THE FORGOTTEN CAPITALS OF TOURISM (2/5) – The Malagasy capital is the scene of creative effervescence, accessible to those who take the chance of stopping there.
They are seen as transit towns to reach other places known as destinations. These five capitals with little-known treasures awaken the pleasure of discovery and tempt us for a more virtuous journey.
From our special correspondent in Antananarivo
“Coffee, miss?” Independence Avenue is still plunged into darkness, but the day has not waited for the first rays of the sun to begin. With his watering can as a coffee pot, the street vendor makes his way on the crowded sidewalks. Wearing an orange cap, recognizable from several meters away, he leads the way. On the left, a cloud of smoke shrouds the gargotes of mofo baolina, small donuts fried on site and dipped as desired in condensed milk. We stare at the earth, taking care not to trample on the flowers and medicinal herbs – eucalyptus and everlastings – sold on the ground.
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On the other side of the sidewalk, a small crowd is gathered around a decaying parasol. A preacher declaims the good word in his crackling speaker, without much success. The eyes of the men bent under the fabric are glued to the front pages of newspapers, clinging to each other. A quick read of the headlines and here they go again. “The State validates liberalization”, title Madagascar Express. “The government is easing export procedures,” note Midi Madagasikara. This morning in May, the vanilla sector is at the heart of all concerns. If the spice represents nothing in Malagasy culinary and cultural life, it remains an essential economic value for the Big Island.
Fabio Thierry
However, a stone’s throw from here, in the heart of the capital, another event would have deserved a full page: the inauguration of the H Foundation, a brand new contemporary art center aimed at celebrating Malagasy genius. Renovated for two years, the old colonial Post Office building is in line with the Trano Gasy, these ocher brick buildings with wooden beams, mixing European architectural codes and Creole decorative elements.
“A place like this can seem a little dry, elitist in many ways, admits Hassanein Hiridjee, founder and patron of the exhibition space. Our desire is to encourage our young artists to create while honoring their territory. We always see better where we are going when we know where we come from.” In the immense room nicknamed “cathedral”, the monumental weavings of Madame Zo, icon of the national artistic scene, confront the gaze of visitors and the aesthetic demands of collectors. Suspended under a skylight, they give the H Foundation all its scope and could offer the much-awaited international spotlight to the Malagasy cultural and artistic scene.
The Hollywood of the Fifteenth Parallel
It must be said that the capital, “Tana” for short, is not easily revealed to anyone who comes. It was built over the years on a set of twelve sacred hills, each once held by a different wren. In 1610, King Andrianjaka dislodged the Vazimba tribes who occupied the highest of them, Analamanga, and decided to protect the site with a thousand armed men. Antananarivo, “the city of a thousand”, was born. The monarch built his residence on the site of the current Queen’s palace, where we arrived out of breath because the slope was so steep. From the heart of the bustling lower town, a forty-minute walk between long ribbons of stairs and winding streets is necessary to reach the top. The upper town, historically more privileged, establishes its status with immense white capital letters hanging on one side of the hill. The Hollywood of the fifteenth parallel.
ERIC MARTIN
At an altitude of 1,460 meters, the very particular topography of the capital and its architectural cacophony, vestiges of different eras, are available to us. Before the middle of the 19th century, all houses were made of wood, grass and reeds, stone being an inert material reserved for tombs. It was not until 1831 that the manufacture of bricks and tiles was introduced by the industrialist Jean Laborde, who would later become the first French consul in Madagascar.
VISIT TO ANTANANARIVO
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Today, the Greater Tana conurbation extends over eighteen hills and is home to half of the island’s urban population. “It’s a terrible city when you drive through it. Besides, tourists always want to avoid it, notes Sitraka, a resident of the disadvantaged neighborhood nestled behind the royal buildings. But once we apprehend it, we can no longer leave it. Affable and speaking in impeccable French, he takes curious travelers to explore the alleys in which he spent his young years. Here, the rusty corrugated iron shelters take us back to another reality.
“We have no great figure to save us either. A Mandela, a Senghor. A strong and internationally recognized face »
Sitraka, resident of Antananarivo
Considered one of the poorest cities in the world, Tana generates its share of misery which hits hard those who hope to find salvation there. According to figures from the World Bank, 81% of Malagasy people today live below the poverty line (less than $2.15 per day). Often considered as a simple technical step by travelers, Antananarivo cannot count on tourism as a lever for development. “We don’t have a great figure to save us either. A Mandela, a Senghor. A strong and internationally recognized face, Sitraka says. Our future lies in our craftsmanship, the know-how of all those who shape the soul of the royal hill on a daily basis.”
ERIC MARTIN
At the Photography Museum, opened five years ago in the former Mayors’ Residence, a tribute is paid to them. Ms. Juliette, guardian of the sacred spring; Mr. Hylliard, street vendor of donuts; Mr. Onja, producer of ice cream cones… In this haven of greenery and silence in the heart of the city’s hustle and bustle, the black and white portraits of photographer Rijasolo capture the features of the mixed faces of a forgotten capital, whose status is now contested. The air being one of the most polluted in the world, the streets heavily congested and the infrastructure degraded, the head of state, Andry Rajoelina, affirmed during his election his desire to transfer the capital to a new city in construction, Tanamasoandro (30 km east of Antananarivo), by the end of his mandate. The deadline is at the end of 2023. And despite significant work delays linked to the pandemic, a new page will perhaps soon open in the history of Madagascar.
Travel diary
Le Figaro
GO THERE
From Paris-CDG, Air France (36 54; airfrance.fr) offers 5 weekly connections to Antananarivo, from €962 for a round trip. From Orly, Corsair (39 17; flycorsair.com) offers 2 frequencies per week, via Reunion, from €667.
PREPARE FOR YOUR TRIP
The Travel Houses, specialists in tailor-made stays, offer a tour “The great sites of Madagascar” with two full days in Antananarivo before starting a crossing of the island. From €3,550 for 13 days, flights, transport, full-board accommodation and French-speaking guide included. The optimal time to go there is from April to October. Such. : 01 56 81 38 30; maisonduvoyage.com
WHERE TO SLEEP
Gallieni House. Have the key to the Monaco consulate in Antananarivo? Unbelievable, but true. Built in 1879 on a granite quarry, this charming 4-bedroom guest house is shared with the consul’s family. Shaded swimming pool and green garden on the heights of the city. From €150 per night, with hearty homemade breakfast. Such. : +261 32 11 274 00; maisongallieni.com
La Varangue. Designed by a family of collectors, the 14 rooms of this boutique hotel are divided between the original residence furnished with antiques and the garden where 5 suites with terraces are nestled, more modern but still whimsical. Restaurant considered one of the best in the city and free access to the swimming pool at the Hôtel Colbert. From €90 per night. Tel.: +261 20 22 251 74; hotel-restaurant-lavarangue-tananarive.com
AT THE TABLE!
The Little Brewery. In an old-fashioned Parisian brasserie spirit, this restaurant offers the best of Malagasy products, such as foie gras from Behenjy (50 km south of the capital) and tender zebu. Friendly service and live music on weekends. Around €15 per person, excluding alcohol. Such. : +261 34 52 082 01
SPECIALTIES
60 km north of Tana, the shores of Lake Mantasoa are a refuge for wealthy residents. In 2009, three French entrepreneurs took advantage of the purity of its water to set up a sturgeon farm there. A successful bet: Rova caviar is now sold in all the major restaurants in the region. To buy some on the way to the airport, Le Gourmet is a delicatessen specializing in the sale of exceptional products. Possibility of tasting it on site. €9 for 100 g.
ERIC MARTIN
EXPERIENCE
Shop at the Analakely market, for its profusion of previously unknown fruits: konikonys, pocanelles, tamarillos or mokotras, to try in juice. A little further away, at the Andravoahangy market, stonecutters, embroiderers, carpenters and cabinetmakers are busy in a joyous hubbub. Every day except Sunday.
READ
Madagascar. Ideas received about the Big Island, by Patricia Rajeriarison and Sylvain Urfer (Editions Le Cavalier bleu, €18). A combined perspective of a Malagasy woman, a consultant specializing in tourism development, and a Frenchman, founding member of the Observatory of Malagasy Public Life, this work sweeps away one by one the clichés which tarnish the image of the destination.
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