Marie Galante

 My host-dad's uncle was getting married on one of the little island's of Guadeloupe, Marie Galante. I went with Harold's mum for the week with the boys and Estelle and Harold joined us on the Thursday evening. This is the view from the villa!

 My host-family is Guadeloupian but the parents have both lived in Paris for a few years and I do most of the cooking at home (by choice!). However it was nice to taste local, Guadeloupian/Caribbean food. This was some local vegeable soup with Accras (salted cod to survive the head, mixed in a batter) and salad. I don't like fried food but it was nice to try homemade Accras.

 Maxime liked his new look of splodges of suncream!

 I love this picture so much. It  depicts the boys so accurately. As long as there is water they are so happy. Such water babies, they will spend hours in the water!

 One evening Camille was tired but didn't want to admit it. We sat and read stories and finished some sticker puzzles. It was lovely to spend a bit of time just with Camille. He is so cute and scrummy but Maxime tends to 'outshine' Camille at everything.

 Gumbo (or Okra) with plantains and Accras.

 Some evening Pinterest time in the hammock.

 The beaches in Marie Galante were just stunning. So, so beautiful.

 The night before the wedding we went out to have some local food. This is a dish called Bibilie. Quite frankly it was gross. But I tried a spoonful. Little dumplings made from flour and water with a nice grey sauce and other bits and bobs. Weird.

 It was followed by another local dish called ___ which is pretty much boiled meat with local root vegetables, such as sweet potato, plantain, green banana and bread fruit.

 The wedding the next day was pretty much awful. So unorganised and the wedding party looked like they belonged in the 80's - (I really hope nobody that was there ever reads this and translates it to English!). But it was an experience and we stopped in some beautiful fields to take pictures, at which point I went for a wander with the boys.

 It still amazes me that all the way over on the other side of the world, a picture can look so similar to somewhere at home. The grass even feels the same!!!

Camille and I dug some holes at the beach before I went off to sunbathe on my own.

Gumbo, with okra, de-salted salt fish, onions, tomatoes, courgette, purple sweet potato and plantain.

It was Estelle's birthday on the second to last day on Marie Galante so the boys and I secretly made birthday cards for her. I am impressed with how mine turned out despite such limited resources (shame about the crappy handwriting!)

 Happy be-lated birthday to the best host-mum I could have wished for!!!

 On our last day in Marie Galante, Harold caught some Langouste (Crayfish). I helped to prepare them! I'm still shocked. The guts were pretty nasty but I'm proud of myself!

 They were delicious. Cooked with a little bit of butter to stop the grill sticking.

 Before we left we went to explore a secret beach, hidden away down an old road.

 Camille was a little excited to have found it!

And I loved the pink sand!!