Guadeloupe - Mar 13

I missed the sunrise and our arrival in Guadeloupe. I'd set my alarm, just in case, and was awoken at the sound of it at 7:30 a.m. I headed up to Deck 16 forward to get a few photos.

I was quite surprised to see the tall buildings. They appear to be apartment blocks for locals rather than tourists as I never saw anyone on the balconies.

I'm not certain what this industrial site is used for, perhaps a desalination plant. What struck me was the use of the large solar panels. This was something I would see on both commercial and residential buildings throughout the islands we visited. 

I did not have an excursion booked in Guadeloupe as the Princess offered excursions didn't appeal to me. What I had intended to do was to find a bakery selling "le tourment d'amour" (loves torment). Imagine a pastry base spread with coconut jam and topped with a cinnamon flavored cake. Local lore suggests that a woman created the dessert because she missed her husband who was away at sea. My friends K and J had found these delicious pastries on a previous cruise. I did not have the same luck.

About 10 a.m. I ventured into Pointe-a-Pitre to start my search. There was an obligatory walk through the market by the pier, which was packed with tourists as the Aida Mar was also in port with us that day. I found an information desk, asking for a bakery/cafe where I could have a cold drink. I was directed to the spice market where I found a cafe with the banner "Free WiFi". I'm not certain if that was the name of the cafe or just an advertisement. 

The cafe did have a few pastries, but not the one I wanted, so I simply ordered a Coca-Cola. I spent an hour there at an outside table checking in with my daughter, catching up on FB and blog reading, and watching the activity of the spice market. Towards the end of my time, a fellow at the next table lit up a very stinky cigar so I decided it was time to move on. After a circle of the area I was in with no luck locating the pastry, I headed back to the ship.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, reading on Deck 7, taking a short afternoon nap, and playing Trivia. Again, I learned how little I know. :) Just before sail-away, I stopped for a vanilla ice cream before heading over to the Terrace Bar.  There I sat and visited with a couple currently living in Ontario, but originally from Scotland. A very interesting couple - I never ran into them again but I quite enjoyed our chat.

That evening, we had a decent sunset. It was cloudy again, but the sky was pretty.

Next up - Martinque