Martinique is a part of France and is located in the Eastern Caribbean Sea. It is known as the flower of the Caribbean.

When I arrived in Martinque, there was a lovely relaxed feeling. There were clear blue skies, boulevards with trees canopied with branches shading those walking under it. There were wide paths looking out to the yachts and catamarans bobbing along the sea. The sea was clear, people were sitting around, talking and children were playing nearby.

I explored the capital, Fort de France.

Walking away from the fort, I saw the French flag and it dawned on me, that I could use euros here. There were signs in French and shops with French names on them.

I heard French being spoken. Then you could see palm trees and houses built into the hill which felt so Caribbean. I walked around taking in the views and the heat, it was 34c on a January morning, the sun was beating down and we walked into the Covered market where locals sold Caribbean and tropical fruits, vegetables such as plantain and yams, local rum and spices.

We walked up the main shopping street which was bustling.

We found a square where the town hall was. The trees gave us a little shade. There were shacks serving smoothies and playing reggae music, we sat down and had a local beer called Lorraine which quenched the thirst.

We walked down some of the sideroads and saw the Saint Louis Cathedral.

We walked to the libary which had unusual architecture.

Napolean Bonaparte’s wife Josephine came from Martinque and has made Martinque famous for this. She was known as Empress Josephine.

This island had a nice feel, it had a European vibe to it in regards to the squares, it had a Caribbean feel to it in regards to the heat and palm trees.