Martinique is a French island immediately south of Dominica. When we say French we mean French as very few people speak English, including many customs officers.

St. Pierre, Martinique, is a picturesque town on the north end of Martinique. It has a sad history as on May 8, 1902 Mt. Pelee erupted with the pyroclastic flow killing 30,000 people in the town shortly after 8 a.m. About 1,000 people had left before the eruption as there had been warnings and even a few deaths back in February. Of those that stayed there were only two survivors, one being a man accused of murder that was contained in a thick cell. The town is full of ruins from the eruption and there is a bit of an eerie feeling as you walk the streets and imagine the horrendous destruction that occurred just over 100 years ago.