Portrait: Maurine Philippe: From the Silence of the Casuarinas to the Breath of the Paths

The dawn light timidly glides over Anse-aux-Anglais. Maurine Philippe confidently laces her shoes, ready to leap onto the trails. The silence is only disturbed by the rustling of the casuarina trees — the same trees under which she welcomes travelers and regulars at Auberge Les Filaos every day. This morning, she is not found behind the counter, but at the starting line of the 7 km Rodrigues Trail, calm and determined.