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2018 by yvonne ayoub 6 mid december in the depths of a cold grey miserable english winter when the whole family has become part of a national statistic the 150 increase on the previous year s flu sufferers what better time to take off for tropical climes this trip to celebrate albeit a month late our 40th wedding anniversary with our children grandchildren and dearest friends in tow was planned months in advance and although the prospect of sneezing and wheezing throughout the 10 hour flight with heavy chests and head colds was possibly foolhardy as soon as we arrived and felt the warm sun on our backs we knew we d made the right decision almost instantly our symptoms improved and by the time we reached our resort the fabulous newly refurbished one only st geran 40 minutes later they d all but disappeared our friendly and very chatty driver of the hotel courtesy car took us along the scenic coastal route winding through the pretty colourful villages with the indian ocean not 5 feet away throughout he entertained us clearly swelling with nationalistic pride with so many facts and figures about the island that the drive seemed to take no time at all from him we learned much about the island s history how the dutch french and finally the british had colonised it in turn until independence was peacefully won in 1968 and it became a republic in 1992 how the sugar plantations that cover most of the island grow and refine the high quality cane sugar that s still the island s biggest source of income 100 of it being exported to europe and how an inferior quality of sugar has to be bought in for local consumption we were assured that the development of tourism the island s second largest economy is strictly controlled hence the abundance of untouched natural beauty although we later learned things are in fact changing and beautiful public beaches are today worryingly coming under threat from foreign investors with fat cheque books it seems however that in general the multi ethnic and multi lingual mauritians are a happy lot although their standard of living may not be considered particularly high compared to the western world materially speaking it is more than sufficient to sustain a happy healthy life a result of everyone having a regular employment b more than enough healthy and natural food to eat and c a beautiful healthy environment in which to raise their families and contentedly live out their days mauritius is made up of people from very different backgrounds namely indian african french creole and british all of whom live happily side by side in fully accepting and embracing the rich diversity of their communities by openly celebrating their marked cultural differences their religious beliefs traditions festivals dress etc and in living as one with a deep shared respect for the outstandingly beautiful natural flora and fauna a sense of harmony presides there s a lesson or two for us all perhaps to be learned from such hard working tolerant generous gentle passionate and kind spiritual folk the approach to our hotel lined by an avenue of flamboyant or flame trees delonix regis or royal poinciana laden with scarlet flowers was a glorious sight to behold and merely a taste of what was to come we had truly arrived in paradise for the next 8 days we simply wound down and completely relaxed mornings began with a healthy buffet breakfast serving up any and everything one could possibly imagine and more though i did try to be healthy and stick mostly to the huge array of exotic fresh fruits and were then spent lounging at the beach soaking up the sun and occasionally dipping into in the warm shallow clear waters afternoons were spent lazing by the pool with our every whim catered for by an army of discreet attendants by merely lifting a service flag just what the doctor ordered there was the occasional leisurely walk along the beach or for those of us who felt the need to be active there were a host of water sports such as kayaking paddle boarding and waterskiing on offer not for me though i was content just to find the shade of a gently swaying palm tree dig my toes into the soft white powdery sand and for hours on end stare vacantly out into the blue or i d enjoy wandering around the tropical gardens of the hotel that were teeming with lush exotic plants and wildlife the gardens were beautifully maintained by a team of statuesque lady gardeners i found them so fascinating in their regulation green hunter wellies polo shirts orange marigolds and colourful headgear and i managed this quick sketch in preparation for a larger painting a gold crested crane was a regular visitor as was the cheeky red madagascar fody who brazenly visited our balcony each morning there were several parakeets and even a few red whiskered bulbuls passerine songbirds darting between the banana palms but they were too quick and elusive for me to capture photo courtesy of juzaphoto this chappie however froze just long enough for me to snap him though not sure who was the more scared one indulgence was a fabulous relaxing full body massage in the soothing sanctuary of the pristine spa and then suitably pummelled and pampered and with glass of bubbly in hand watching the sun go down over the lagoon evenings were pure indulgence and a culinary delight not to mention a real exercise in restraint with the sumptuous buffet offering every type of food imaginable from sushi to exotic curries and everything in between not forgetting the ever changing array of desserts which were simply to die for after dinner there was live entertainment including local bands and mesmerising performances from the fast and furious sega dancers we did venture out of the hotel a couple of times once for a day s sailing on a catamaran which took us from trou d eau douce firstly to the ile aux cerfs where my husband someone notoriously terrified of heights only took himself off along with our son for a spot of para gliding with feet once again on terra firma thankfully from there it was on to our next port of call the beautiful inland grand river waterfall then back out to sea for some snorkelling in the fabulously clear turquoise waters the final event of a most memorable day was a delicious barbecue of fresh crayfish and lobster cooked on board by our charming crew our second excursion was to the colourful market at the nearby town of flacq where the heady aromas the cacophony of sounds the hustle and bustle and vibrant colours of the exotic fresh produce on offer was matched by the glorious saris and sun parasols of the local inhabitants who arrived by the bus load for this twice weekly event there was of course so much of the island still to see and do wild life parks a sugar factory and museums to visit but we barely skimmed the surface this holiday was all about relaxing celebrating a milestone and getting ourselves fit and well once again in time for christmas less than a week away and with only one week time simply didn t allow for us to venture very far this time unfortunately neither did it allow time sadly to meet up with a dear old friend from our saudi days over 35 years ago yoga teacher and fellow artist brigitte haberland i d dearly hoped to see her but she had a busy schedule of classes at the other end of the island so that too will have to wait for another visit meanwhile do enjoy her wonderfully vibrant artwork brigitte is also a passionate and active campaigner against the gradual destruction of the natural beauty of her beloved homeland pomponette beach situated in a protected heritage site of outstanding natural beauty a designated public beach is currently under threat of commercial development if you would like to help please take a moment to sign this petition to prevent it https www change org p aret kokin nu laplaz protection for south coast heritage zone pomponette beach recruiter 60757998 given time we would also have loved to experience her son patrick s yemayah adventures he offers kayaking mountain biking and more exploring more of the unspoilt interior and fabulous coastline of this beautiful island i did however manage to catch up with another english artist sculptor friend lynn smith i d first met lynn through a mutual friend the artist gail stathakis in skiathos a few years ago in passing lynn told me she d just bought a cottage in mauritius and i mentioned my friend brigitte well talk about coincidence it only turned out that the very person who sold their cottage to lynn was none other than brigitte herself what a small world lynn has now made mauritius her permanent home for several months a year and she very kindly drove the 40 minutes or so to visit me at the hotel it was really lovely seeing her again and i was so excited to hear all about her exciting new venture she has a fabulous studio now artspace in calodyne in the north of the island and brings renowned art tutors from around the world to teach workshops definitely something to consider i wish her every success as i mentioned this was a very special trip to mark our ruby wedding anniversary and we couldn t have asked for a more perfect place to celebrate it in surrounded by family and our dear friends along with the faultless attentive service of the entire staff of the one only st geran all of whom made the occasion so special for us thank you all mauritius is truly a paradise on earth and its gentle people are so warm and welcoming it was very hard to leave au revoir ile de maurice one of these days god willing we will be back to discover and enjoy even more of the wonderful experiences and delights you have to offer and hopefully to find you not too much changed rate this share this share share on x opens in new window x share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on linkedin opens in new window linkedin email a link to a friend opens in new window email share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on whatsapp opens in new window whatsapp like loading posted in art artist food mauritius paradise island paintings photography travel tagged art artist artspace banana palm beach calodyne catamaran coconuts exotic birds flacq flamboyant flame tree food gold crested crane grand river waterfall ile aux cerfs indian ocean island lychees madagascar fody mangoes markets mauritius one and only palm trees paradise pineapples plantations pomponette red whiskered bulbul ruby wedding anniversary sand sea st geran sugar cane sun sunset toiles de bijou travel tropical trou d eau douce yvonne ayoub 6 replies margate magical moments memories posted on october 7 2017 by yvonne ayoub 14 mention the word margate today and most people at least those not yet in the know will immediately think of a sad forgotten rather depressing peeling seaside town full of boarded up boarding houses pound shops and cheap housing accommodating benefit dependant immigrants having re visited the town this week after a gap of several years well decades actually i was so pleasantly surprised by it s recent regeneration that i feel compelled to set the record straight margate today with it s impressive newly opened turner contemporary a striking architect designed gallery that dominates the skyline image courtesy of visit kent and an eerie anthony gormley figure standing half submerged on the end of a stone jetty staring out to sea as the salty spray and rising tide flood in to claim it along with other new commercial and residential developments there has clearly been a huge injection of monetary and artistic investment and margate has once again become a vibrant thriving seaside town it has an ever increasing professional population excellent facilities a huge and active art community super cool shops restaurants and bars many decked out in sleek and fashionable mid century or industrial interiors and being within a mere hour and a half reach on a high speed train from london s st pancras international it is so conveniently accessible so pleasantly surprised was i that i had intended to entitle this post thank you thanet until i was reminded of katherine hepburn s immortal line in the film on golden pond my name is ethel but when i married mr thayer henry fonda my life changed forever because everyone thought i had a lisp so margate magic and memories it is margate being one of the three kentish seaside towns along with broadstairs and ramsgate that make up the isle of thanet in the far south eastern corner of the uk has experienced mixed fortunes over the centuries but with its wide open skies dramatic seas miles of soft sandy beaches and rugged cliff faces this once thriving self sufficient coastal town with its natural harbour and man made sea wall provided a safe haven for the fishing and trading fleets of locals and londoners alike among them arguably in georgian times was britain s finest painter j m w turner eager to escape the smoky city and breathe in the fresh bracing salty sea air margate became a firm favourite of his providing him with the perfect inspiration for over 100 of his incomparable sea and sky scapes the skies over thanet are the loveliest in europe he once said throughout the victorian era and well into the 20th century the popularity of these south eastern coastal towns as holiday destinations firstly for the gentry and then the hard working city and farm workers of england s south east continued to grow all along the sea front promenades piers elegant town houses and garden squares and terraces began springing up in front of the olde worlde smugglers cottages narrow alleys and pirate and smugglers taverns of yesteryear by the mid 1960 s with its newly opened lido butlins holiday hotel and dreamland amusement park and with every b b regularly filled to capacity margate was at it s zenith thousands of holiday makers would spill excitedly from the tightly packed trains and descend annually throughout the summer months upon the rows of brightly coloured sea view boarding houses and quaint wooden beach huts in search of fun family times long lazy days at the beach building sandcastles jumping the waves dipping toes in the cold ever choppy north sea eating gritty home made sandwiches and tubs of vinegar soaked cockles and mussels followed by sugary cones of fast melting ice creams and all with the slim chance of a sun bathe too brightly and colourfully lit evenings were spent fearlessly riding the illuminated helter skelters bumper cars and roller coasters of dreamland sucking on sticky candy floss and sticks of rock and enjoying all the light hearted slightly bawdy but perfectly harmless entertainment that many of the seaside postcards amusement arcades and theatre venues had on offer and that s precisely what brought me to margate for the first time all those years ago it was the early 70 s just as margate s fortune began to change and its once glorious heyday was already beginning to decline i was hired by the alan blackburn agency to work as a dancer for a summer season in m...