2021,  August  5th.

Beziers.

We have been very lazy in the heat, but finally we took our bikes up into Beziers to wander about before we left again. We found they had set up an amazing sculpture park in the main square, that apparently lights up at night ...so far we have been to lazy and hot to venture out so late!!

And rode back down through the park.

Built in 1893 represent Titan Atlas carrying the world. He rests on a giant seashell supported by seahorses lead by angels. The head of the god, Pan, spits a trickle of water in which 2 children play.

Headed back to the Etang to meet up with Alan and Shelia (who live in the area) for 3 birthday gathering at an  ''all you can eat -seafood buffet''  in Bouzigues, one of the centres for osyters on the E'tang.

For Max's birthday we caught the train to spend a couple of nights in Marseille.  We stayed right down in the Vieux-port, (old port),  which seemed to be centre of things.

We did the noddy train to both sides of the port.(Just a few pictures) 

Along the coast to the past Islands of Frioul and The Chateau d'lf, where the stories of The Count of Monti Cristo were set, and up to the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde, that watches over the sailors, fishermen and people of Marseilles. Such an amazing view over Marseilles. 

 

You can see the references to the ships and sailors by the model boats hanging from the ceiling and the pictures on the walls.

                             

    

This shows the hotch-potch higglty pigglty of the roofs of the old biuldings in old parts of town, with the huge new Orange Velodrome in the dstance..

Night view from Cafe in Vieux Port, showing the Basilique on the hill ,The Abbaye, the Fort Ganteaume at the harbour entrance. ( other side is Fort Saint-Jean)

View of Vieux Port from our balcony.

                Now of course we can't go anywhere without a small crisis. 

So the french are really into protests and of course the latest is against Covid vaccines and vaccine passports.

                                            

So we watch them coming down the street from our balcony, trying to understand their chants.

(Max thought they were saying USA, when I think they were saying Liberty,)

.

We had already watched the police getting ready and dressed in full body protection around the corner not really knowing what was going on earlier in the day. So leaning out, watching the people,====next thing tear-gas cannisters are shot into the crowd... Now we have never been anywhere near something like this and we now understand why people run away so fast.  We were 4 floors up and the gas still managed to get into our eyes and it really stings- very uncomfortable and smells terrible. 

Luckily the whole episode with the gas didn't last longer that about 5-10 mins, and after a lots of shouting and noise etc, things quietened down.

 MORNING FISH MARKET STALLS.

                                Other side of town now, The Cathedral, old tiny streets,old Forts etc. 

The most amazing mosaic floor inside this Catherdal. 

The forts on either side of the old port harbour entrance..

   

We also vsisted the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations. An incerdible eye opening expo about the world as we know it and how we have really screwed it up.

After 2 days the long climb back up to the station to catch the train back to Frontignan.

Thank god no bikes this time.

Of course we love to visit big hardware stores, this like bunnings,

 we just loved to selection of sinks up on the wall. SOOO much choice on view.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST----

The birdman of the South.!! 

Everyday he would come down to the quai and feed the birds.

😀😀😀😀

And we thought Mary Poppins was dead!!!!

 2021,  July 29th,

After leaving Frontignan we went back out onto the E'tang, and KIWI ROSE had her first 2 nights at anchor by Meze. Beautiful clean clear water so swiming off the back of the boat was bliss-- so different from Canal water.!!!  The majority of the E'tang is only about 3- 5 m deep. 

Beautiful sunset against the Church that tolls half hour.

Calm and serene in the early morning light. 

The view out of my port-hole.

And somebody dared to moor near us on one of the nights.

Decided to go back up to Beziers as I (lucy) wanted to see this amazing light show with 60 drones that they were doing in the night sky above the 7 Ecluses.  BUT  new covid rules struck and as they can't  check people have vaccine passports in a crowd, at the last minute it was cancelled. We had also planned to collect a new 24v fridge we had finally ordered to replace the original one in the galley...

Early in the morning it is lovely and cool and the water is so flat.

So once again ( we are getting quite slick at this now) canvas and glass down for the bridges.

. We have passed these boats many times now on our trips!!!!!

Port Cassafieres is a very large Le Boat hire place that has over 60 boats ranging from little to 50 feet. As you can see, again this year the marina is virtually full--business is not soooo good. 

BUT good for us as less boats around to crash into us!!!

This time we passed though the marina in Beziers and over the aquaduct (over the River l'Orb) and moored up just before the 7 ecluses that lead up the real start Canal du Midi. 

We have found lots of free mooring spots and we have delighted in using them all multiple times---it all helps with the purse. 

As our lust for adventure continues we took the train, with bikes to Narbonne 16 mins away. 

We had the simple idea of cycling back along the banks of the Canal du Robine, and then along the Canal du Midi back to the boat ---about 65kms in total. 

We spent a little time exploring the city which was famous in Roman times, established in 118 BC as it was situated on the route form Spain to Italy and Rome. It was also known as Narbonensis.

 Of course like most of  Europe it changed hands and allegencies over time, but lost its powerful position when the Aude river changed it's course in 14C. 

Sundial that is arcurate to 15 mins through the year except it  doesn't take into account daylight saving.

Due to the stark changes of Narbonnes fortunes it was never finished but is still the tallest Catherdral in France. And its got the oldest pieces of stonework we have seen.

The Canal de la Robine was redug and worked on since 18C and was linked to the Canal du Midi for the transportation of goods, especially the wine trade.

A story we have to tell-- the day was perfect and after looking around Narbonne, we set off  cycling along the path by the canal. 

After about 13 kms I could see large bodies of water off to our left-- not what we expected...... we had gone the wrong way and were heading towards the sea.😢😢😢😢😢😢.  

So we returned to Narbonne, had lunch and thought we would get the train back as we had aready done 26kms and would still have another 65kms to return to the boat. 

 Now this is summer in France, so the next train was full and with our bikes it would be a 2 hour wait for the enxt train, So in our wisdom we desided to cycle back. 

What we had failed to realise or notice was the paths were not beautifully tarmaced as we had thought, BUT were rough, stoney, rutted dried mud and rock paths.

The moral of this story to check paths first ( although where I don't know), and have good suspemsion and good mountain bike tires.

By the time we got back to the boat after 6 hours (post lunch) and a total of about 90kms we had very very sore fanny's. ( What I can say it that cycling holidays you not be looked at as romantic!!!)

 My e-bike has no suspenion cos its a towny bike with townie tires ( no grip) and ran out of battery on the last 10 kms. (good for the legs and by then I had moved into robotic mode.

The only saving grace was that max and I were wearing our  padded shorts, which must of helped??

but not sure 😕😕😕😕

As you can imagine we didn't sit on our bikes for a good few days---

So moved off the quiet mooring and back into the Marina to await the arrival of our new fridge.

As with everything,,, delivery was delayed and so we left to go back to the E'tang without it. But it has now arrived as the captainerie has sent us a photo-😀😀,

When is enough fenders, enough ??????

Admittedly a hire boat😃