When I first announced I was off to Martinique for a year my news was met with various expressions of wonderment and bewilderment: frowns, raised eyebrows, open-mouths and many 'ohhhs' and 'ahhhs' accompanied questions and quizzical looks. Notionless and motionless are two words which best sum up some of my friend's reactions. A tiny, tropical Caribbean island was probably not the first thing to appear in their minds; in fact, clear confusion was often noted, as was the occassional comical admittance to a loosening grip on geographical domains (NB: Reboot the GPS).
Martinique is indeed in the Caribbean. It is a French DOM (Département d'Outre-Mer) which forms part of the French West Indies, and along with Guadelope and St. Lucia it is also known as one of the Windward Isles. Into that mix Martinique is...
