Life on The Waterways of Europe..: June 2013

Monday 29th April 2013.. Well, we have packed the car to the gunnels and literally cannot fit even another tissue into it. Usual bikes on the back, and even a roll of carpet through the car.

Left Chichester and headed out this morning and had booked a Ferry this time. Only takes a couple of hours. Lucy has managed to fit in all her plants and herbs which she will be growing on our floating nursery. Arrived in St Jean De Losne late Monday evening at our gite ( B and B without the Breakfast ) beautiful little cottage which is our house for the next 2 weeks. Its a typical French stone building, thick walls, small windows, therefore cold and dark..thank-god for electric heating.

We spent 2 weeks sanding and priming and under-coating, then 2 coats of anti foul.The weather variable, 12-15 degrees, and some rain. The master plan was to have a battery monitor, and a gas hob installed, and of course the new stern thruster , which didn’t turn out as simple as it sounds. We had to have a large 700 x 700 hatch cut in the steel duckboard which houses the defunct 800 litre fuel tank, so then it needed anti rusting, painting etc..etc..

Anyway,,,,

The weather has been so crap here in France, due for more crappy weather, all the rivers are swollen and running very fast with all the rain, and the canals are flooded and some closed….Nobody is going anywhere..with more impending bad weather, and no-where to live we decide we have had enough and in a space of a few hours had booked flights from Paris to Athens for 11 days, with our time split between Naxos and Paros Islands. (cheaper than staying here in france)

PAROS Island.

Our breakfast area in the rooms, in the capital called Parikia.

So lovely to be in warm weather, sun but not too hot, nice for us. We swam everyday and did our usual and hired a quad bike to explore.. Greece was empty as it was early season… so much nicer for us.

Of course, what else do you do on holiday but eat, eat and EAT,, and of course a few beverages as well.

And what else do you do on a Greek island???? Lie on the beach. ????

Then we went to NAXOS Island, one of the biggest Islands in the Cyclades, just next door to Paros, and close to Mykonos and Ios.

Life is tough. Hired a quad bike again but didn’t do too much as it was such a big island, but found deserted beaches for skinney dipping.( obviously no photos of that!!!) Sitting enjoying a 5pm drink at the hotel.

Beautiful white sand and crystal clear coolish waters as early in the summer..

They put cafes just anywhere.

With sadness we left the Greek Islands, as its one of our favourite places to visit as its so laid back and the Greeks are so friendly. We have an aim to visit all the islands before we leave Europe.. should be fun!!!!

Back to France, and we returned full of enthusiasm to still crappy weather. More rain while we were away and still about 2 weeks work to go on the boat due to staff issues and the on-going bad weather.

The internet is a wonderful thing, so we about turned( 36 hrs later) and left from Paris for Majorca for 12 days as we had again no where to stay unless we wanted to live in an electricians workroom.

MAJORCA.

Our Hotel, with warm days but cool nights as even here the weather is cold for May. Definately cooler than Greece and cooler seas too.

Interesting Island, and these types of places are not somewhere we would visit again. Its full of holiday makers, mainly Brits and Germans, with apparently a lot of big money coming in from Russia. Heaps of families, often 3 generations.. never seen so many push chairs in my life. Small beaches so all the hotels have pools and its a bit expensive to eat out ( even have to dress up a bit.. ( roll on Greece.)

We have never seen so much money tied up in boats as they have here. Marinas full of 15-20m Fairlines and Sunseekers, all shiney and posh looking. Puts NZ in small light.

This yacht, Vita Bel was owned by John and Maureen ( our friends from Oostvoorene, but live in York). They lived in Majorca for 12 years in the late 90,s, and charteres her on day trips, and she is still going strong. What a life.

PALMA, the capital of Majorca. On our bus trip.