Marigot Bay, St. Martin. September 11, 2001.
This is my post for Watery Wednesday. To see more of our watery world, or to post your own watery pictures , click HERE.
The picture above, which can be enlarged by clicking on it, was taken from the ruins of Fort St. Louis on the island of St. Martin. Our cruise ship had docked on the Dutch side of the island (St. Maarten) and we took a bus tour which took us to Marigot, the capital of the French side of the island.
St. Maarten – St. Martin is the smallest land mass in the world shared by two different nations. The island is only 37 square miles and is owned by France and the Netherlands Antilles. The French territory covers about two thirds of the island and is technically a part of Europe and the European Community. The Dutch side is a member island of the Neterlands Antilles and is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but is not considered European territory. There is no real border between the two parts of the island.
Fort St. Louis, built in 1767, overlooks Marigot Bay, and is the largest historical monument in St. Martin. The plans for the fort were sent to the island from Versailles at the order of King Louis XVI. After the French Revolution the fort was temporarily occupied by the Dutch to prevent the spread of revolutionary democracy.
The fort no longer serves any military purpose, but the steep climb we made to the summit of the peak did provide this panoramic view of the island and the sea. I would say the hike was definitely worth the effort.
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