On Wednesday, I went for a ride with Michel, a local cyclist whose contact info I got from Maya, a friend from my cycling club who’s from Réunion.
We meet at the Redoute Stadium, at the foot of the climb up to La Montagne. The road climbs steeply right from the start, with a bit of traffic despite the holidays. Michel waits for me, stopping to tell me stories, especially about the houses we pass that have breathtaking views of the ocean but had their roofs torn off by cyclones.

When we reach the Vigie intersection, we turn onto a pretty road with less traffic that winds through heavily residential areas.
This hilly stretch is the prettiest part, and I miss the chance to take a photo of the magnificent ravines that drop down toward the ocean. On the descent toward La Possession, the view of the port is less picturesque...
We stop at a grocery store to stock up on drinks and discuss a few technical points with Michel (which GPS, which phone app, why calls from his carrier to my phone in Réunion show up as “private number”...)
Then back to Saint-Denis against a fairly strong wind. Selfie in front of the little train.
We ride along the old coastal road, now closed to all traffic.
A well-rounded ride : thanks, Michel, for the tour ; I hope we’ll have a chance to meet up again before I leave.