A remarkable day! Good luck topping this one Wednesday!
Left around 10ish for short ride to Pointe de Chateaux. It is the primary must see spot on Grande Terre so plenty of tourists were there including a few other cyclists. We had a nice chat with a couple from Quebec that bring their bikes to Guadeloupe frequently, enjoyed the view and took advantage of the scenery for a Pearl photo shoot. It’s only 1.5 miles from the bungalow and just stunning so I expect we will be back plenty.
We cycled on to the Artisan Village close by – very nice and very high quality; wil have to return with the car. Had lunch at the restaurant that Natalie had recommended for last night. Great view and excellent food. I did make a bit of a mistake in ordering a Ti punch – the punch part clearly means “packs a punch” because that little glass was straight local rum, some sugar and a tiny bit of lime juice.
Back at the bungalow we changed into shorts and packed up some supplies for a beach walk that woulid start at the end of our street. There were two trails to follow and we started down the one that Natalie had recommended but ended up turning back as it had a fairly steep rocky descent. I hate to be a wimp but I can’t put weight on my wrist and am not at all keen on the idea of falling and breaking a fall with that hand. We turned around and took the other path; much easier but pretty long trek in blazing carribean sun with no shade. That also ended in beach access that was steep and rocky – arghhh! We kept marching in the blazing sun down a dirt and deeply rutted road that led back to the main road and then walked down the main road to return to the bungalow. So we will remember this as what not to be doing in the middle of the day on the islands!
Back at the bungalow again, we rested up a bit, regrouped, and drove to a local beach which was delightful!
Earlier in the day Natalie asked if we would like to go with them to the St Francois Market, have a local soup at Tony’s brothers restaurant and then go see some local music. That’s an offer you can’t refuse!
We left in 2 cars around 7; us, Tony, Natalie and the 3 girls (Inca, Anna, Maria). The market is great – produce, local spices, jewelry, etc. Bought some salad provisions and some guyavas! I haven’t had a guyava since I was a kid!
The soup at Tony’s brother’s restaurant was delightful – made with beef hoofs and vegetables. A delicious broth. Tony took this girls back as it was a school night and Natalie took us to see the local drummers and dancers. Amazingly good. Music was fantastic but there were no authentic dancers so Natalie buttonholed all of her male friends (many were Tony relatives) until she got one to dance. Great scene with full patio and many people, including us standing out in street.
Over the evening, we heard more of Natalie’s story. She was adopted from Columbia and raised in Switzerland by an Italan mother and Swiss father. She travelled extensively starting when she was 16 immersing herself in local culture and language. She has now settled on Guadeloupe with her partner Tony, is raising 3 beautiful daughters and looking forward to travelling with them. We’ve been so lucky to have her and Tony helping us experience the best of Grande Terre and the 3 girls are delightful. Maria has practiced her English with me and I have practiced the minute amount of French that I have with her. Speaking of French, you can see in pictures what happened when Tom ordered two Caribes (local beers)!
Tony is one of 9; 8 brothers and a sister and they are one of the three families that owns most of Pointes de Chateaux. Many have restaurants and one other brother also has bungalows.
Hard to tell the story of such a wonderful day. Maybe pictures will help
