Idyllic...
Monday, another day temporarily removed from COVID-19, though not for long. But the crises of the world seemed far away as we had breakfast at The Palms Seychelles, seated outdoors next to a freshwater stream:
Following the tropical fruit fest that was breakfast, we headed south in our rental car to the country's capital and largest city, Victoria. Unfortunately, the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market wasn't open that morning, so we continued in a southeasterly direction down the coast. Our next intended shopping destination, the Domaine de Val de Prés arts and crafts complex, was also shuttered, but the stunning coastline was definitely open:
One establishment that was willing to take in customers was the Takamaka Bay distillery. In operation since 2002, it's the first (and only) commercial rum producer and exporter in the Seychelles. We took a walk around the grounds, checking out the giant Aldabra giant tortoises and the ruins of a kitchen from the early 1800's:
We also learned (by eavesdropping on a guided tour that was taking place when we drove up) that the rum is made from locally grown sugar cane, crushed on site at the distillery and aged and matured in oak barrels:
The highlight of our visit, of course, was the taste tasting, followed by the inevitable purchasing of a couple of bottles:
From the distillery we cut across the island to the west coast and our beach of the day, Anse Soleil. Accurately described by my guidebook as a "pocket-sized paradise", Shu-E relaxed in the shade while Amber and I plunged into the warm, and surprisingly deep in places, waters. I spent most of my time exploring the rocks at the southwest corner of the beach, swimming among the fish congregating there:
Doing my best Ursula Andress impersonation:
After several hours in the water, it was time for a late-afternoon lunch, with the Anchor Café - Islander Restaurant being the lucky winner of our patronage (truth in advertising - a huge anchor sits in the front garden):
While waiting for the food to arrive, I had a look at the scenery behind the restaurant and across the road:
I had the Creole chicken curry while a curious local stopped by to check us out:
We stopped in Victoria again on the way back to the Palms. The Seychelles has a small Indian community, and a Hindu temple is situated in the downtown area:
The mountains form a dramatic backdrop:
The focal point of Victoria's city center is the Clock Tower (1903), a small scale replica of the clock tower on the Vauxhall Bridge in London:
Having finally learned our lesson, we picked up some food from a stand on Beau Vallon beach and dined in our apartment, taking a moment to take in the setting sun:
The next day we would bid a temporary farewell to Mahé and make our way over to Praslin island for the next couple of days...
Not exactly my idea of electronics, but...
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