Time ticks by and as they say, it never waits for man or beast so we decided we had better get moving from our little haven near St Gilles where we had spent 9 nights in the quiet of a canal surrounded by bush and grass so it was really relaxing although we did spend a lot of time doing our Spring Cleaning before our special guests start arriving at the end of the month. The weather did take a drop sadly with heavy winds and rain and cooler temperatures so we missed seeing some of the wonders of the delta which empties the rivers and canals and retains the biggest wetland area in France.
Rhonda's Comments: Another work of art!!!!
We did see a few of the famous white horses which run wild through this huge area and can only imagine how grand they must look in fine sunny conditions. The wild bulls are plentiful in the same area and the birdlife is amazing even in this weather. Thousands of birds of all types and sizes migrate to this area to breed so you see the sky almost turn black from the huge numbers of swallows and other dark coloured birds flying among them plus there are many what we call herons in New Zealand which really stand out due to the whiteness of their plumage.
In the sunshine of the second day of travel we noticed hundreds of lorikeet size birds which appeared as though they were making nests along the canal edge. They were coloured brilliantly as they carried red, black and yellow colours on there underside plus between the wings from the top view they display a beautiful blue colour which makes them one of the prettiest small birds I have ever seen. As this is such an area where saltwater is contained in the delta it is also the area where salt is a major part of the commerce so pyramids of the glistening stuff can be seen in the distance.
Rhonda's Comments: We had a hitch hiker.
We were not to see any of the famous pink Flamingos today, however, we are assured we will see some over the days ahead when we move on from Aigues-Mortes after two days moored along side this walled town. Built in the 12th century as a fort to assist the crusade troops when on their way to and from Jerusalem, the town has stood in fine form really since those times and even a set of the original wooden gates still stand at one of the gateways. Inside the walls is the main shopping centre with numerous stalls and market areas as well as art galleries and tourist shops and to see the old homes which are mainly in good order is a credit to the residents and authorities. Outside the walls is mainly residential apart from the industrial estates which are based further out of the town.
The port is right along side one of the walls so at night when the walls are lit, is a great sight. The port is quite large with a neverending flow of tourist boats coming and going so finding a berth can be difficult and expensive at €40.00 per night for our size boat. We went out to eat last night for Mother’s Day and sat in a nice comfortable restaurant (with Harry under the table of course) and chose some of the local fare to see how we liked it. The salads as an entrée were stunning with lots of mixed vegetables and some fruit including grapefruit on top. We foolishly had ordered a pizza as well, so had to really struggle to get through half of this as it was large and again loaded with beautiful cheeses, tomatoes, ham ,etc. A good night out and a real treat for Rhonda not having to prepare a meal for a change.
The port is right along side one of the walls so at night when the walls are lit, is a great sight. The port is quite large with a neverending flow of tourist boats coming and going so finding a berth can be difficult and expensive at €40.00 per night for our size boat. We went out to eat last night for Mother’s Day and sat in a nice comfortable restaurant (with Harry under the table of course) and chose some of the local fare to see how we liked it. The salads as an entrée were stunning with lots of mixed vegetables and some fruit including grapefruit on top. We foolishly had ordered a pizza as well, so had to really struggle to get through half of this as it was large and again loaded with beautiful cheeses, tomatoes, ham ,etc. A good night out and a real treat for Rhonda not having to prepare a meal for a change.
Today, Monday, we have been over to the walled town to wander about in typical tourist fashion looking at all the gifts and artefacts and at the art galleries where so many artists have displays and as the sun has come out and the temperature has risen we prepare to take off tomorrow along the Canal Rhone a Sete towards Carnon where we are told there is some great scenery so will bring you updates once we have covered some more miles.
Rhonda's Comments: Got fingers caught in the cookie jar!!!!
Well, talk about a night of drama as at around 11.30pm Harry decided to let me know he wanted to go out by jumping up onto the bed and onto my legs. How he has developed this act I don’t know but of course on the 3 or 4 occasion he has done it, I have responded so again I got up and opened the door for him to go out for a run in the car park and grassed area. While I was getting a coat to wear as it was spitting rain and there was a touch of thunder I presumed he would just run around on the grassed area as was normal until I caught up. After 3 or 4 minutes he had not returned so after calling him without result I took a torch and went out also telling Rhonda she had better get up and come and look as this was a real rarity for him to not answer a call.
We spent the best part of an hour wandering around the area calling and whistling him, looking in the water and under parked cars etc. To be honest we got really frantic as we had no idea of where next to look, so I was about to get the bike off the back of the boat to maybe go out onto the roads in the thought that I might find him. All of a sudden Rhonda called out to say he had appeared out of the darkness all of a sudden and short of breath so we don’t have any idea of where or what he did but we were sure delighted to get him back. We still can’t understand what would make him do this as it was completely out of character.
A fitful night’s sleep followed, however, we decided to get underway in the morning and lo and behold Harry did his disappearing trick again as we were getting the boat ready to depart for about 20 minutes before he came back all of a shiver so we guessed something had been wrong with him and sure enough he showed continuing signs of dysentery and gripes, however, thankfully that has now passed so hope we don’t have any more of that problem.
We spent the best part of an hour wandering around the area calling and whistling him, looking in the water and under parked cars etc. To be honest we got really frantic as we had no idea of where next to look, so I was about to get the bike off the back of the boat to maybe go out onto the roads in the thought that I might find him. All of a sudden Rhonda called out to say he had appeared out of the darkness all of a sudden and short of breath so we don’t have any idea of where or what he did but we were sure delighted to get him back. We still can’t understand what would make him do this as it was completely out of character.
A fitful night’s sleep followed, however, we decided to get underway in the morning and lo and behold Harry did his disappearing trick again as we were getting the boat ready to depart for about 20 minutes before he came back all of a shiver so we guessed something had been wrong with him and sure enough he showed continuing signs of dysentery and gripes, however, thankfully that has now passed so hope we don’t have any more of that problem.
Once underway along the passage which is a very straight canal cut of around 15 kms near to the coast, it is amazing to be travelling along on a waterway with water just meters away on both sides of the canal. This area of inland sea and swamp area covers some 13,000 hectares which is amazing and is a favourite location for fishermen and leisure seekers not to mention the resting and nesting places for the millions of sea birds which use it either in their migratory travels or as a permanent home. It was while travelling through this area we were able to see the huge number of pink flamingos who just delight in using these waterways for wading and feeding. While they were too far away for good photographs we a were able to see the colours and when they flew the pink colours almost appear scarlet on their wings so we hope to get some close up photos before we leave this amazing area.We have moored up in the canal outside the tourist resort town of P
avalas-les-Flots which sits almost on a Mediterranean beach and was once just a simple fishing village but was developed some years ago when the “smart money boys” determined that this could be a resort area so they dug out the mosquito swamps and just like the Gold Coast in Australia, went flat out building heaps of multiplex apartment blocks up to about 6 or 8 storeys. While it must have enjoyed a huge boom period it all now looks a bit tired and jaded and seems to have no heart so the Casino and the huge yacht basin are the centrepoints along with hundreds of restaurants, so many still with closed doors.
avalas-les-Flots which sits almost on a Mediterranean beach and was once just a simple fishing village but was developed some years ago when the “smart money boys” determined that this could be a resort area so they dug out the mosquito swamps and just like the Gold Coast in Australia, went flat out building heaps of multiplex apartment blocks up to about 6 or 8 storeys. While it must have enjoyed a huge boom period it all now looks a bit tired and jaded and seems to have no heart so the Casino and the huge yacht basin are the centrepoints along with hundreds of restaurants, so many still with closed doors. It is noted as being where the sport of Sea Jousting was founded by the Crusaders while waiting to move onto Palestine etc so regular competitions are held during the summer months engaging with teams from all along this coast. In earlier blogs we have shown photos of some enactments taking place and enjoyed watching the skills which these young fellows have developed.
The fishing boats still come into the town right alongside the main street to sell their catch each morning so the choice of variety and fresh fare is readily available. A walk around the marina which is huge, with yachts, launches and up to gin palace sized craft from almost every port in the world.
Looking out onto the Mediterranean is pleasant to say the least but the beaches are somewhat of a crushed gravel dust mix so I have to say I was not greatly impressed by it all. Some 15 kms away is the main city of Montpellier being the financial and business centre for the area but we don’t have the time to visit this city at this time.
Rhonda's Comments: What no food and an empty glass!!!!
With the weather seemingly to be improving again, we were able to get the scooter off and to go to the supermarket for refurbishment of food and drink then went into town for a calamari meal which we had so looked forward to. The service and presentation was really good, however, the calamari while being fresh was not up to the standard of Swashbucklers back in Auckland nor Doyles in Sydney. It was cooked carrying too much batter which soon left the remains tasting greasy and soggy but that is the way they do it so we had better look more carefully in future.
Anyway, as the weather has decided to turn to a more autumn feeling than should be for this part of the w
orld, we pushed on to get through the bridge way which closes off the canal apart from two openings per day (8.30am and 4.0 pm) headed to the town of Frontignan which is the step before Sete where you have to decide if the conditions are suitable to cross the E’tang de Thau which is another inland sea protected only by a shingle bank from the Mediterranean but which is large enough for conditions to become very rough at times for the shallow, flat bottomed type craft of which most leisure barges are designed, to cross or to wait for conditions to improve. We will wait in Frontignan for a couple of days as there is a large open market here tomorrow, Saturday and parades etc on Sunday.
Today, Saturday, we visited the local markets which I have to say have been the best that we have seen since being in France with lots of variety of food and clothing and at very competitive prices for a change. The whole central area of the town is adorned with stalls and tents selling anything that the vendors believe they can make a profit from.
After lunch we took the scooter and set off for Sete which is about 12 kms from here. It is this city which controls the passageway across the E’tang de Thau. This sea is filled with oyster farms so once you have decided that you will enter this sea, it is imperative that you follow closely the marks and don’t venture too close to the farms nor too far the other way and become beached. In bad weather conditions the wind can push you into dangerous positions so it was good to see what faced us before venturing across.
The city of Sete is a huge port (the second largest fishing port on the Med) with a population of over 43,000 and in the port you will see the biggest range of trawlers and fishing boats possible. From Purse Seiners of up to at least 80 meters in length to the humble coastal fishing boats which hunt for local fish including calamari which is a great favourite of the locals and visitors alike.
While it is set right on the Mediterranean coast it also embraces some quite large hills up to 1500 feet at its western side so a trip up them gives great views over the city and area and a look at a different type of architecture of the homes etc. It is very steep but we took it on with the two of us on the scooter and almost made it to the top before the steepness plus the weight carried forced us to turn around and descend. We were really surprised, however, to see the number of folk cycling or walking up including a number of elderly residents. We wondered how all the residents used to manage this arduous climb before motor cars came along.
The view out across the Mediterranean is really good and gives a better perspective of just how big that sea is. Upon our return to Frontignan we received a call from our pal Jo who was going to drive our car down to us from Saint Jean-de-Losne, some 500 kms back, to say it would not start so “back to the garage”. What a lemon I seem to have bought but as we have already spent so much on it, we feel we should probably hold on to it in the hope that it can be simply fixed as we hopefully have done all that needs to be done to ensure it keeps going in future. Time will tell but we now need to work out another plan of how to get it down to here.
At least the weather has warmed and the skies are clear, however, the winds are blustery so we can’t attempt to cross the E’tang de Thau until it has quietened down, so fingers crossed for next week. Tomorrow we will see the parades and festivities which are going to be an all day happening so that should be interesting.
Ok, up and away as the weather looked pretty good and wind just light so we followed the canal to Sete but on the way we met our friends who had left our port at 6 am to beat the wind etc, coming back to say that the conditions were too rough for them, however, they have a smaller boat than “Somewhere” so we decided once we had seen the conditions out on the E’tang de Thau to push on. There was a light chop with whitecaps and the wind was strengthening but as we were to keep pretty close to the land on the windward side we crossed without incident taking 2 hours making the 12km passage.
After arriving at the end of the sea voyage we entered the Canal du Midi which at this point is a disgrace with hardly enough water under our keel for some reason, this canal which is like a local creek is jammed with all sorts of boats many of them just rotting hulks tied to the banks or home made jettys preventing passage craft to get to the so called marina and as we wanted water we were a bit peeved but pushed on and soon came to our first lock which then gave us access to the true canal which is tree lined, has a better width and depth so all looks more promising for our onward journey. We will stay in Agde and bring you more details of our voyage in a couple of weeks.
Best regards to all
Ken, Rhonda and Harry
Well, Parade Day came and went in true French fashion. In the morning the market square became a selling yard for new cars. Displays by all the local and regional dealers were there for potential buyers to inspect and later in the day we waited for the Parade and sure enough at 5.0pm we heard an array of brass band music nearing and in the most shambolic format, bands strolled past accompanied by floats depicting things from Disneyland to whatever. The floats were loaded with children of almost every age and there seemed to be no control over them so they climbed and swung on and off the float trailers as they wished. Health and Safety in New Zealand or the UK would have had a heart attack I am sure. With gaps in the parade of up to 15 minutes and the floats being obviously of some vintage and tarted up for the occasion, we soon lost interest and joined some other boat folk for a vin or two.
Monday we spent getting ready to move on and took a couple of trips to the supermarket on the scooter shopping and getting our 20 litre drum filled with diesel for the generator and to ensure we had sufficient to cross the E’tang de Thau if the weather permits on Tuesday.
Monday we spent getting ready to move on and took a couple of trips to the supermarket on the scooter shopping and getting our 20 litre drum filled with diesel for the generator and to ensure we had sufficient to cross the E’tang de Thau if the weather permits on Tuesday.
Ok, up and away as the weather looked pretty good and wind just light so we followed the canal to Sete but on the way we met our friends who had left our port at 6 am to beat the wind etc, coming back to say that the conditions were too rough for them, however, they have a smaller boat than “Somewhere” so we decided once we had seen the conditions out on the E’tang de Thau to push on. There was a light chop with whitecaps and the wind was strengthening but as we were to keep pretty close to the land on the windward side we crossed without incident taking 2 hours making the 12km passage.
It was unbelievable to see the endless miles of oyster farm racks for almost the whole distance and about a kilometre in breadth to the shore. No wonder this is the oyster capital of the world.
The fishing in the Mediterranean is quite startling when you consider that the French statistics alone state that there are some 15,000 tonnes of fish caught each year by amateur fishermen and 100,000 tonnes by the commercial trawlers etc of which due to quotas set on each type of fish caught almost 400,000 tonnes are thrown back and most of this is dead. Crazy isn’t it but the same thing happens in the UK and other E.U controlled countries and I am sure elsewhere in the world while so many people are starving.
After arriving at the end of the sea voyage we entered the Canal du Midi which at this point is a disgrace with hardly enough water under our keel for some reason, this canal which is like a local creek is jammed with all sorts of boats many of them just rotting hulks tied to the banks or home made jettys preventing passage craft to get to the so called marina and as we wanted water we were a bit peeved but pushed on and soon came to our first lock which then gave us access to the true canal which is tree lined, has a better width and depth so all looks more promising for our onward journey. We will stay in Agde and bring you more details of our voyage in a couple of weeks.
Best regards to all
Ken, Rhonda and Harry
Locks this season: 21
Kms this season: 620
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