More Reminiscing

Monday, November 7, 2011   

                               A Photographic Architectural Tour

With a group of 4, and with Tony, our guide and photography expert, we hiked for 4 hours in and about St. Georges.  Up hills and down, sweating profusely throughout, I thought the tour would never end.  It did finally and the results built yet more memories of Grenada.

 St. George is built around the Carenage, a French word for 'careened'.  This harbor, formed as a result of a volcano collapsing many many years ago, is great anchorage (not allowed any more) and used to allow for the old ships to be 'careened' on their sides at low tide for cleaning barnacles and growth off  the bottom and doing hull repairs as needed.

Overlooking the northern edge of the  Carenage

Columbus sighted this island in 1498, but sailed on past.  In 1650, the French dropped anchor and proceeded to eradicate the indigenous people (Caribs & Awawaks).   The French built this town, called Port Royale and/or Port Louis, around the Carenage.  In 1763, the Brits took it over via the Treaty of Paris & renamed the place St. George's in honor of King George III of England.  The streets still reflect French names and some even Roman names.  The Brits never got the names changed!  

Typical street off the 'main drag'

Official building - ever so old

Damage from Hurricane Ivan is evident everywhere.  This Class 5 struck in Sept. 04 & nearly destroyed the entire island.

A working corn mill...come get your bag full.

Working corn mill

Overlooking St. George's w the Fort at the tip

Justice scales on lawyer's office

The south side of the Carenage.  Port Louis in background

The dead have the best views in town all through these islands

These at least have names, dates, unlike some in the Bahamas

Ah, the view

Overgrown is pretty

So beautiful, So old

Examples of Georgian architecture abound

Our group walking down the street, cameras in hand

Ivan's wrath still evident in the Parliament Building

Ivan made this building nearly obsolete

Facinating

Sedan porch somewhat boxed in now

Sedan porches seen from a bit of a distance

Entering the alter area

Destroyed church still in use today

Stained glass NOT damaged

Amazing.  Open air services.

Baptismal Font

Beautiful ruins

The end of another perfect day in paradise