Quickies and Fast Food

Before we came to Noumea I struggled to imagine what it would be like. Everyone told me that it was super expensive and the shopping was awful - but the brochures described Hermes and L'Occitaine en Provence shops. Hmmmmm....

And to be honest my first trip to town was a bit of a shock. Beaten up old pavements, decrepit looking buildings. I remember telling my sister that I felt like I'd got off the plane in a tropical version of Gore. Yes - Gore in Southland, NZ. A friend's son had a small tanty when he realised his parents had brought him to a place with no...get this...escalators, and asked him to live there!

Two years on and I really enjoy my shopping trips in town. I've got used to it. There are no big malls which is great. I know the shops I want to go to and I will go straight to them. I've gotten over the fact that the prices are astronomical and now a shop is a real treat for something that I really need (or want). I shop differently to how I did at home. And I buy a lot on line!

Rather than focusing on what's missing, it's great to enjoy the warm breeze and linger in the Place des Cocotiers watching the guys doing hiphop and the ladies in their beautiful bright mission dresses.

And after a bit of shopping with the kids in tow - a challenge with strollers, dodgy pavements and shops that are all over the place - a bribe is often necessary. Fastfood works wonders.

Yes - there is a MacDo. It's expensive and there are two. An alternative is the Frenchie version of MacDo - Quick. Now I really don't like Quick for the food but it's a great place to have here. Look where it is! And the playground is the best indoor playground in all of Noumea. A great place to park up on the Terrace, lock the kids in the playground and soak in the view. Bliss.