|
St. George's Walking Tour Part 1 |
Some hillsides are surprisingly steep. Parade floats
have to be winched |
|||
|
The harbor was once an inland lake, and may be the crater of an extinct volcano. The town of St. George's, named after King George III, is one of the Caribbean 's most attractive. The old homes are painted delicate shades of yellow, beige and rose; their second stories flaunt ornate ironwork balconies. The spine of a steep hill divides St. George's: the harbor side is the most picturesque. It's known as the Carenage, while the drabber looking Esplanade fronts the Caribbean. However, the small mountain cutting through St. George's is quite steep, so this is not the easiest walk. During the annual carnival, steel band platforms have to be winched up and down the main roads because motorized vehicles have great difficulty hauling such heavy loads on the dramatic inclines. 1) "Bianca C" Statue: Commemorates the gallantry of the Grenadian people in saving passengers aboard the 600-foot Italian luxury liner which caught fire in St. George's Harbour in 1961. Three crewmen were killed in the boiler explosion. The "Bianca C" now rests in 160 feet of water offshore, one of the largest Caribbean wrecks accessible to scuba divers. 2) Cannon and Cobblestones: This is an excellent example of St. George's many cobblestone streets and illustrates a practical use for all the old cannons removed from Grenada's various forts. The cannon are used as bollards to tie up ships and to protect corners of masonry walls from cars and trucks. 3) National Library: A former brick warehouse is where the library has been located since 1892; the library itself was established in 1846. 4) Warehouse Roofs: Look closely at the red tiles on these 18th- and 19th-century stone and brick warehouses. They are fish-scale tiles originally brought in as ballast. 5) Antilles Hotel: One of St. George's oldest buildings, it has served as French barracks, a British prison, a hotel and a warehouse. Now the Grenadian National Museum, it houses a small collection of artifacts and old newspapers dramatizing the island's history and culture. Included are Arawak petroglyphs, the marble bathtub of Empress Josephine (who grew up on Martinique ) and a rum still. To St. George's Walking Tour Part 2
|
|||||
