Photo of the Week: Fortress

This is part of a French fortress on the island of Saint Martin, in the French Antilles (Sint Maarten in the Dutch Antilles). The island is divided between French and Dutch sides, and really wasn't what I was expecting. Though it's in the Caribbean, it feels more desert than tropical, but it's still worth a visit, and the guavaberry liqueur - and all its associated beverages - is awesome.

This photo is about as close as I got to the fort since time was limited (a drawback of going on cruises), but I could just imagine how imposing it must have looked to a Royal Navy or pirate vessel when the Caribbean, with its crops of tobacco and sugar, was one of the economic trade centers of the world and was the scene of intense battles at times.