:28 PM – Roseau: Morne Bruce – close-up of drawing of “British attack on Roseau 1761” at bottom of sign board.

3:31 PM – Roseau: Morne Bruce – ruins of what looked like part of the old fortifications (telephoto 81 mm).

On our way to the next stop, our guide pointed out typical small houses, saying that on other islands this is called French style.

3:44 PM – Roseau: old small house, viewed through bus window (with reflection of Don’s chin and blue shirt and his hand holding camera near window).

3:44 PM – Roseau: business street architecture with balconies, viewed through bus window.

3:44 PM – Roseau: old small house our guide pointed out, viewed through bus window.

3:46 PM – Roseau: businesses with balconies, viewed through bus window.

3:46 PM – Roseau: school children in uniforms crossing street with businesses, viewed through bus window.

3:48 PM – Roseau: old small houses, viewed through bus windshield.

3:49 PM – Goodwill: St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, which our guide said was built of concrete after 1979 hurricane, viewed through bus window.

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church is located on Steber Street in Goodwill. In 1979, Hurricane David caused severe damage to the first St. Alphonsus Church, which was started in 1929 and dedicated in 1930. The old church was demolished in 1985, and groundbreaking for the new church was in 1987. Then an intensive fundraising drive was started. The new church was finally dedicated in 1999.

Goodwill, in Saint George Parish, is a suburb to the northeast of Roseau that was established in the 1950s.

3:49 PM – Goodwill: small new buildings (unidentified, possibly in Lindo Park?) near St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, viewed through bus window.

Our next stop was at Abilities Unlimited. MT bought some bars of soap for our daughters.

Business card from Abilities Unlimited.

Abilities Unlimited – Workshop for the Blind was established by the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica in 1964 and has operated continuously since then, producing high-quality baskets and other craft items while offering an opportunity to persons with challenges and disabilities to gain skills and earn an income. The Government continues to oversee its operation and provide a subsidy to keep it going. However, the employees depend on sales in order to supplement the small monthly stipend they receive from the Government. The Workshop also receives support from the Wacky Rollers tour guides. Abilities Unlimited is blessed to be a major contributor to the tourism industry. The Workshop is located on Federation Drive in Goodwill (opposite Lindo Park). Its crafts can also be purchased at the Old Market Plaza in Roseau.

Lindo Park is the most beautiful park in Goodwill. Only the Botanical Gardens is larger in Roseau.

3:52 PM – Goodwill: Abilities Unlimited – exterior with part of our tour group approaching.

Out next stop was at the Botanical Gardens.

Dominica Botanic[al] Gardens is nestled below Morne Bruce hill, about 50 m from the Roseau River. These 40 acres of undulating land are the largest tract of semi-open space in the city of Roseau, with favorable conditions for growing a wide variety of tropical plants. The “Gardens,” as it is popularly known, is situated on land formerly cultivated in sugarcane. The idea of establishing the Roseau Botanic Gardens was conceived by the British Crown Government in 1889. In 1890, the government bought the land from the owner of Bath Estate, and it soon had the reputation of the premier botanic gardens of the Caribbean.

The Botanic Gardens has survived several tropical storms and hurricanes, including Hurricane David in 1979, which in 8 hours transformed these once magnificent grounds into a junkyard of wind-thrown trees, tree limbs, and twigs. Trees that had taken a hundred years to reach their majestic maturity were felled in an instant. Evidence of David’s wrath may still be seen in the remains of a large yellow school bus lying crushed beneath the weight of a massive African baobab tree.

MT 4:06 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – yellow flower.

4:19 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – aviary.

4:18 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – aviary with jacko parrots (telephoto 105 mm).

The Parrot Conservation & Research Centre is part of the Parrots and Small Animal Sanctuary of the Botanical Gardens, which keeps the birds and other small animals indigenous to Dominica. Its ariary houses two kinds of parrots, jacko and sisserou, found only on Dominica, both endangered species.

Jacko parrot in aviary of Botanical Gardens (By Amazona_arausiaca_-Roseau_-Dominica_-aviary-6a.jpg: Andrew Szymanskiderivative work: Snowmanradio (talk) - originally posted to Flickr as DSCF0031 and uploaded to commons as Amazona_arausiaca_-Roseau_-Dominica_-aviary-6a.jpg, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8461568).

One type of parrot found only on Dominica and kept in this aviary is the jacko parrot (Amazona arausiaca). Also known as red-necked amazon, red-necked parrot, Dominican blue-faced amazon, lesser Dominican amazon, and Jaco parrot. It is green, with bright splashes of various colors. Its “red-necked” names are due to the area of reddish or orange plumage commonly found at its lower throat. The bird also sometimes has blue feathers on its forehead, around the eyes, and its head. The blue feathers verge to wither to gray feathers at its upper breast. The rest of the body is covered in deep bottle green feathers, and a wide band of yellow color runs down to the tip of its tail, The beak and feet are both gray.

The Sisserou parrot is the second kind of parrot found only on the island of Dominica. It has been designated as the national bird of Dominica. It is even featured on the country’s coat of arms and flag.

Flag of Dominica with sisserou parrot (By User:Nightstallion - Own work: Flag of Dominica originally from the Open Clip Art website. Redrawn by User:Vzb83 except for the parrot. Colours are adapted from FOTW Flags Of The World website because of the currentness (refreshed 2001). The colour scheme is found at the government website of the Commonwealth of Dominica and THE WORLD FACTBOOK of the CIA., CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=433133).

Coat of arms of Dominica with sisserou parrots (By Josedar - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66705616).

Imperial amazon parrot – illustration by English zoologist David William Mitchell (By David William Mitchell (1813–1859) - The Genera of Birds. Volume 2, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40131434).

The imperial amazon (Amazona imperialis) or Dominican amazon, also known as sisserou, is probably among the oldest species of Amazon parrot in the world. Males and females have identical plumage: the chest is a dark shade of purple, and the upper parts and back feathers are a dark shade of green, with black-edged feather tips. There is a red streak on the wing tips. A dark violet band, appearing black, is visible across the back of the neck. The head is greenish blue. The eye-ring is dark brown, with the eye being a mix of orange and red. Juvenile appearance does not differ much, with a higher occurrence of green plumage and strictly brown eyes.

Imperial amazon parrot in aviary at Botanical Gardens (By Amazona_imperialis_-Roseau_-Dominica_-aviary-6a.jpg: Andrew Szymanskiderivative work: Snowmanradio (talk) - originally posted to Flickr as DSCF0033 and uploaded to commons as Amazona_imperialis_-Roseau_-Dominica_-aviary-6a.jpg, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8462842).

4:18 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – aviary with jacko parrots (telephoto 105 mm).

4:19 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – aviary with jacko parrots (telephoto 156 mm).

4:21 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – “Spiny Bamboo House” - clumps of trees you could walk through.

The “Spiny Bamboo House” is a group of trees forming a shelter that can be used for events such as weddings, anniversaries, and other celebrations.

 The spiny bamboo (Bambusa spinosa, Bambusa bambos, or Bambusa arundinaceae), also called thorny bamboo, is a species of perennial, clumping tree; tall, giant grass, woody. It can be up to 40 m (130 ft) high in natural habitat. Branches are numerous, the lower ones long, wiry, and armed with thorns. It grows in thickets consisting of a large number of heavily branched, closely growing culms (stalks). It is native to Southern Asia, but it is also naturalized in the West Indies.

4:21 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – view from inside “Spiny Bamboo House” – our guide with red “Paddle” for Viking Sea tour group 29; it was very dark inside.

4:21 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – inside “Spiny Bamboo House” – part of our tour group  with sunlight coming through this entrance.

MT 4:22 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – inside “Spiny Bamboo House” – bamboo stalks with spines and graffiti.

4:22 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – inside “Spiny Bamboo House” – view of canopy formed by trees.

4:24 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – looking back at “Bamboo House” in sun.

4:24 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – short tree that looked like a “bottle brush”; MT heard the name was “powder puff.”

The powder puff tree (Calliandra haematocephala) is a type of broadleaf evergreen tree native to Bolivia. It is normally 3-6 ft high (10-15 ft in its native habitat) with a spread of 2-3 ft. It is commonly called red powder puff, due to its raspberry-like flower buds that open to form hemispherical red powder puff flower heads (up to 3 inches across) consisting of masses of scarlet stamens.

MT 4:16 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – powder puff tree.

MT 4:19 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – pink flowers.

4:27 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – sign for “David The Goliath” (with reflection in glass); caption under photo reads: “The Botanic Gardens the day after Hurricane David, August, 1979”. Text across bottom of sign reads:

“This African Baobab Tree (Adansonia digitata) was blown down on the bus during Hurricane David on August 29th 1979.

“Fortunately the bus was empty at the time.

“The main stem is now more than 21 ft (6.4 m) in circumference and the two large ‘trees’ are 19 ft (5.8 m) and 10 ft (3.1 m) in girth.

“The 150 mph (241 kmph) winds destroyed many trees within the Botanic Gardens over a period of 6 hours.”

Mature, flowering baobab tree and elephant in Tanzania (By Ferdinand Reus from Arnhem, Holland - Two old ones, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2615710).

The African baobab (Adansonia digitata) is the most widespread tree species of the genus Adansonia, the baobabs, and is native to the African continent. Their maximum age, which is subject to conjecture, seems to be in the order of 1,500 years (or more). According to its growth rings, a baobab in Zimbabwe was some 2,450 years old when it died in 2011. The vernacular name baobab is derived from the Arabic بو حِبوب (būħubāb), which means “father of many seeds.” The scientific name Adansonia refers to the French explorer and botanist Michel Adanson (1727-1806), who in 1749 observed on an island west of Senegal a specimen 3.8 m (12 ft) in diameter, which bore the carved names of passing mariners on its trunk, including the Portuguese explorer Henry the Navigator in 1444. In the scientific name, digitata refers to the digits of the hand, since the baobab has compound leaves with normally 5 (but up to 7) leaflets resembling human hands.

Baobab tree in Mahajanga, Madagascar with circumference of 21 m in 2013; it became a symbol of the city and was formerly a place for executions and important meetings (By Lukys - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20640861).

African tribes believe that evil spirits cause bad luck to anyone who picks the tree’s sweet white flowers. One of the largest baobabs there is known as “Kondanamwali” or “tree that eats maidens.” According to legend, the tree fell in love with four beautiful maidens. When they reached puberty, they made the tree jealous by finding husbands, So, one night, during a thunderstorm, the tree opened its trunk and took the maidens inside. On stormy nights, the crying of the imprisoned maidens can still be heard.

This tree plays a role in the fictional children’s book The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry. In the story, baobabs are described as dangerous plants that must be weeded out from the good plants, less they overcome a small planet and even break it to pieces.

4:29 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – same sign for “David The Goliath,” still with reflection.

4:29 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – same sign for “David The Goliath,” photo taken at an angle in order to reduce reflection.

4:29 PM (Cropped) – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – same sign for “David The Goliath,” taken at an angle in order to reduce reflection on photo and its caption “The Botanical Gardens the day after Hurricane David. August 1979.”

4:28 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – our tour group at “David The Goliath” tree, which was still alive, although part of it was atop crushed yellow school bus.

4:27 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – part of “David The Goliath” resting on crushed yellow school bus.

4:28 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – “David The Goliath” view from crushed bus to vertical part of tree; our guide with tour group  29 “paddle” at left.

4:29 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – “David The Goliath” view of lower, horizontal part of tree toward crushed bus.

4:30 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – our tour group at “David The Goliath” tree, showing height of vertical part, with horizontal part of it atop crushed yellow school bus.

4:29 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – approaching banyan tree.

The banyan tree (ficus benghalensis), also known as red ficus, is a member of the fig family. It is a huge, imposing, spreading tree, up to 30 m (100 ft) tall. Its “trunk” is a large mass of aerial roots; other aerial roots hang from branches and rapidly take root on reaching the ground, then develop into independent stems supporting the tree. It is native to India, but now dispersed throughout the tropics and semi-tropics.

Hindus consider the banyan sacred and that it is a sin to destroy it. In ancient Arabia, the tree served as a place for holding council and negotiating treaties. Among many cultures, the tree is revered as a tree of justice. Asian merchants, called banias, conducted business under these large trees, considering a contract made in their shade as binding. Sometimes, as many as a thousand banias gathered among the plunging roots of one tree, as if it were a stock exchange. This led the British to name “the tree of the banias,” the banyan.

Aerial roots are roots that grow on the above-ground parts of a plant.

4:31 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – part of our tour group at banyan tree with many aerial roots growing around outside of “trunk.”

4:31 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – closer look at many aerial roots growing around outside of “trunk” of banyan tree.

4:31 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – banyan tree with many aerial roots growing around outside of “trunk.”

4:31 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – lower part of banyan tree with many aerial roots growing around outside of “trunk.”

4:32 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – banyan tree with aerial roots growing from a horizontal branch as well as around outside of “trunk.”

4:33 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – view back toward banyan tree.

4:34 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – our guide, in yellow shirt, leading the group toward what she called an “elephant sausage tree.”

The sausage tree (Kigelia Africana) occurs throughout tropical Africa and is also common in India. It grows up to 20 m (66 ft) tall and has spreading branches. It grows a fruit that is 30-99 cm (12-39 in) long, weighs 5-10 kg (11-22 pounds), occasionally up to 12 kg (26 pounds), and looks like a sausage. The fruit is a woody berry containing many seeds, and hangs down on long rope-like stems. The Kigelia part of its name comes from the Mozambican Bantu name kigeli-keiae, while the common names sausage tree and cucumber tree refer to the long sausage-like fruit. Its name in Afrikaans is worsboom, which also means sausage tree. The tree is native only to Tropical Africa. It is held sacred in Central Africa; the fruit is hung around dwellings as protection from violent storms or as symbols of fertility.

4:34 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – sausage tree with hanging fruits.

4:34 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – sausage tree hanging fruits.

MT 4:27 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – sausage tree hanging fruits (mild telephoto 64 mm).

4:35 PM – Roseau: Botanical Gardens – sausage tree fruits, with Don’s foot to show their size.

On the way back toward the port where our ship was docked, we passed more small houses.

4:39 PM – Roseau: small house(s), from bus window.

Next, we drove by the House of Assembly (Parliament) building and the State House.

4:40 PM – Roseau: House of Assembly building.

Roseau: House of Assembly building (By Roger W from Sarasota, Florida, U.S.A. - Roseau - Parliament, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54033270).

The House of Assembly is the legislature, which together with the President constitutes the Parliament of Dominica. The House is unicameral. The first building, on Victoria Street in Roseau, was constructed in 1811. That building was destroyed by arson in 1979 and rebuilt.

Dominica’s parliament dates from 1763, when the British established a Legislative Assembly. However, that assembly was representative only of the white population. In 1831, political and social rights were granted to free coloreds. The following year, three blacks were elected to the assembly. Dominica became the first and only British Caribbean colony to have a black-controlled legislature in the 19th century.

4:41 PM – Roseau: State House – view through front gate.

Roseau: State House under construction in 2013 (By Roger W from Sarasota, Florida, U.S.A. - Roseau - State House, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54033249).

The State House, also called Government House, is located on Victoria Street in Roseau. It is the official residence of the President of Dominica and also the President’s Office. Even though it looks like a historical building, construction of the “New State House” began in 2011, and the President moved in 2014. It was one of the projects negotiated between the Dominica and Chinese governments and was built by a Chinese company. The former State House, which had also been the residence of colonial governors, was refurbished to house a conference center.

Then we passed by St. George’s Anglican Church.

4:43 PM – Roseau: St. George’s Anglican Church (ruined) – view from apse end through bus window, with reflection.

Roseau: St. George’s Anglican Church, seen from cruise ship in 2012 (By Edgar El https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anglican_Church_-_Turkey_Avenue,_Roseau,_Dominica_-_seen_from_the_Cruise_Ship_-_panoramio.jpg).

St. George’s Anglican Church is located on Victoria Street, near the intersection with Turkey Lane (in St. George Parish). The gray stone church was originally built in the 1820s but has been reconstructed several times over its 200-year history. It was almost totally destroyed by Hurricane David in 1979 and was rebuilt and enlarged. More recently it was left without its roof and much of its interior by Hurricane Maria in 2017. The courtyard includes a very dilapidated cemetery.

4:43 PM – Roseau: St. George’s Anglican Church (ruined) – view of tower and side through bus window.

4:43 PM – Roseau: St. George’s Anglican Church (ruined) – sign by part with tower through bus window (telephoto 93 mm).

4:43 PM – Roseau: sign for “Anglican Church” (telephoto 93 mm and Cropped) with timeline that reads:

“1820 A permanent Anglican church was constructed on current site.

[Between 1820 and 1902] British government funded the construction of the church for £6,500.

[Between 1820 and 1902] It was built in the style of the Regency period, which [consists?] of a square, solid stone structure with long windows and three hip roofs pointing east to west.

1902 The size and style of the building changed when it was extended due to a sudden influx of British settlers.

1979 The church was severely damaged by Hurricane David on Aug. 29th. It was eventually rebuilt.

2017 The roof of the church was destroyed again by Hurricane Maria in September 18th.”

Below that is a block of text under the heading “Look out for,” which reads:

“The Anglican cemetery still holds the oldest tombstones and inscriptions on the island. The cemetery itself is situated half a mile from the church to the south at the beginning of Newtown.

“The Celtic Cross reads ‘In loving memory of William Potts Rees Williams, born in North Wales 29th Sep. 1853 and entered into rest 19th June 1910. For 29 years medical officer in Dominica.”

Photos at left are of the church (caption “The Anglican Church pre-1902”) and the Celtic cross tombstone in the cemetery (caption “Celtic Cross is that of Dr Rees Williams. Father of Jean Rhys, famous author born in Dominica”).

William Rees Williams was a man whose “dreamy, rebellious, and adventurous” personality made it difficult for him to settle to the discipline and intellectuality of his family home in Wales or a respectable life in Victorian England. He arrived in Dominica in 1881. On his arrival, he was a doctor on a repair ship. Later, he served as a Government medical officer, expected to provide free medical relief to the sick poor. He was allowed to supplement his Government salary in a private medical practice for fee-paying patients, but he sometimes also refused payment from the poor in his private practice. During the 1880s, he became involved in Dominican politics, being appointed to the Board of Health in 1884. Also in 1884, he was nominated to the Legislative Assembly but resigned in 1886, after his medical duties prevented him from attending a crucial vote. In 1884, Rees Williams began to set aside Fridays for work on a sweet potato farming venture, and by 1887 he had switched to limes and cacao on the 105-acre estate he owned until 1901. At that time he was adjudged “a man of considerable means.” During the 1890s, he played a key role in securing constitutional change in Dominica. In 1896, he was nominated to the Roseau Town Board and soon became its longtime chairman. In 1898, he one of the leaders of the movement for Crown Colony Rule, although it caused him to lose some patients. By 1910, he was listed among the seven richest men in the Roseau. (This information comes from the blog https://jeanrhysreviewdotorg.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/williams-rees-williams-in-dominica.pdf, which lists among its sources the 24 June 1910 obituary of Dr. Williams and writings of his daughter, the novelist Jean Rhys [pronounced “Rees,” original name Ella Gwendolen Rees Williams], who was awarded the Order of the British Empire for her writing.)

4:44 PM – Roseau: statue in traffic circle with plaque on base and sign on fence identifying it as “Neg Mawon Emancipation Monument”; text on sign reads:

“This Monument is a symbol of freedom and emancipation. It is a tribute to all the enslaved Africans who suffered and were executed in the history of Dominica.

“It honours the Maroons who risked their lives to fight for the emancipation of all. It pays homage to those who were sold and executed at the Old Roseau Market and who were held at the Barracoon Building in Roseau before being sold and sent to the plantations.

“This monument salutes the memory of our African ancestors and the immense contribution of their skills to our early infrastructure and the development of agriculture in Dominica through the shedding of their blood, sweat and tears.

“It celebrates the powerful and lasting influence which our African ancestors had on Dominica’s present day culture, especially in our forms of music, language, costumes and cuisine.

“This memorial is a reminder to all Dominicans that we should continue to sustain our African heritage and its many cultural expressions.”

The Neg Mawon Emancipation Monument, on a roundabout at the intersection of Turkey Lane, Victoria Street, and Castle Street in Roseau (other sources say it is on Dame Mary Eugenia Charles Blvd), erected in 2013. The monument recalls negre maron chiefs who resisted slavery by taking to the bushes and lost their lives. It was erected near the area the slaves knew as their Babylon, the Roseau Old Market, a place of punishment and execution for slaves. The statue had to be repaired and replaced following Hurricane Maria in 2017.

4:44 PM – Roseau: World Wars Memorial monument nearby - side with WWI inscription.

Roseau: World Wars Memorial, side with WWI inscription (By XeresNeiro Own Work https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:War_Monument,_Roseau,_Dominica.jpg).

The World Wars Memorial is located in a small park on Dame Mary Eugenia Charles Boulevard in Roseau. On one side is a scroll marker for World War I with the inscription “Dominica – In memory of those from Dominica who gave their lives in the Great War 1914-1918” followed by the names and ranks of 24 soldiers. On the reverse side is a smaller marker for World War II with the inscription “Dominica – In memory of those from Dominica who gave their lives in World War II 1939-1945” followed by the names of 5 soldiers (without ranks).

Then our tour ended back at the Viking Sea.

4:49 PM – Roseau: rainbow as we were about to board Viking Sea.

Around 6 pm, the Viking Sea set sail for St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda 135 nautical miles).

MT 5:30 PM – Roseau: view of Caribbean sunset from Viking Sea (mild telephoto 38 mm).

6:06 PM – Roseau: view of Caribbean sunset from Viking Sea.

MT 5:57 PM – Roseau: view of Caribbean sunset from Viking Sea (mild telephoto 36 mm).

At 6:15, we went to the onboard Restaurant for dinner. Don’s pre-ordered menu had butternut squash soup for the first course, but they were out of it (it was deleted from the actual menu). So he tried to order mushroom soup, but that had ginger. His third try was Tiger Prawns. MT had paté au foie gras. For the main course, we both had Chicken Kiev. For dessert, Don ordered Sacertorte (a chocolate cake of Austrian origin with apricot jam on top), but MT didn’t remember from Vienna on our 2018 Viking river cruise that it was chocolate, and she had to change to crème brulee.

After dinner, we met our Canadian friend Tom, who invited us to take a taxi with them to the French side of St. Martin on Friday, but we had read that the included tour would cover both the Dutch and French sides of the island and had free time to explore the French part. So we declined his offer.

Later, one of our daughters accidentally Facetimed us (intending to call her sister), and we talked with her and her children.