The Stations of the Cross in Hapatoni

We came to the church and were greeted by the large pastor in his voluminous white robes attended by parishioners. It was 4pm and they were gathering for Mass at 17:30. The church was peaceful and simple with all the wooden pillars beautifully dressed with palm fronds and flowered. The Virgin Mary had a wonderful necklace of flowers too.

We followed the Queens Road until it was blocked by a rockfall. I clambered over and found a faint trail upwards, and after a long scramble we emerged in the lovely garden of an elegant white private house. I met the owner, who introduced himself as DuuDuu He is the only Frenchman on the island and has built a house to retire there. Once on the road we were soon ticking off the Stations of the Cross and reached the big white crucifix on the pinnacle of the Pain au Sucre. Here we had a magnificent view of Baie Hapatoni and the adjacent one, where four yachts had anchored in easier conditions.

Back on board Emily produced a delicious breadfruit curry and avocado lasagne. Breadfruit was a bit like chunks of potato but a little more floury like gnocchi perhaps. Very good and very filling.