New Years Eve

We went into town to do a spot of shopping this morning (mostly booze!) On the way back we stopped off at the beach. The surf was up..Lily was keen to get in on the action.
That hunky beach boy heading out into the surf is me with my new body board. After a couple of head plants I was back in nursing my wounds and recounting stories of massive waves and cool rides! The last sunset of 2007.
We stayed and had a drink at the Coral Strand Hotel. The kids fell asleep and a couple of friends from school turned up so we had a few drinks to celebrate the end of an eventful year.
About 10pm we went back up to the house. Peter warmed up his Job Fish curry (our equivalent of turkey curry.) We got stuck into the Takamaka Rum and watched the New Years fireworks.

Happy New Year to all!!!

Biking La Digue

There are very few cars on La Digue (infact there are more ox-carts) so everyone gets around on bikes. We hired some bikes to check out a beach the other side of the island.
Peter (& Lily), Julia and Me (& Lisa) heading for Grand Anse, yet another beautiful beach on La Digue.
This evening we caught the ferry back to Mahe and finished the day off with a Pizza in the Baobab Pizzeria.

Our Chateau

On La Digue we stayed in the Chateau St Cloud, an old plantation house. It is very grand. We had the ground floor of the chateau. Here's Lisa, Peter, Julia, Lily & Karen posing in front of our digs..
Me, Karen and Lisa spent the day chilling out and ambling around La Digue, while Peter, Julia and Lily climbed to the top of the highest mountain on the island. This is a giant millipede that we spotted on our travels..

Valle de Mai

It's not always sunny in Paradise! We went to the Valle de Mai today. It is famous for being the only place in the world where the Coco de Mer tree grows naturally. Today it was very wet. We had great fun splashing through the puddles.
Later on we headed over to the small island of La Digue. Leaving Praslin harbour.

Anse Lazio

Karen & Lisa enjoying Anse Lazio (Lazio Bay) on Praslin.
Lunchtime at Anse Lazio. Grilled fish straight out of the sea. Julia, Lily, Peter, Karen & Lisa.
Me and Lisa on the beach outside the Villa.
Karen & Lisa doing a spot of beachcombing.

Praslin

Today we went over to the Island of Praslin. The ferry took about an hour. We had a couple of brief sightings of dolphins. Here's Peter holding onto his new hat, Julia holding onto Lily and Lily holding onto her bottle. It was veeerrryyy windy.
We stayed in the Villa Flamboyant, named after the tree with the red flowers (not the very flamboyant waiter Ronnie!) We had a swim when we arrived. Our room is the one to the left of the hammock.
Julia and Lily on the beach.
Lisa paddling in the sunset.

Christmas Day

Merry Christmas everyone from Danny, Karen and Lisa. Hope you all have a fantastic time at Christmas and a great New Year. Thanks for all the brilliant pressies.
Lisa opening her stocking presents at 7 o'clock. Santa managed to bring most of the stuff she asked for in her letter.
After breakfast we walked down the hill to Beau Vallon Beach for a swim.
It was a beautiful morning and the sea was looking gorgeous.
After a swim we had walked back up the hill and got stuck into opening presents. Here's Lisa (and me) with her fancy doorbell from the Nottingham gang.
Lisa teaching Lily to read 'Lisa Style'!
Lisa checking out the e-card from Isabella and Natasha.
After the presents were all open we got down to preparing lunch. Peter collected fire wood from the woods behind our house, and we got a good fire going. We wrapped the Job Fish that we bought at the market yesterday, seasoned with lemon grass from the garden, in banana leaves and cooked them on the fire. They were beautiful. Good work Peter and Julia.
Christmas Lunch Seychelles Style. Merry Christmas.

Fish & Veg Market

We went down into Victoria this morning to get some fish for Christmas Dinner. Here's Julia, Peter and Lily checking out some Job Fish. They were only about a quid each so bought three. Hope everyone's hungry!

We also got some veg.
Victoria was heaving with Christmas Eve shoppers, and all the shops seemed to have doubled the usual music systems outside. It was like shopping in carnival. We stopped for a sarnie in the News Cafe and then took the long way home round North Point.

Later on we went down to the beach for a swim. Lily and Lisa building sand castles.

Peter driving our jeep.

Spices & Bays

Peter went for a run down the hill this morning, and a walk back up! After he recovered we headed off to the Spice Garden for some lunch. On sundays they do a great grilled fish and curry buffet. Here's Karen, Peter, Lily and Julia getting stuck into the fruity starters.

Lily having a run around on the lawn.

Lisa, Karen, Danny, Lily & Julia chilling...

Lisa playing with some big leaves from a breadfruit tree. I think she was directing air traffic.

Lily chatting with one of the locals.

After the Spice Garden we drove round the south of the island, past Takamaka (home of the famous Takamaka Rum) and on to Baie Lazare. We stopped for a swim and a spot of snorkelling.

Lily and some bloke in a funny hat.

We stopped in the Plantation Club for a drink..
Only coconut juice...no Takamaka...promise!

Bags Beaches & Booze

It was Peter, Julia and Lily's second day in the Seychelles today, and they were feeling a bit more awake after a good nights sleep. Here's Julia, Lisa and Karen looking out from the balcony. What's Lisa spotted?
Our first job of the day was to collect Peter and Julia's lost bags. We fought our way through the Christmas traffic (yes, even in paradise!) to the airport and the bags were there! So, at last, Julia could change out of those clothes she has been wearing for the last four days.

Next we went to Anse Royale beach. We did some snorkelling and Julia and Lily went for a swim.
We stopped at Fairyland for a drink on the way back.
Fairyland Football. Lily wondering when it'll be Daddy's turn to go in goal!
Here's Lily telling one of the local kids how it should be done while Lisa looks on.
After dinner at the Pirates Arms we headed back to the house just in time to listen to Pompey being thrashed by Liverpool. We drowned our sorrows with a few shots of the local Takamaka Rum.
Incidentally we were listening to the latest recordings from Fallout (Jimmer & Ralph's band) direct from Chichester. Rock On!

They Are Here!!

Peter, Julia and Lily finally arrived in the Seychelles this morning after a real monster of a journey. They were 24 hrs late after an unschelduled stop-over in Paris, but that wasn't quite the last of it. It turns out that a couple of their bags are still in Paris. Peter did the 'lost bag' formalities and we got to the house a full 48 hrs after they left Manchester!
Lisa was keen to show Lily her toys. I think Lily has spotted a lizard.
After a trip into Victoria to buy Julia some clothes to replace the ones that stayed in Paris (and for me and Peter to sink a couple of beers in the Pirate Arms) we all headed back to the beach and went for a swim.
Chilling out on the beach watching the sunset. Peter, Lily, Julia and Karen.
At bedtime Lisa was determined to give her little cousin a kiss goodnight..
Goodnight!