Capital City Castries (In Kwéyòl Kastwi)
Reasons To Be Cheerful Part 8
There shall be many vignettes about Castries over the lifespan of these blogs. It’s the capital city of St Lucia.
There are an infinite number of interesting topics and stories to write about this bustling, thriving, energetic, and surprisingly beautiful city.
Looking Down On Castries Harbour View From Morne Fortune
Top Tip: Visit Castries
Castries is the great enigma of St Lucia. Sometimes unloved, and unappreciated, but it is most valued. Like most capital cities it carries the weight of expectation and burden of the people of the country. Country folk are suspicious of the capital. City folk are frustrated by it. It’s the same the whole world over! Capital cities can divide a country.
Like all great cities, it’s dirty, noisy, and a bit smelly in places, and has areas of foreboding, but it is a charming safe city, filled with great people, wonderful characters, with astonishing stories, which they will always make time to tell you.
Castries By Night
For an amazing combined all-encompassing view of Castries. Seek out the lookout spots on the south side of the city, from the high vantage points on the Morne Fortune, where all life, topography, architecture, harbour, and splendour can be seen, appreciated and taken in. The beauty of the city really does unfold with the panoramic analysis view of the gods.
Castries From The Morne Fortune.
Down In The City
Despite the ‘Great Fire’ of Castries in 1948 some of the charming heritage French and British architecture is still visible.
Below Left: My Grandparents House. And it’s standing proudly to this day (Originally built Circ 1880 by my grandmother’s father-in-law)
Below Right: The Reproduction Walcott Museum Building.
Both Buildings stand opposite each other on Grass Street.
Top Tip: Visit the Derek Walcott Museum. (St Lucian National Trust) Above left.
Top Tip: Visit the St Lucia National Trust social media pages if you’re planning to visit St Lucia. If you’re planning to stay a little while longer on the island, please join them. It really is amazing value for money. And they do unbelievably great work for St Lucia.
St Lucia’s (Castries) Favourite Sons: Sir Arthur Lewis & Sir Derek Walcott
The Great Fire of Castries in 1948 where 80% of the city was razed to the ground. The teenage Derek Walcott immortalised the tragedy into his poem. “A City’s Death by Fire.”
Top Tip: Check out St Lucia tourism social media platforms & the St Lucian National Trust web sites around December January & February each year for information about Laureates Week. There are always many exciting, cultural, and entertaining events, over seven days of celebration, across the whole island. There’s something for everyone, and the events are mostly free.
Sir Arthur Lewis Sir Derek Walcott
Castries is the home of the two St Lucian Nobel Laureates. The most Laureates per capita than any country in the world. Sir Arthur Lewis won his Nobel Prize for Economics in 1979. Sir Derek Walcott for Literature in 1982.
Above are charcoal drawings of the two laureates drawn by two amazing students from St Mary’s College Castries, Verlorn Francis and Kaevan Dolor
Top Tip: Absolutely Visit The world-renowned Castries food-market located in the centre of the city. It was ranked third “Best Food Market in the World” by National Geographic Magazine in 2022. Which is a huge achievement and something to be proud of and celebrated by the people of St Lucia. (Top Tip: See Blog No4 Re Castries Market)
Castries is unique being a melting pot for all things African, British, and French. The city has great history, it’s the epitome of a developing Caribbean city. It’s simultaneously crazy, calm, fast and extremely slow all at once. It’s a modern fascinating city, fuelled by the energy of youthful Caribbean exuberance. And I really love it!
St Lucia War Effort.
Unbeknown to many people. As well as sending many of its sons to the battlefields of Europe in both world wars. St Lucia and Castries played its part in World War 2. The ships Lady Nelson, and the Umtata, which were assisting the European war effort were torpedoed and sunk in the harbour by a German submarine. Both ships still remain on the sea bed such is the depth of this natural deep-water harbour. Lady Nelson St Lucia War Memorial Castries.
The abundant natural deep-water harbours that surround this strategic tropical island is one of the main reasons why the French and the British fought 14 times for St Lucia. Castries harbour provides safe shelter to all shipping, in what could be one of the most climatically challenging areas of the world.
The other reason St Lucia was so coveted by the naval powers of the day, was the large deposits of sulphur mostly located in Soufriere (In Kwéyòl Soufwiyè) which was widely used at the time for the production of Gun Powder.
Castries Harbour: Cruise Ship Dominating The Castries Skyline (Below)
From the roadside the visiting cruise ships appear to be the biggest structures in the city. They probably are, as Castries is very small, and not yet perfectly formed.
Top Tip: Visit the Basilica Of The Immaculate Conception. The inside décor is absolutely breath-taking. It really is worth a proper visit. It’s a most beautiful building with an indomitable spiritual feel.
The beautiful painting below of the Basilica is by a local artist Jonathan Gladding. (See Blog No6)
Located in the centre of the town the inspiring and humbling Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Which features breath-taking murals and paintings by Saint Lucia’s renowned painter Sir Dunstan St Omer. And fabulous carvings of biblical stories and icons. The church is stunningly beautiful inside. (For more information, please visit the Church Social media pages.)
St Lucia is the wedding and honeymoon capital of the world. I have seen many beautiful weddings at the Basilica. Inside the building is an array of colours that bounce off the walls and dance with the light. It really is a truly magical coming together of light colour and space that just works perfectly with weddings and celebrations.
Inside The Basilica
One doesn’t have to be of any personal faith or persuasion to feel the numinous resonance of spirituality within the space. It really is a mind-blowing building, with a transcendent character which can be experienced and appreciated by all.
NOTE: If there is a function going on. Anyone can sit at the back and take in the beauty of the occasion. It will never be a problem to just sit in a St Lucian Church and take in the ambiance of the ceremony be it a wedding or a funeral, or just choir practice.
Top Tip: I know we are all doing what we can, but please! There is a fund for the up-keep of the building and the restoration of the artwork. All donations are very welcome and needed.
Tree Of Life
Opposite the Basilica is Derek Walcott Square (formerly Columbus Square) which is a public park. Situated within the park is one of the oldest known trees in the Caribbean. It truly is an awe-inspiring and magnificent endowment. The tree is beautifully tactile and great for hugging.
Hidden Castries
I continue to explore Castries and walk south through Bridge Street. I get to the Vieux Fort Bus station located opposite the harbour. An area I know as Hospital Road. I’m taken aback by the sight of a huge pristine statue of “Christ on the Cross.” Which I can see above some of the houses.
Hospital Road
What’s even more extraordinary about the cross’s location, is that it surrounded by burial tombs and houses built on a cemetery.
The area is a grave yard, which I’m informed was originally designated for clergy and St Lucian upper classes only.
In this grave yard the tombs revealed that some real high profile and prominent St Lucian family persons are buried there (I urge you to take a look for yourselves when you can.)
The Cross Of Hospital Road
A resident of the area approaches me as he sees that, I’m taking photographs of the area. The man is tall, six feet four perhaps. He had very long but thinning ‘dread-locks’ hair-style. He is only wearing a pair of old Chelsea football shorts, flip-flops and a gold tooth. He had a small towel reaching barely over his shoulders, it was so small his gold medallion of a Lion’s head around his neck was clearly visible.
Tombs Overrun By houses, A Washing-Line And Weeds.
He squares up to me. Not aggressively but determinedly, but he does smile. (I believe smiling is so important.) I smile back. He introduces himself as Solomon. We bump fists.
He politely asks me. “What I’m doing?”
I tell him that. “I’m just curious and interested in what I can see.”
He said. “You see how we have to live? Film away!”
I explained to him genuinely taken back by this scene before me. This is the first time in all my years in St Lucia I have seen this.
In true Lucian style he gives me a brief oral history of the area.
He was very charming, friendly and entertaining. Above all I got the impression he loved living here. Then he says he can’t stay and chat too long because he’s going for his morning shower at his ‘baby-mothers house.’ I asked no further questions. Tomb & Mausoleum on Hospital Road
Homeward Bound.
Time up in Castries as my hard-working over heated feet would testify, I need to be sitting feet-up with a cold drink. So, I head home.
On my balcony I’m dazzled by another sensational “Helen of The West” sun-set, bringing to a close another perfect day.
This time of year, the sun-set moves from the centre of my vista, across Rodney Bay to the right-hand side of Pigeon Island.
It’s a real privilege getting to track the movement of the sun-sets across bay as the seasons reposition themselves to natures equilibrium.
Last Word.
Sun-set, it must be time for a drink and some music. To complete the symmetry the jazz accompaniment tonight it has to be one of the modern female greats ‘Esperanza Emily Spalding’ with the tune “Overjoyed!” A song that speaks of home and place. I pour a rum and coconut water, and enjoy the sounds of jazz against the back drop of Pigeon Island.
My mind ponders on the day, and I think of Solomon and the people who live amongst the mausoleums, tombs and debris of Hospital Road. I consider that in life there are occasions that just stop you in your tracks, and make you reflect on the indomitable spirit of human nature.
Then I think of a conversation I had with the artist Jonathan Gladding. Who in turn told me a phrase from The Honourable Dunstan St Omer (The artist who designed the St Lucian flag.) “The tragedy of St Lucia is that it’s poverty is so picturesque.” I think Dunstan captured it all.
The End of Reasons To Be Cheerful Part 8
If you liked or have any comments that you would like to offer. Please share.
Thank you.
Acknowledgments & Thanks:
- Kwéyòl Dictionary Ministry of Education Government of St Lucia 2001
- Joe Johnson for Additional photographs and skilful bar-management
- Tony Nayager for corrective guidance. (He knows what I mean!) & Additional Photographs.
- Thanks to Jonathan Gladding for the use of the image The Basilica Of The Immaculate Conception
- Leon Williams for additional photographs.
- Geraldine Waring for additional photographs.
- Soloman. The smiling Rasta of Hospital Road.
If you liked or have any comments that you would like to offer. Please share.
Thank you.
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