One from Bora Bora

[Charl]

Part of a photoshoot, we had to run ahead of the oncoming tropical storm.
There is an aircraft in this picture.

[Aharon]

That is pretty boat Did not know it can come in blue color

Regards,

Aharon

[Splitpin]

Who needs an aircraft... hand me my sea sick pills, and lets go.

[hasegawa]

Why I, as a German simmer, sometimes react sharply to French overseas sceneries

Hey folks – no offence meant to anyone, especially not to you in NZ or OZ, but I’d like to explain a quick background that might help you understand some of my reactions.

When I see a beautifully handcrafted scenery of, say, Bora-Bora, I may sound a bit grumpy or sarcastic. It’s not about the quality – it’s often stunning work, and I fully respect the developers.
But here's the catch: as a German taxpayer, I know that places like French Polynesia, Réunion, or Guadeloupe benefit from massive EU structural funds – money contributed in large part by countries like Germany. We help finance French overseas territories, often without much say or visible return.

So when I see paradise islands, with top-tier infrastructure, airports, even subsidies for living there – and then I sit in my flat in rainy Brandenburg, patching up old hardware – it stings a little.
It feels like we're paying for someone else’s sunshine, and we’re not even invited.

Of course, I get the historical, geopolitical and social aspects. I don't wish harm to anyone.
But perhaps now you understand why some Germans, including myself, react the way we do.

Fly safe and thanks for share this picture. –
Andreas, near Berlin, usually grumpy but mostly fair
( I want to give you another insight with another flight... Reunion to Mayotte, FrenchAir Force C-160) other "French Overdseas Departments" unwillingly financed by the EU-countries.

[Charl]

I’d never given much thought to the status of these remnants of European colonisation.
The EU Overseas Territories are not just French, they are Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, Greek, Italian, and of course Danish: Greenland is just such a Territory, with all that entails.

The winds of change simply demand that the colonial wrongs of the past be addressed.
And the citizenry generally want self-determination too.
The EU recognises this, and slowly grinds its way toward that end, while maintaining strategic links to stop others stepping into the vacated space.

The fact that Germany doesn’t get a slice of the pie can be traced directly back to the Treaty of Versailles, and for that matter, the Congress of Vienna. WW2 demonstrated that these are not easily undone.

I quite enjoyed going down that rabbit hole, and am even more motivated to plan a trip to French Polynesia!
Must first establish which bits are still radio active…

[deaneb]

So when I see paradise islands, with top-tier infrastructure, airports, even subsidies for living there – and then I sit in my flat in rainy Brandenburg, patching up old hardware – it stings a little.
It feels like we're paying for someone else’s sunshine, and we’re not even invited.

I have been to Tahiti and whilst it is beautiful with a great climate, I would not call it top-tier infrastructure. For example, Papeete is by no means modern, with buildings that echo the 70's and 80's. Its relatively expensive and there appeared to be a homeless problem. We only spent two day there as part of our cruise last year.