Christmas at La Digue, Seychelles – December 2018
It is 10.45pm on 24th December 2018 and I start feeling that something is changing in the air, there are more people around, more noise and more movements. At 11.00pm the Christmas Mass start at the church “Notre Dame de L’Assomption” and it is so full that not everyone can fit in.
I go there to attend the mass and when I arrive the church is so busy that not everyone can fit in and many are outside the door filling the small green space in front of the church. It is so warm here that is confortable to do so while the Mass can be celebrated with the door wide open and the priest’s voice resounding in the whole area, thanks to a speaker. It is quite fascinating… a lot of people nicely dressed for the function, the voice of the priest, the songs, the heat and the sound of nature all together……
The Mass is a tad long as it finishes at 1.00am on Christmas day. Then most familes go home and tourists with many locals move all together to La Passe where Tarosa, the bar/disco openair in front of the port is already open. At first the music is normal pop and then it becomes sort of local music french/creole with some Christmas songs….I thought it was quite funny to listen to Christmas songs at the disco but I liked it as it was differnet 🙂
On 25th December I wake up with the sun shining (as it nearly always happens here) and a temperature of about 30 degree. It is low tide today and the coral reef is exposed way out to sea. The colour of the sea is unbelievable so I decide to spend at last one hour taking pictures , with this light, it is really worth it. I have never seen such beautiful photos taken with a mobile phone camera!!
Later, I have breakfast at Anse Severe sitting at one of the fruit kiosks that sell fruits, fruit smothies and platters….You can see mine in the photo 🙂 The taste of this tropical fruit is incredible and so real and sweet. Totally different from the one I tried to buy in London 🙂 Then I rest lying in the hammock while eating fruits……such a difficult life!! 🙂
Time passes by very quickly when you are fine and you enjoy yourself; so it is lunch time again 🙂 As far as I have seen here, people meet at the beach to have lunch – barbecue mainly – so they can spend time togeher. I have always seen big families with lots of pople of different ages. A friend of mine organised lunch on the beach (as you can see in the photo) with grilled fish and sauces. There was a table, tablecloth and everything needed for a Christmas lunch but the setting was amazing….and it is the one you can replicate only being in this magical place!!!
We then booked a tour of the island by boat, departing from Anse Source d’Argent and going around the island. There is nothing to say except that the scenary is amazing, the green of the trees and palms unbelievable, the water crystal clear and the sand white….we pass Anse Pierrot, Anse Marron, Grand Anse, Petit Anse, Anse Coco, we go up to the east side of the island where we see Anse Patates and then turn again on the east side at Anse Severe, pass by La Passe harbour, Anse Reunion until coming back to the starting point at Anse Source d’Argent. In the meanwhile the sunset comes and the sky and everything around become of an incredible red colour…….
Christmas dinner is quite informal as we are not so hungry after a big brakfast and nice lunch. We went to a take away on the island where they serve fish curry, fish filet and vegetable curry. We sit outside and we have a nice relaxed dinner. As the place is quite busy, both with locals and tourists, this is a nice place to meet people and have an informal chat. Something else to say is that the chef, Rocky, is a very good one…..I suggest you to visit this take away.
It is nearly midnight and I have had quite long and exciting Christmas day….so I decide to go bed early to be ready for the next adventure on boxing day……:)
