Walking tour of Papeete continued.

De Gaulle monument, the outline between the two representational canoes, is the cross of Lorraine, the symbol of the Free French during the second World War when soldiers of French Polynesia fought alongside France in Africa. It is a sobering thought the destruction reached here too with the loss of men from Polynesia.

Presidential Palace of French Polynesia.

Commemorating Bougainville in the park of his name, Papeete.

Papeete town hall, a colonial style building.

Opening ceremony of Heiva, community leaders take to the stage with their banana leaves, this guy had a magnetic stage presence.

A flavour of the massed dance troops at the Heiva, truly impressive sights. One dance started with 2 live cockerels fighting each other and developed into a male dance with dancers in red and black and white and red costumes simulating cocks fighting, you had to see it for yourself but it brought a whole new take on the chicken dance!

Pearl oysters, Robert Wan, Pearl Museum

I could go on, but it’s safe to say we have fond memories of the island.

All our best,

Lynne and Alan