Misty beauty

Today is our last day and there is still a lot on the agenda.

I said yesterday that we had to leave early so that there were no clouds up at Piton les Maido, so we had breakfast at 7:45 a.m. Today I mentioned again that we should leave early - we finally left at 10:00 a.m. The drive along the winding roads took just over an hour. Our satnav, the meter/timer, took us to areas where no tourist ever gets lost. No, well-maintained roads are far too boring, we prefer potholed, narrow streets, sometimes even dirt roads or driveways, but we saved a minute.

At some point we reach the only road that leads upwards. There are cars everywhere on the side of the road and people having picnics.

We reach the parking lot and ……, clouds.

It's pretty chilly in the clouds, you could have packed a jacket - you could have - but we didn't. OK, the backpack on our backs will definitely keep us a bit warm. We're going for another 5 minutes until we can see the Cirque de Mafate (Piton de Maido in French).

We slowly climb the steep path to see even more clouds.

Schahaatz still has hope that it will open, but eventually gives up.

We meet on the way to the next point that we had not yet reached on our tour along the ring road from our 2nd to our 3rd accommodation: the Cascade de Grand Galet.

Even the outward journey was a real experience. Hairpin bends with a 27% gradient.

I just pray that no one comes towards me and that those in front of me don't have to brake. But thank God we were able to go up (and down) in one go. We were rewarded with a great waterfall.

Here, too, there are lots of cars lining the road and families picnicking on the river bank and swimming. Swimming is not allowed in the upper basins directly after the waterfall, but further down it seems to be a popular tourist destination. Whole buses stop here with food, drinks and chairs.

We are a little curious how cold the water in the stream is. Schahaatz and Micha test it.

Last stop, the green sandy beach. We bought a glass tube at the market to expand our sand collection with green sand. It is now almost dark - the sky is a wonderful red

and hunger is slowly setting in. Today we want to get something from Thai again and end the great day with champagne (which we bought at the airport in Paris to toast the first day of our vacation) and the last dodos.

Quickly enter the Thai restaurant into Google Maps - oh no, it's closed today (Sunday). Now the drama of searching for the restaurant begins again. The restaurants on the remaining route were either closed on Sundays or couldn't be found.

Now we know why everyone in the world is having a picnic today. We decide to go to the Italian restaurant Al Gusto . However, the internet is not always a blessing. The reviews of the Italian restaurant do not bode well. We decide to go to a pasta/pizza bar next door, which is also almost full and that shows that the quality is good. No reservation - so the only option is the drafty seat under the air conditioning in the kitchen 🥶🥶🥶🥶

No, that's not possible - so we leave again. OK, then we go to Al Gusto, the reviews don't have to be right, you have to experience it for yourself. There was one table free and also 2 or 3 or almost all of them. But anyway, you can't really go too wrong with pizza. They aren't the quickest (that was also in the reviews), but eventually we got our 4 drinks menus and the wine list and ordered 4 Dodos. There are no menus in sight. But no problem, they are posted. When we finally want to order - from the cook - she comes around the corner: "There is only a Creole buffet today".

What's left for us to do? We finish our drinks and order a pizza to go from the pizza cart opposite. It'll be ready in an hour and a half - so we'll have plenty of time to pack.

And the stomach hangs in the back of the knees.