January 7, 2008

The Island of Grenada

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Grenada, the southernmost Windward Island, is best known for its spices (most notably, nutmeg). It is 21 miles long and 12 miles wide. This friendly and laid-back island was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1498. It has been Spanish, French, and British. It was languishing until the 1830s, when its chief crop, nutmeg, became a popular and coveted spice. St. George is a bustling town with lots of tourists and activity. We took a taxi from the airport where we "parked" the helicopter and visited the spice market and a local restaurant called the Nutmeg.

Spice Market in St. George:

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We bought a lot of spices from Miss Gloria's:

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Everyone is very friendly in the spice market:

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Homemade hot sauces, condiments, flavorings, and seasonings are sold throughout the market:

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Spice is also packaged in plastic bags...

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...or in handmade baskets:

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I really enjoy my coconut water!

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Decor at the Nutmeg:

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Sugar-coated tamarind balls were utterly delicious -- I bought a whole bagful!

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Beautiful stone and brick architecture can be found in the towns and villages of Grenada:


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Unique concrete grouting is a special feature of the brick building in St. George


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Our pilot, Bill Lavallee, was a helicopter flight leader in the American invasion of Grenada. This year marks the 25th anniversary of that fateful day. Bill recounted the military maneuvers that liberated a group of medical students who were confined by military insurgents, who had rebelled against the repressive dictatorship of Maurice Bishop. The so-called friendly invasion ordered by President Reagan was not without American casualties, but it did result in an end to Cuban expansionism and a threat of Eastern Bloc power on an island with a 9,000-foot runway and close proximity to the United States

This is the memorial on Grenada commemorating the American invasion of the island in October 1983:


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Bill Lavallee's friend, Captain Keith J. Lucas, died in the invasion. This monument to him overlooks the harbor:

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