St. Thomas is the gateway island of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean but we used it as our launching point to the British Virgin Islands and to enjoy our last two days in the islands.
The territorial capital is Charlotte Amalie and was founded by the Danish in the 1600s.
There are lovely historical buildings to explore including a 1679 watchtower called Blackbeard’s Castle, in reference to the area’s pirate history.
We spent the day wandering through the town and especially enjoyed The Royal Dane Mall, This is the oldest structure in St. Thomas, built around 1831, with local stone and imported brick. Sailing ships from Europe and North America brought light cargoes of special food-stuffs and manufactured goods in exchange for a weightier export of sugar, molasses and run. The heavy ballast of brick and building materials needed on the outward journey could be sold on St. Thomas at a price – hence the variety of bricks observable throughout the alley.
That these substantial warehouses have survived, hurricanes and earthquakes is a testimony to the skill of the West Indian craftsmen who built them.
After our visit, we spent the afternoon enjoying rum drinks being offered throughout the town by local vendors and then headed off to dinner at Blackbeards.
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