This is the story of an iguana in Guadeloupe. Iguanas come and go on our property – some we recognize for a while then never see again, while others are anonymous creatures that we never get to know. Sometimes they wander in our front door – and then usually get freaked out when they see us and hide in ridiculously small gaps behind appliances and furniture for a day or more, then sneak out when the coast is clear. Other times we barely spot them racing across the driveway or hanging out on the periphery. Generally speaking, they are extremely shy (though there are exceptions). Despite their sometimes fearful appearance, iguanas would much rather take flight than fight. Continue reading
Guadeloupe
An Iguana
Before and after the hurricanes
There’s nothing quite like before and after photos for showing the effects of hurricanes. Continue reading
Hurricanes in Guadeloupe
We’re coming up on our 4th anniversary here in Guadeloupe, and this is the first year that we’ve really been affected by a hurricane. Continue reading
Guadeloupe or Guadalupe?
When I tell people I live in Guadeloupe, they often think that means Mexico. Interestingly, there are a number of towns and an island named Guadalupe (pronounced “gwa da loo pay”) in Mexico (and other Spanish-speaking countries), and I’m not sure which one they’re thinking of.
In any case, I don’t live in Mexico: I live in France. Continue reading
Going to Guadeloupe
With the launch of cheap, direct flights from the US in 2015 and expanded dates and airports in 2016 – not to mention the full-page spread in NY Times Travel in 2017 – Guadeloupe is becoming a popular destination for Americans. Here’s a bit of advice on getting here.
If you live on the East Coast, you’re in luck, because extremely cheap flights can be found from New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), and Baltimore/Washington (BWI), as well as from Fort Lauderdale/Miami (FLL). If you’re not near one of these airports, you still might be better off flying to one of them to take advantage of this much cheaper second leg, courtesy of Norwegian Air.
Note: Guadeloupe is an overseas French department, and up until 2015, 90% of its tourists were from mainland France. This means that French is the official language and English is not yet widely spoken. To make the most of your trip, I recommend that you learn French.
Buying property in Guadeloupe
In early January 2014, our offer was accepted – and the insanity began in earnest. Continue reading
The Caribbean Butterfly
For more about Guadeloupe including some great photos, check out the guest post I wrote for the Lou Messugo Blog.
Guadeloupe: The Caribbean Butterfly.
Note: Guadeloupe is an overseas French department, and up until 2015, 90% of its tourists were from mainland France. This means that French is the official language and English is not widely spoken. To make the most of your trip, I recommend that you learn some French.
Finding Property in Guadeloupe
Though we looked at a few different properties, the one we eventually bought was one we’d seen while we were still planning to buy a house. We were initially attracted to it because the photo on the realtors’ site showed the Îlets de Pigeon – quite simply the best view from this part of Guadeloupe. Continue reading
House Hunting in Guadeloupe
Within two days of arriving in Guadeloupe after a hellish move, we started house hunting. Continue reading
Why Guadeloupe?
Waterfall near Souffrière volcano
People often ask why my husband and I decided to move permanently to Guadeloupe – and by permanently, I mean we are actually buying a piece of property to build a home and a small business. Up until now, we have always rented. Though we’ve lived two years or more in a few places – Morocco, France, Pennsylvania – we always knew that they were temporary homes. This time, we plan to stay. So, why Guadeloupe?
There are several reasons, and perhaps the most important is also the most banal: we like the weather. I am très frileuse, as the French put it: very intolerant of cold. We would have liked to stay in France, but after 5 years, I realized it was just too cold. Hyères has the Mistral, which can make even warm days chilly, so after a lot of research we moved to the warmest place dans l’Hexagone: Menton, whose microclimate and protective mountains result in moderate winters. Even so, I was still cold and unhappy for several months of the year, so we had to look further afield. Continue reading
