19th December 2022, Monday Mahebourg Market and Rault Biscuit Factory

After the extended Football match last night only Jason had to get up really early. Vicky had arranged to trial new cleaning ladies so Geoff and I went off to Mahebourg market. The Monday market is a very big affair although there is a smaller one on other days. Big it definitely is and we wandered up and down rows of clothing, shoes, household goods, toys and in a slightly different area the fruit and vegetable stalls. Unlike Central Market in Port Louis these prices seemed reasonable.

Not far from the market was the Rault Biscuit Factory with the tour and tasting costing 225 rupees each, which I thought was well worth it.

The biscuits are made from the ground flour of the cassava root/tubers as there is no wheat grown on the island an alternative was found. The biscuits are still all made with the original machinery with the majority of the work done by hand, including all the packaging. Apparently the biscuits are very healthy. At the end of the tour we could taste the 10 varieties, milk, butter, coconut, cinnamon, chocolate, sesame, star anise,vanilla and some I can’t remember.we were served a cup of tea for me and coffee for Geoff to go with the tasting.

The factory is still owned by the original family now in its 5 generation having started in 1817.

We travelled slightly up the coast and took photos of the Lion Mountain and we did a short walk out on the jetty at Bois des Amourettes. We passed the Vieux Grand Port where the Dutch first landed and Mauritius human story began 400 years ago. The Vallee de Ferney was closed so we weren’t able to see the kestrels. By now lunch time was long overdue so we stopped near the airport and bought a burger each before making the hour journey back.

Vicky was preparing dinner for us under difficult circumstances as the gas supply was playing up but the fish caught yesterday was very tasty being cooked in the oven rather than being pan fried as Vicky had intended.

Visits from the landlord and from the previous tenants who had the same problem delayed dinner but a solution was found by the previous tenant and a promise that it would be checked later on this week from the landlord.














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