I had read that everything on Martinique is closed on Sunday and that the local francophones don't like tourists, especially those who speak only English.
But actually I loved Fort de France and it may have been because everything was closed and we were not being constantly hounded to buy or take a tour. I especially liked the architecture and the narrow streets and lanes, which would have been packed with cars on a week day - main shopping street, Rue Victor Hugo, is in the first photo below.
We took in a show of traditional dance, visited the Shoelcher Library, Hotel de Ville, and other high spots but Fort Louis was closed.
The library was built in France, disassembled and shipped to Martinique where it was rebuilt. It is named after a French anti-slavery campaigner.
It was nice to have a quieter day with less hustle and bustle. A local man in the fruit and vege market explained to me in French the different uses of green and ripe coconuts, and the scary part is that (eventually) I understood him.
Onward to Dominica!
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