Valentine's Day in France - Martinique Since Martinique is a province of France, it proved to be a perfect setting for a couple of romantic old fools on Valentine's Day. The local market was filled with gorgeous flowers - ginger-lilies, antherium and bird of paradise to name a few. In the courtyard two prickly pear trees caught our attention. During our stay in Martinique the Soufriere volcano (l85 miles north of us) on the island of Montserrat was erupting prompting N.O.A.A. to issue an ash advisory. Sea Star was coated in a layer of ash for several days. As a matter of interest, in the Customs office in Martinique, there are several large signs posted advising travellers regarding "knock-off" items (copyrighted material). It is illegal to bring in any imitation designer clothing, leather belts, handbags, shoes, perfume etc. One sign shows a guy wearing a pair of sunglasses and reads, "If you're hiding behind these, we'll find you". This is obviously an effort to protect France's lucrative fashion industry. The fine, if caught with copyright infringement merchandise is 300,000 Euros and 3 years imprisonment.