Mental Floss

On my Christmas list #5: A Week in the Caribbean

BY|

And this is one you're going to be hearing about all next week, as I

gloat

take you with me on an Armchair Field Trip (or in my case, an actual trip) to Grenada. I got my wish! But don't worry, I'll still be checking in with you guys while I'm traveling, because I am an enormous dork.

A little trivia from Wikipedia and Grenada Explorer to get things started:

  • The recorded history of Grenada begins in 1498, when Christopher Columbus first sighted the island. The Amerindians called their island Camerhogue, but Columbus renamed it Concepcion. However, passing Spanish sailors found its lush green hills so evocative of Andalusia that they rejected this name in favor of Granada. The French then called it La Grenade, and the British followed suit, changing Grenade to Grenada (pronounced Gre-nay-da).
  • Grenada is sometimes called spice island. Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace, and especially nutmeg, providing 20% of the world supply, are all important exports. There is a nutmeg on the nation's flag.
  • The island was invaded by forces from the United States purportedly at the behest of Dame Eugenia Charles, of Dominica. Five other Caribbean nations participated with Dominica and the USA in the campaign, called Operation Urgent Fury. ... Political scientist Stephen Shalom later said that the invasion was carried out "not to save U.S. nationals, who would have been far safer without U.S. intervention, but so that Washington might make clear that it ruled the Caribbean and that it was prepared to engage in a paroxysm of violence to enforce its will."

Yup, paroxysms of violence are just what I look for in a vacation spot... Ah, well. Wish me luck!