Sunday 23 November 2008

Pointe-à-Pitre

Monday (10 November)
Pap is a bit of a chaotic place, a mish-mash of shops and markets, somewhat like Dalston for you north Londoners! We took mum for a walk around and managed to spend all our money, particularly in the spice market!
A drummer

And the real thing! Great music too.Down by La Darse - you can see the market under the large red roof. The stalls just on the side of the water are the fish sellers, who sat scaling their fish on the side of the pavement.An example of their produceThis was where the boats to Marie-Galante and Les Saintes (dependent local islands) used to leave from, but now they have been relocated it is a lot quieter.
What a lovely photo!Musee St Jean Perse - we have never been in but it shows you the colonial style of architecture that you find occasionally on the island, mainly for the owner's house on a plantation.Many of the shops in Pap have a man who stands with his mike and talks non-stop about his produce, to tempt you into entering and spending. He is usually LOUD, and can be heard well away from the shop! Sometimes he is hidden away, but this one was all too evident, and even said a loud bonjour to Mum as she sneaked a photo in passing!
We waited for Mum outside a fabric shop whilst she very skillfully made her purchase, and Bertie was in fits at the speel the store seller came out with. His favourite moment was when the man cried out Wai Wai Waiiiiiii! in true Guadeloupean style! I found his catchphrase of "le chic à prix choc" very catching!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You've been so busy Heather, getting all these blogs done. Thank you for them. I love the way I can relive it time and again!
i am enjoying the remains of the coconut grated on my porridge this week.

Hevs said...

Glad you are enjoying them! It is taking some time to do it all but we are getting there...Still not as long as it took you to upload all those photos though!

Anonymous said...

I would like to add that the Drummer is not any drummer but a man called "velo" just like the bicycle. He is considered as the perfector of "Gwo Ka" this traditional style of music which was born on the sugar cane plantation when our dear Guadeloupe was still a French colony.

Anonymous said...

'our dear Guadeloupe' - thats what I mean about Guadeloupe being like Scotland. That and the hills and the sea - and the palm trees - see them on the Solway coast and at Poolewe.
On reflection Pap is far superior to Dalston!!