Reunited and it felt so good

 A view to die for!

 I discovered that Eliane and I share a love for gardening.

My heart stopped suddenly when I saw these stunning sealing wax palms, just imagine four clusters of them. They were all growing effortlessly while I have been trying to coax a little spindly one at home in Barbados.
 

Imagine eating everyday with this view for company!
 

Heliconias of varying shades and species dot the landscape around the house.





Eliane and Eric are keen permaculturists. She mentioned that it was Eric who planted the wide selection of fruit trees on their property. The fruit above was interesting and I would love to know the name of it. SOS Eric, please help me!

These torch gingers had me mesmerised.

Bamboo orchids growing as if they were meant to be there.






My friend Eliane and I met just over thirty five years ago while she was a student at the Sorbonne in Paris. We have kept in touch over the years seeing each other from time to time in Paris, Martinique and Barbados.

The years passed and we both became preoccupied with our careers and taking care of our families. We hadn't seen each other for over twenty years. Fifteen years ago I had the pleasure of hosting two of her children at my home for two weeks.

Time passed quickly and when I told her that I will be visiting Martinique after an absence of nearly twenty years, she invited me to stay with her. I spent five wonderful days with her at her home with her son. She shares this fabulous home with her husband Eric (who was away at the time of my visit) and her three beautiful children. Their unique home nestled into a hillside, is what many of us will only dream about. It was breathtakingly beautiful with views to die for. It was so good seeing her again. Eliane et Eric merci beaucoup pour une vacance de rêve, a prochaine fois.

Bisous!

                                                        more to come...

Under the cocotiers part 2

 While in Martinique I had the opportunity to visit three of the eleven distilleries they have on the island.

 St. James Rum Museum and  Distillery in Le Bourg Sainte Marie.

 The museum houses many of the distillery's ancient equipment that were fabricated from copper. 

 The distillery was founded 1763 by a priest by the name of father Lefebure who in 1765 changed the name to St. James for a more English sounding name when Louis X1V banned all exports to the French mainland. Martinique was allowed to export to New England which later became part of the USA and other Caribbean islands. The British had ownership of Martinique on several occasions the longest during 1794 to 1850 and was handed over to France after Napoleon surrendered. 

Sugar cane was crushed and the juice extracted, it was then placed in large containers to ferment to a "wine".

  After fermentation the 'wine" was distilled by copper distillers and then placed in wooden oak barrels to age.

 The rum products are plentiful and packaged beautifully. Most of the distilleries tours are free including the museum at St. James Distillery. They had their traditional punch coco, a concoction of coconut milk, white rum and condensed milk with nutmeg and spices. There was the peanut version, the passion fruit versionand the mango version. The liqueurs were tantalizing using every fruit and spice flavour that is found on the island. Sampling made me giddy and a bit tipsy. They had cane syrup as well nicely bottled for sale. The majority rum distilleries grow most of their own sugar cane  for their production on surrounding acreage.

 A wooden mill that was turned by oxen or men used for crushing the sugar cane. It was most likely introduced by the Dutch Jews from Brazil and was the first piece of equipment used in the early days of sugar cane production .

 Copper distillers used over the years improving the production process.

Many of these distillers were used up to the late 18th century when more modern equipment  was introduced

Above photo of a modern distillation column introduced in the late 18th century 

The museum at St. James was awesome, the history of rum making in Martinique along with some of the other methods used in other islands like Jamaica  was also mentioned.  The method of rum making is fascinating, the sugar cane juice is fermented to a "wine"  then distilled to become rum and then stored in oak or walnut  casks or barrels to age depending on the desired colour. The antiquated copper vats and distillers were on show including many pieces of old machinery and railway cars that were used in earlier times and now used for tours around the plantation. 

My sister next to the train used for touring

 The equipment has changed however the methods remain the same.

The Depaz distillery was another I visited, they distilled several types of rum using different methods and equipment. It was fascinating walking through the plant.  

 Situated on the foothills of Mt. Pelée the surrounding greenery was soothing to the eye. The atmosphere oozed an air of extreme tranquillity

 Rum ageing  in wooden barrels.

 White rum stored in stainless steel vats.

 Stainless steel has replaced many of these copper distillers for a more economical production. This distiller uses both for their rum production. Large distillers bought out many small distilleries along with their equipment to continue their traditional methods for producing different types of rum.

 Many distilleries had finished production for the year and were going through their routine after production maintenance. 

 I couldn't leave Martinique without purchasing my Punch Coco and Pina colada. The retail shop at Depaz was one of the finest I have seen. The product range left me wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

JM distillery nestled in a valley in Macouba  in the North East at the foot of Mt. Pelée was the most picturesque  of the three. 

 

The distillery was closed and I was more interested in the exterior  than the inside.  I was fascinated with the river and the nearby banana shed that was preparing them for export to France.
 

Truck arriving with with bananas

 Bananas on their way to be cut and washed

 Bananas being washed. That water looked so inviting I was tempted to jump in with the bananas. My sincere thanks to Jose whose idea it was to accompany him while he visited his Martinique colleagues.
                                                           more to come ........