Travel the World - Saint Lucia

I started a 50-week series in 2019 that I called Travel the World. Each week of the series I visited a randomly-selected country, sharing bits of information about that country. I then chose one tidbit of information about that week's country as inspiration for a card. As I explored those 50 countries in 2019, I knew I would continue on until I've visited every one of the 195 countries in the world. By the end of 2021, I'd virtually traveled to 145 countries and plan to complete my journey to all 195 countries by visiting the last 50 this year.

This week's country is...

Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia is an island located in the Caribbean Sea. In fact, St Lucia is one of more than 7,000 individual islands found in a region of the Americas called the Caribbean.

It is the second largest island of the Windward Islands.

Saint Lucia is located northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique (France).

There are breathtaking mountains, lush rainforests, volcanic sand beaches and colorful coral reefs in this small island country. This makes St Lucia a popular place for tourists to visit from all around the world – especially people who love to dive and snorkel!

Saint Lucia was named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse by the French, the island’s first European settlers, and the only country in the world named after a woman.

English is the official language of Saint Lucia, although 95% of the population speak Saint Lucian French or Patois. Furthermore, it is thought that roughly 20% of the population doesn’t speak English at all.

St. Lucia is just over 238 square miles – 27 miles long and 14 miles wide. It has 98 miles of coastline.

Saint Lucia is three and a half times the size of Washington, DC. 

Mount Gimie is Saint Lucia’s highest mountain, standing over 3,000 feet tall. Saint Lucia has more mountains than most other Caribbean islands, and was formed as a result of volcanic activity.

St. Lucia is home to the world's only drive-in volcano. Sulphur Springs—or as advertised in St. Lucia the ‘’world’s only drive-in volcano’’—is an active volcanic pit that spews mud and sulfur, creating impressive natural hot spring baths. As the nickname suggests, visitors are able to drive all the way up to the edge of the springs for an astonishing view. 

The year-round temperature in St. Lucia is 80 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The country is 70% covered in rainforest.

There are 180 species of birds on the island.

St. Lucia is the only country where one will find the Jacquot (St. Lucia Parrot). Not surprisingly, it is the national bird.

St. Lucia boasts a very diverse indigenous wildlife. Among other species, the island is also home to several kinds of snakes, lizards and reptiles. Their presence is so evident that some of the earliest settlers of the island called it ‘’the island of iguanas”.

St Lucia is home to lots of incredible marine life, such as dolphins, whales and sea turtles. In fact, three species of sea turtles swim off the coast of this beautiful island – leatherback turtles, hawksbill turtles and green sea turtles.

Some surprising and quirky wildlife species live on the island, too – including the agouti (a member of the rodent family), as well as mongooses, opossum, bats and wild pigs.

The Diamond Falls are consistently described as one of the natural wonders of St Lucia. The Diamond Falls offers three popular attractions: well-conceived gardens, a beautiful waterfall colored by mineral deposits, and healing mineral hot spring baths originally built for the troops of King Louis the XVI of France.

Saint Lucia attracts around 350,000 tourists per year, and has a booming fishing industry which benefits the locals.

Hewanorra Airport is the only airport in Saint Lucia which accepts commercial airlines, so many tourists arrive from other destinations by cruise ship.

The capital city of Saint Lucia is Castries. This is the most popular city for tourism and where all the cruise ships come into port.

Saint Lucia's main economy is tourism but agriculture is also a large part of its economy with bananas, avocados, and mangos being main crops. Clothing and electronic goods are also exported too, but on a smaller scale. 

Chocolate has been produced on the island of St Lucia since the 1700s, thanks to the island's ideal growing circumstances, which include volcanic soil, sunlight, and rain. Today, visitors and their locals can make their own chocolate bars through some of the famous chocolate factories and the touring industry in St. Lucia.

Many Saint Lucians do not get married until they are middle aged.

Saint Lucia’s cuisine includes flavors from West Africa, Great Britain, France and East India. Hearty fish soups, macaroni pie, and stewed chicken are popular dishes. Common ingredients include potatoes, onions, celery, thyme, coconut milk, spicy scotch bonnet peppers, flour and cornmeal.

The island is also home to fried or baked dough referred to as ‘Johnny Cake’ and often served with salt fish sauteed with peppers and onions.

Every October, the island celebrates Creole Heritage Month, a mix of colorful street parties, art exhibitions, music, theatre, talks, and delicious food.

The Saint Lucia Jazz Festival each May draws visitors and musicians from around the world. The Festival’s grand finale takes place on Pigeon Island, located north of the main island of St. Lucia.

My inspiration for this week's card is based on this fact about Saint Lucia... Once a hideout for pirates, it is believed that Blackbeard himself stashed his treasures in St. Lucia.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set: Nellie Snellen Treasure and Frantic Stamper You're a Treasure stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Paper: Accent Opaque 120# White and SU Soft Suede CS and DP from my scrap file

Dies: MFT Stitched Rectangle and Paper Roses Stitched Circles

Embellishments: American Crafts Ribbon and a Pirate Flag Brad from an unknown vendor