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The capital is Charlotte Amalie.
The waterfront is a mix of Coney Island, Greenwich Village and Wall Street: this
is at least the impression upon arriving in the largest cruise port in the
Caribbean. But it is only a first impression. Past the first line of shops and
shopping tax free, you can penetrate into narrow alleys, cobbled with old Danish
names, stores colonial coral stone and terra cotta there for centuries, despite
the winds, hurricanes and brackish.
Then you climb the hill, rather three different hills, Fore Top, Main and Mizzen
and ratings, with trade wind blowing between the old walls, stone stairways and
memories of Filibusta.
Up again towards the top, and sat on the bench of the legend, the one where Sir
Francis Drake and his uncle Sir John Hawkins, pirates racing license with the
British Crown, kept their eyes to the horizon: the Drake's Seat is a concrete
bench that opens the view of at least 100 islands, of St. Thomas as well as Hans
Lollick: hence the English pirates watched the ships passing the Drake Passage. |
