14, 2019. Early September, Aigues-Morte to Beziers.

Steph Janes arrives for a holiday and first night out we get started in Aigues-Morte.

Mooring at Aigues-Morte.

New bar table and chair sets,, we think it could catch on!!!

Finally on our way towards Sete we spied the elusive Flamingoes!!!

 Having a suspicious crew is always entertaining especially nosey ones.

Here in Sete it was the 3 young men who were diving along the side of the entrance of the harbour, and then the crew noticed that someone had driven their car off the wharf into the sea.

So rescue truck etc etc.

We had a fun packed 10 days with Steph,, doing/seeing new things, like finding ourselves on a beach where everybody ( nobody seeing 60-70 again),  was actually stark bollock naked ( we now understand that saying!!!), and we were nearly the only ones wearing clothes😁😁😁😁.

Had a nice quick day trip by train to Montpellier and had a small salad lunch.!!!!!!

 

 The Saint Clement Aqueduct, built in 18C to provide water for the city.

And of course another statue of Louis XIV.

Montpelleir has this thing with bicycles and we found these two, just
hanging out of the city walls.


Another first is that Kiwi Rose threw down her anchor and we swam off the back of the boat in the SEA. Nice clean warm water.

Steph, Max and I also biked to beaches, up/down the canals, shopping, and then did lots of relaxing drinking and eating on the back of the boat. 

The little town of Meze on the Etang.

Dancing girls joining in with the flavour of the night.
 

Evening drinks on the beach.

The beautiful serene Canal du Midi with some Plaine trees left.

Arrived at this bridge, and we had a couple of days while we contemplated taking the windscreen glass down.

A well deserved beer after a 20 km round trip to have a great swim in the sea at Portiragnes-Plage from our mooring at Villeneuve-les-Beziers.

New friends playing on the bank by the boat...., the Coypu.

Then on to Beziers.
OK, First test was actually getting under this bridge.... so canvas all down , , and then the glass!!!!!

WE ARE THROUGH,,, EASY PEASY!!!!

A short cycle ride around Beziers and up to the 

9 Fonceranes locks at Beziers. 

Pierre-Paul Riquet built the locks between1 666-1681, during the reign of King Louis XIV.         

 These locks allow boats to cover an elevation of 13.6m over 300m on the canal above the river Orb. It earier times there was a lock connecting the canal to the river Orb, depth  of 21.6m .

Found this couple doing the Canal in this rubber ducky. They took the seat out at night and unloaded their belogings onto the bank. They then blew up their double air bed and camped under a tarp on the boat. 

Just shows you don't need a fancy boat to do this canalling business.

The magnifent Cathedrale Saint Nazaire overlooking the River Orb and the valley below.

And last tuesday, the first rain we have had on Kiwi Rose in 14 weeks !!!! Great for the French land,  but not quite the same for the hire boats on a 7 day misson.



And so we start winding to a close for this summer on Kiwi Rose.
Just packing and cleaning and catching up with freinds, and collecting the car before we go back to the UK.



FOOD FOR THOUGHT-

13, August 2019, Sete, Frontignan, and back up to Aigues-Morte.

We pottered about between the beaches of  Les Aresquires and Frontignan for few weeks as various friends came to catch up with us. Rob & Sue Cooper, having sold their boat a few months ago came  to visit us by car on their way to friends at Marseille.

What a difference a night makes as we make our way back to Frontignan.

We met 2 new kiwi boats, and Fred & Zoe from Portsmouth. (friends of mutual American boating friends). The Kiwis had managed to find a bar where we could watch The AB's playing Australia. 

 Its serious stuff at 10 am in the morning!!!!

Rob and Sue arrive to stay for a couple of nights, and we do a day trip to Marseillan, 

a delightful little fishing port on the Etang Du Thau.  

The Etang du Thau is a vast lake of brackish water, whose main activity is oyster/mussel farming.It produces more than  20,000 tons annually and it is only linked to the sea in 2 places, Sete and a small canal at Marseillan. As there are no real tides and little water renewal it is a delicate ecological balance and boaters must take extra care with their waste. 

The Etang is classified as maritime waters and there are buoyed channels and markers when crossing, and if the winds are high above force 3, they advise you not to cross. 

The Etang is 16kms long and 2-4 kms wide, with huge areas of oyster/mussel beds. 

Had a surprise from Robin and Denise, who after cycling from Chichester to near Clermont Ferrand, (I think over 800kms), they decided to continue on down to the south, (more kms) and joined us for an overnight stay.

 Did some cycling back to the beaches from Frontignan and watched the kids jousting....not sure health and safety in NZ would allow this at all..!!!!

At least the kids have outboards and there are no rowers like the adult men.

And THEN THERE ARE the French cakes...... couldn't resist trying this delight.

12, August, From Aigues-Morte and around the Etang de Thau.

Our play area for the next 6 weeks;
Along The Canal du Rhone a Sete, around the Etang de Thau
and through to the Canal du Midi.

Left Aigues-Morte to catch up with Bruce & Janine Banbury (NZ friends) for Max's birthday in 

Port  Arianie.. (Lattes)

Then started down the Canal du Rhone a Sete to meet up with Collen and Terry who were staying

for a few days with us in Sete.

 Moored in the middle of nowwhere for a peaceful night. 

 A cute little house on the banks, lived in by people 

who went out most nights to fish on the Etangs.

Coming into Sete you have to wait for the twice daily ( if you are lucky ) openings of the road and rail bridges to actually leave the Etang to reach the marinas and then the Mediterranean Sea.

We are through!! 

It didnt go up as planned at 7.30pm so we had to wait for the next lift at 10am. 

Colleen and Terry arrive and we do a bit of walking around Sete discovering the sights and enjoying local food/wine.

And an aptly named bar for Max and Colleen.

We visited Sete a few times more over the following weeks and saw jousting and cycled 

along the white sandy stretches of beaches (12Km) .