Erasmus+ Teacher’s Meeting in Martinique May 1st - May 5th, 2023

Sunday

Everyone arrived after very long journeys. Those who were ready for adventure were able to explore the coast of beautiful Diamant- a volcanic island in a bay in the southwest of Martinique- by boat and spend the day getting adjusted to the weather and gorgeous surroundings.

Monday

The official start of our week. Being May 1st, everything, including school, was closed. So we had the opportunity to try „Yole“ sailing in Marin, a town in the south of the island. These traditional fishing boats are stabilized by using long wooden poles on which the sailors must balance.

We were split into two groups, one on each of the two boats and those who preferred could stay on a motor boat. Our captains explained how these unique boats are sailed and the adventure began. It really was an awesome challenge to balance outside of the boat.

Every year a Yole Boat race takes place around the island of Martinique, attracting tourists and participants alike.

We could experience a bit of the importance of having to work as a team to maneuver these beautiful boats.

Tuesday

Our first day in school.

The „Lycee Bellevue“ really honours its name, overlooking the Carribean and offering spectacular views.

The school‘s lovely students, many who we recognized from former meetings, gave us a warm welcome.

We were then warmly greeted by the school’s headmaster and staff members.

Then some students showed us the school grounds and classrooms.

The third presentation was about „Natural, cultural heritage and entrepreneurship : available assistance and and funding in the European Union“ and showed us the role Unesco plays in promoting new sites worldwide.

After. Lunch and the chance to speak with speak with various colleagues involved in the project, we headed for Fort de France, to see Aimé Césaire’s office in the town hall.

Aimé Césaire (26 June 1913 – 17 April 2008) was a French poet, author, and politician. He was "one of the founders of the Négritude movement in Francophone literature" and coined the word négritude in French. He founded the Parti progressiste martiniquais in 1958, and served in the French National Assembly from 1945 to 1993 and as President of the Regional Council of Martinique from 1983 to 1988.

Afterwards we went to his home, which was surprisingly modest for such an important person. His former assistant showed us the rooms and we had a good impression of his life there.

Then we took the bus back to the hotel and called it a day😊

Wednesday

Today we went to the « Savane des Esclaves », an open- air museum giving a deep insight on the Carribean‘s history of slavery.

Besides being able to read about the history and the cruelty of how these people were treated, one can see authentic huts and buildings. Apart from this, the museum has an amazing collection of plants…

After our stay, we headed for the « Village de Poterie », pottery village, where various crafts from Martinique are made and sold.

After a short drive, we reached Pointe du Bout, where we enjoyed spectacular views of Fort du France and the mountains and a wonderful lunch.

We spent the afternoon wandering about while talking about various aspects of our project.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped in Anses d‘Arlet, a seaside town voted 2nd most beautiful village in France in 2020

Thursday

Back in school, we started the day with presentations of lesson plans of each country‘s natural and cultural heritage. The topics ranged from sports- defining games played in Spain- to Geography- using coordinates in Germany, learning about volcanoes and their influence on the culture of the Azores, the cultures of Romania and Poland, as well as Tourism in Martinique and the importance of heritage in general.

After these lessons we were taught how to weave, using „bakoua“, a type of palm leaves. It took a bit, but in the end we created our own bakoua- bracelets.

On the way to the botanical garden « Jardin de Balata », we had the opportunity to stop at the Sacre Coer, a smaller replica of it’s sister in Paris. Again, we could enjoy wonderful views of Fort de France.

The gardens are an absolute dream. You have the feeling of being lost in the jungle, surrounded by birds and gorgeous flowers. Walking through the treetops was definitely another highlight.

After leaving the gardens, we drove through the north‘s rainforest to the Caribbean coast, through the town of St. Pierre, the former capital. We reached the seaside village Le Carbet just in time for a magnificent sunset, which was absolutely flabbergasting.

Friday

Today the bus took us to the east coast, to « Le Domaine des Bulles », in the town of le Vauclin. This family- run hotel has a unique and eco- friendly concept. Besides having a restaurant and spa area accessible to the public, it has four „bubbles“ on separate grounds, insuring total privacy.

The complex runs on solar energy, each unit has an open air bathroom and private pool. This is definitely a beautiful place😊

Then it was time to drive a bit further, passing banana 🍌 plantations till we arrived at the Clément distillery, where we could see how this famous rum is made, visit the former home of the Clément family, now a museum, beautiful art exhibits and the gardens.

Not only the end of the meeting, this is the end of a wonderful 3- year project. But, don’t close doors, leave them open and perhaps we will get together for mutual projects in the near future.

À bientôt, mes amis😘

Fin- the End