Castries, Saint Lucia....

Late start this morning, a repeat of yesterday, no sail in photos. These 0700 arrivals are killing me.  Slow day in St. Lucia cruise ship wise, only one cruise ship in, we were however in port with the Royal Navy’s’ HMS Scott. As a last minute decision, I headed to downtown Castries with a stop at the fishing boat dock to pay a visit to a gentleman I had spoken with on my visit last week….he again warned me to stay away from the back streets of downtown Castries with my cameras…well that did not happen! This being Saturday morning the Central Market was in full swing, the busiest day at the market. Leaving the market, I toured the back streets of Castries coming to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, one of the largest churches in the West Indies with some lovely frescoes. After leaving the Cathedral, I toured the back streets, discovering the bustle of local shops and markets…I had to check my GPS to find my way back to main area of downtown…I must admit the area was a a bit dodgy…off the beaten path! Returning to the ship, we spent the day in the Retreat between rain showers. Our sail away from St. Lucia was followed by scenic cruising along the Soufriere Bay passing twin volcanic cones of the Pitons, among the most recognizable natural wonders of the West Indies. We even were blessed to have an encounter numerous dolphins.  The second time this cruise we were unable to get reservations at a specialty restaurant, so we had dinner at the Dutch Cafe…always a winner. Just not the same service as we had on the Nieuw Statendam… very disappointing.