Caribbean Beat — May/June 2019 (#157)

Santhosh Varghese/Shutterstock.com
Pawel Kazmierczak/Shutterstock.com
Spice it up
It’s hard to spend a day in the Spice Island and
not taste a hint of nutmeg: it’s ubiquitous in the
island’s cuisine, and sometimes it seems the very
breeze coming down from the hills carries its
scent. A fifth of the world’s nutmeg is grown on
this single island, and if you love a dash of the
freshly grated spice in your desserts or drinks —
who doesn’t? — this is the place to stock up on
whole nutmegs, whether at a traditional market
or in a grocery. Look out too for delicious nutmeg
jam, another perfect souvenir: as you spread it on
toast for breakfast, the scent will take you back to
Grenada’s green hills.
A rescue remembered
For over fifty years, a statue
called Christ of the Deep on the
St George’s waterfront has
served as a convenient landmark,
and a memorial to a
tragedy averted by the heroic
efforts of ordinary Grenadians.
On 22 October, 1961, the Italian
liner Bianca C, a regular visitor
to St George’s, caught fire in the
harbour, with over six hundred
passengers and crew on board.
As the alarm was raised, dozens
of boats — from luxury yachts
to small fishing vessels —
formed a rescue flotilla. With
the exception of three crewmen injured in the initial explosion, everyone
was rescued — and housed and fed for two weeks, through the efforts of
many Grenadian volunteers. The statue was a thank-you gift from the Bianca
C’s owners — and the wreck itself (above) is now a famous if challenging dive
site off Grenada’s southwestern coast.
History
Founded in 1650 by settlers from Martinique as Port Louis, St George’s soon
acquired a fort on its promontory — originally named Fort Royale — as the
French colonists waged battle against the indigenous Caribs. When Grenada
was ceded to Britain in 1763, the town was renamed for the patron saint
of England. Long the island’s chief port, and one of the Caribbean’s bestsheltered
anchorages, St George’s also served a stint as capital of the British
Windward Islands. Independence came to Grenada in 1974. Four years later,
the New Jewel Movement led by Maurice Bishop seized power from dictatorial
prime minister Eric Gairy, launching the Grenada Revolution. Fort
George was the site of the Revolution’s bloodiest and most tragic moment in
1983, when a NJM faction arrested and executed Bishop — shot against a
wall inside the fort with seven others.
Another blow to the city came in 2004 when the first hurricane in half a
century struck Grenada. Category Three Hurricane Ivan damaged ninety
per cent of Grenada’s houses alongside many St George’s landmarks.
Recovery took years.
courtesy Pure Grenada Tourism Authority
Beach time
Just a mile south of St George’s is one of the Caribbean’s
most famous beaches: the long, golden expanse of Grande
Anse, lined with big resorts, small guesthouses, restaurants,
and every other kind of tourism amenity — but none rising
above the height of the coconut trees. The calm bay is perfect
for swimming and watersports, and there’s no shortage
of beachfront bars for sunset cocktails. But if you’re looking
for a slightly more secluded swim, head one bay south to
horseshoe-shaped Morne Rouge, which hasn’t yet been
built up from end to end.
St George’s
Grenada
Co-ordinates
12º N 61.75º W
Sea level
Caribbean Airlines operates regular flights to Maurice Bishop International Airport in Grenada from Trinidad, with
connections to other destinations in the Caribbean and North and South America
WWW.CARIBBEAN-AIRLINES.COM
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