I visited the beautiful island of St. Lucia November 2009 to attend the wedding of good friend. The word beautiful does not do this island justice. The island is covered in beautiful plants, flowers and trees. The warm humid air definitely reminds visitors that they are some place tropical.

The warm air allows for the growth of lush flowers and fruit that I have never seen before. In the evenings, the humidity level does drop to make it a little more tolerable for someone from the Midwest United States - like myself. And the residents of the island are as gracious as a family member would be. Residents speak English fluently with a unique British/Creole accent.

On Friday nights there are two island parties that visitors can attend. Friends attended the Gros Islet Fish Fry and said that it was nothing like they have ever seen and wished that there were at least two Friday's each week, just so that they could have that experience over and over again. Sunday is Country Western day on the island.......who could have imagined such a thing in the Caribbean? But they are true die-hard Country Western music followers. …

I love to meet the men and women who create art wherever I travel. I discovered St. Lucia’s most famous visual artist when I was doing my research on this lush tropical island. I did know that the island has had two very distinguished Nobel Laureates: a poet and an economist.

Dunstan St. Omer is 80 something (he doesn’t look it) and lives in a little enclave of modest homes up in the mountains. I was delighted that he had agreed to meet me and give a tour of his house and maybe talk to me about what makes his work so special to the people on the island.

First of all the charming Mr. St Omer, St. Lucia’s cultural icon, is a tall and modest man who welcomed us to his canvas scattered living room and was prepared to talk enthusiastically about himself and his family. “I love to paint and many of my nine children are also artists”, he said proudly as we settled on the sofa in his living room.

He shared his 50 year commitment to art and related that his selection as the designer of the St. Lucia …

By: Regina Fraser, Grannies on Safari Many may think that the Caribbean islands are pretty much the same – sand, beaches, history of slavery, banana and/or sugar plantations, former English, Dutch, Spanish, and French colonies. And don’t forget tropical breezes, great seafood, 5-star resorts, and maybe a carnival similar to those in New Orleans or Rio. If you have experienced these things when you visit the Caribbean then you are pretty right on target, but if you delve a little further into each island’s history and culture you may find that with the similarities there are great differences. St. Lucia is beautiful but it also has a tradition of combining ethnic and cultural communities making an experience there even richer. In its arts one can see a strong French influence and the small East Indian migration inculcated the food with tangy and spicy flavors. I encourage you to take time to learn about this island’s history, walk under the 400 year old samaan tree in Derek Walcott Square and visit the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception that was built in the late 1800’s. When we were there we meet an old man who lived in a vivid yellow …