Some of the country's best stretches of sand, according to acclaimed athlete and St. Lucia local Julien Alfred, include Sugar Beach, Reduit Beach, and Cariblue Beach.

Now a sovereign nation under the British Commonwealth, St. Lucia’s charms lie not only in its stunning beauty but also in its vibrant, hard-earned culture and welcoming people.

St Lucia is a small island nation in the eastern Carribbean with a population of around 180,000 people. The crowd of spectators in Paris who watched Alfred take gold reached 69,000.

The Feast of St. Lucia is widely celebrated throughout Scandinavia in schools, churches and homes. For my family, it was a time to come together over good food.