Galle & South Coast Beaches

The south coast beaches:
Beautiful one day....................

oh, well.




Well I did say the monsoon came early this year. Doesn't rain all the time, but every other day or so it buckets down for an hour or two.

Galle (pron. Gaul) is quite an interesting place. Initially occupied in the late 16th century by the Portuguese, it was taken over by the Dutch the mid 17th, and then finally by the British in 1796. There is a reasonable amount of the Dutch architectural heritage left in Galle, and of course, of the Brits, but not a lot of the Portuguese influence remains.
I enjoyed floating around looking at the old buildings. Many are in an advanced state of disrepair and it was fun picking out their various features and trying to figure out whether they were British or Dutch.
The photos above are of an old Dutch mansion, converted last year into the Galle Fort Hotel. Actually Galle has experienced a recent explosion in the number of hovels that have been resurrected into B&Bs. This one is beautiful, and has been faithfully restored. The friendly staff were happy to show me around, and I made the most of the opportunity (shut up). The bedrooms have period Dutch antique armoires, four posters and chairs. The ceilings must be 25 feet high, and I guess the walls are very thick because it was as hot as hell outside but in the hotel, the airconditioning wasn't on - and you didn't notice it.
Nearby is another, I assume Dutch, house that is also awaiting its transformation.















I liked the oval windows/lintels above the doors. I guess this is Dutch, although the building looks more mediterranean, so maybe Portuguese?
Some of the old handicraft techniques must persist because there are old crones all over the place selling lace (probably made in Shanghai - lol!)

Here is what Galle is famous for: the ramparts of the old fort. Built by the Portuguese, expanded on by the Dutch and tinkered with by the Brits, they are mildly impressive still. Its cool to stroll along the top of the old walls, and this is possible for almost all of their length as they circumscribe the promontory on which the fort sits..









Do as the locals do and splash around in the shallows in the lee of the ramparts
Or...not, and go back to the hotel for a cold beer "-)