Saint Helena

Antoine's view

For some curious reason, the South Atlantic is unaffected by cyclones; the trade winds practically never change direction : ?From St Helene to Ascension,? old sea dogs use to say, ?it's the best sailing?.The yachts coming from the Cape of Good Hope have the luxury of finding excellent shelter within these islands? which deserve a real stopover.

How could History associate the name of St Helene's with the image of a prison?
It is true that the island is austere when seen from afar, alarming with its abrupt shorelines and high vertical cliffs?
You just need to climb up to the higher elevations to venture upon a place like Normandy or Switzerland, lush green meadows (despite the banana plantations!) with pretty cottages - of which two were the residence of the exiled emperor.

If you should have the desire to visit St Helene is slightly complicated, no planes land here, and very few boats service the island, only a few per year, come from England,Tenerife in the Canaries, Ascension or of Cape Town?You have to wrestle with your diary but you will certainly be the only person from your town to have made it to St Helene? without being exiled...