You're Full of It

What, you ask, have we been keeping ourselves occupied with lately?

Let's just say we're making up for five weeks of bush cuisine. I'm not knocking my own skills, but there's only so much you can do with a can of beans and a package of noodles.



Our first day, we ate lunch on the beach -- the deliciously familiar taste of roti and yummy fried Indian treats were all the better as we watched the aquamarine waters of the Indian Ocean kiss the white sands.





We're in French pastry heaven here! One of the must-do stops on our list was a bakery we last visited in 2003, when BG ate SIX pastries pretty much straight out of the oven. I'm happy to report that he matched his record this time, with Catherine taking the silver medal with four. Tarts bursting with fresh sweet banana custard and pastry shells full of sweet almond paste were devoured next to my favourites, Napolitaine cookies -- melt-in-your-mouth shortbread dipped in pink icing.



Actually, some of the best and most memorable meals are those eaten with family. This weekend we were treated to two dinners with family, and both were incredible. Being away from home for almost 15 months now has been great, but coming to Mauritius and spending time with family members has been a bit of a homecoming for all of us. On a personal note, sharing some of the tastes of my childhood with everyone has been the most nostalgic, familiar experience of all -- it ranks right up there with some of the "Big Sights" of 2008.