Pointe-à-Pitre, Grande-Terre
This port city has all the visual contrasts of a typical small town on the French Riviera: tall modern buildings, quaint old wooden structures with wrought-iron balconies, brightly colored fishing boats anchored offshore, sleek cruise ships docked at a sparkling new port facility, bustling people dressed in the latest business fashions and sunburned tourists in shorts and sandals.
But the smell – ah, the smell is pure Caribbean. Whiffs of spices drift from an open-air market. The unique scent of saltwater hangs thickly in the air. Flowers, ferns and mossy trees sweeten the odor of auto-exhaust fumes.
Place de la Victoire
In the tree-shaded historic district surrounding the park-like oasis of Place de la Victoire, lovely colonial buildings provide a glimpse of old Guadeloupe. The square itself once held the dreaded guillotine used to behead aristocrats who opposed a revolutionary government. Today, the three-block plaza has green lawns, wide sidewalks, a fountain, a bandstand and a statue of Félix Éboué, the island’s first black governor.
Quaie de La Darse
Quaie de La Darse, at one end of the square, is where ferry boats deliver and pick up inter-island passengers. It is usually jammed with vendors selling fresh fruit, colorful cotton dresses and a variety of tacky souvenirs. Bordering streets lead to the town’s oldest structures, which have survived hurricanes and the demands of developers.
Rue Brébian is the square’s western boundary, and the art-deco courthouse known as Palais de Justice sits at the corner of Rue Alexandre Isaac, the northern boundary. One block farther north, Rue d’Alsace- Lorraine leads left to the little Place Gourbeyre and the local outdoor flower market. At the far end of the place, the Basilique de Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul has beautiful stained-glass windows and gingerbread metal work. A statue of Admiral Gourbeyre, who rescued many islanders after the devastating hurricane of 1843, stands outside the church.
Victor Schoelcher Museum
Back toward the water, a left on Rue Schoelcher then a left on Rue Peynier brings you to the Musée Victor Schoelcher which was recently improved for the 150-year anniversary of the end of slavery on Guadeloupe. The pink-and-white colonial house is a tribute to Victor Schoelcher, a wealthy Parisian businessman who presided over the abolition movement and represented Martinique in the French Senate. You can view Schoelcher’s artworks and memorabilia at the museum.
Near the Schoelcher Museum, the Marché Saint- Antoine is a happy jumble of shoppers and sellers. Farmers spill out of the red-roofed open-air shelter onto the streets and sidewalks. Fresh fruits and vegetables are piled high on wooden tables shaded by colorful umbrellas, grandmotherly vendors take browsers by the arm and gently coax them to sniff uncovered bins of pungent spices, and good-natured patois chatter is tossed easily from stall to stall.
Sougues-Pagès House
Between the market and the Quai de La Darse, at the corner of Rue Boisneuf and Rue de Nozières off Rue Saint-John-Perse, sits the 19th-century Sougues- Pagès house. This prefab chalet-style home was once owned by the director of the Darboussier sugar factory and now serves as a museum devoted to the Guadeloupe-born Nobel Laureate Alexis de Saint- Léger, well known as the poet Saint-John Perse.
Even if you don’t want to tour the museum, walk past the Sougues-Pagès house at 9 Rue de Nozières to see the exterior architecture. This style home was popular among wealthy Guadeloupeans during the second half of the last century. The houses were manufactured in pieces in France by workshops that specialized in the metallic architecture made popular by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the designer of the Eiffel Tower. All the pieces of each house were boxed and shipped to Guadeloupe, where they were assembled.
The trademark of these houses is the elegantly crafted wrought-iron railings enclosing wraparound balconies. Every room in the home opens onto the outdoor verandah, which serves as both additional living space and decoration.
The first floor of the Musée Saint-John Perse looks like a typical affluent home from the late 1800s, and mannequins dressed in colonial Créole costumes bring the epoch to life. The second floor is dedicated to the poet who was born down the street at 54 Rue de Nozières. Visitors can view his letters, photographs and personal possessions. Stairs lead to a third floor, which is now a library.
Centre Saint-John Perse
Back at the waterfront, a short walk from Musée Saint-John-Perse, the new Centre Saint-John-Perse is a good place to grab lunch or do some shopping. If a cruise ship is in port, the modern $20-million complex will be crowded, but the chic boutiques and restaurants are worth a visit. Pick up some island rum or a bottle of French perfume, peek into the Hotel Saint- John Anchorage, enjoy a French-Caribbean snack and admire the profuse tropical plants that border the clean, wide walkways.
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