Early July, 2023..

Well --- what have we done???? -- not a lot but seems like alot.  Life seems to drift by, one hot day after another.

We do try to cycle each morning for some excercise, then lunch, some of us sleep and then if near a beach--out to the beach for a couple of hours for a swim after 4pm when its still hot but sun not really burning.  Then shower time, drinkies and supper!!!!!

 June 23rd--

Finally leaving Beziers back down the Midi towards Sete.

 

---first block down after 4kms--BROKEN..

 

As the boats piled up behind us- the locks up and down stream eventualy closed and we sat it out for the rest of the day.

All glass and canvas down as we had to go through the Villeneuve Beziers bridge and on through the sluice gates at Vias..(from 1858c)--that used to control the water flow from the river into the canal.

Moored up for the day- and the French just love thier fun-fairs and beach camping sites.

Our first sighting of the summer -- a Koypu. 

This one must be over 2.5 feet long - tail and body.

 And what???  Camels?? the French are strange!!!

Met a nice Kiwi couple who were spending 3 months cycling around France!! Crikey- just a bit too much for us.

Then only another few locks and we are out onto the E'tang de Thau..

                                BUT                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                        NOT before we had to watch this french couple who we had met before in a  lock- so as you can see from previous experience -- we let them in first and just watched --- they actually stayed in that slanted postion in the lock the whole time!!!!

Out onto the E'Tang de Thau, past some of the many oyster beds and our favourite anchorage outside Meze. 

Stayed 2 nights- loved the different little groups of kids with coloured sails and being taught to sail AND how to sail around us.😃😃                                   

Back on the wall at Sete, where the road and rail bridge rises twice a day to allow sail and motor boats in and out of Sete/Med/E'tang and the rowers practice.

Frontignan and such a charming spot- free mooring for 72hrs and cheap water and electric, a must for   the aircon and washing machine!!!!

And again as the French are oft to do - another festival weekend-- this time --water jousting.

The young boys have just as much fun- but no rowers!!!

These men - well- they aren't small - this sport doesn't require them to be agile and light on their feet  😕😕😕😕😕😕

Love to think how health and safety commission in NZ would cope with this.😁😁😁

Oposite our mooring -this beautiful colourful sight-- a good advert for something I am sure!!. 

On to Les Aresquires and its so quiet- very few bumper boats around but not as many as we have remembered.- mayb due to the expense of hiring them, the extremly hot waeter or just not school holidays.. Although saying that -- this morning as we left, we let the bumper boats go first- and watched them jostle and overtake each other in a rush to get somewhere???!!!

so NOBBY NO-MATES  again  !!

Well, not always..

So there is a craze here of throwing a very strong magnet into the water to see what you can bring up- Chris Ingram sent us a photo of some bycles that had been 'caught' in the canals... but we could do one better --

A big day- 8kms further on down the canal we stopped at La Maguelonne.   Did a bit of cycling - these small ponds off the smaller E'Tangs dry up in high summer and you can see the crystalline salt. 

 

Quite happily cycling along and then suddenly a huge long freight train comes -- but he is still waiting for me!!💓💓💓💓💓

The old Catherale du Maguelone in the background--dates back to the 5C. and finally abandoned by the church in 16th C and restored by the Fabrege family.

And the little noddy train that takes people from the carpark bridge across the canal to the Cathederale and beaches-- Typically French beaches that have signage on poles, ( sorry forgot camera) of  areas on the beaches designating for wearing swimsuits or being dare-arsed.

This area of France seems to have alot of its celebrations on the 13th July, not on the 14th which is Bastille day.   From the boat at around 10.30 pm we could watch 5-6 different firewoeks displays from the surrounding towns and villages. 

 We spent the day in Vileneuve Magduelonne watching some bull running. Over 4 day festival they ran the bulls through the town twice a day - each time with different breeders to show off their bulls and  riders.

The bulls being let out of the trucks into the care of the cowhands.

Its amazing how you see the riders leaning in to each other to cage the bulls in.

We assume that its all part of youth initiation for youths to try to run with them if they can. 

 ((( Max and I just laugh at how The health and Safety dept in NZ would cope with this,!!)))

This return trip caught me by surprise.

And they are such proud people.

We just had to include all these videos to give you all a sense of these rich French traditions.

AND so onto the next adventure ----- up The mighty Rhone River to  AVIGNON....

👌👌👌👌

So we feel the French have got this one sewn up---- one sure fire way to make sure only one car parks in this space,--- not a truck, or a car & trailer, or a large 4x4 or campervan!!

Thought this was quite apt.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂  

💕💕💕

 June, 21st, 2023  When all of France celebrates Music....  ( more videos I am afraid)

June 21st is the longest summer's day and a day for all France to celebrate Music.....Every town and small village puts on music of some sort for loacls on this day.    Now you have to understand- it can be any music- local bands to solo to serious musicans -to parties!!!  Its all in persuit of a fun night out....

Here are a variety of SOME of what we found in Beziers up in the main town squares.

First up a rap band - but we stayed to listen as they had an all girl wind back-up band accompanying him- As you can imagine -  (rap) ( with some swearing and little kids around -- not for us), so one beer was all we could manage.

 Decorated side streets.

The obligitorie town band.

Then through to another square and this group of guys playing Catalonian style.

After that we heard these drummers in a near by street and then onto a wine bar😀😀😀😀

The wine bar - as always and they were up for a long night!!!! 

 

mmm

Finally back through the main square and all the lit up flowers ( there for the whole summer now) and down through the park.

The Local Orchestra.

We can't believe this was only last week- time becomes blurred in this lazy heat and slow boat jouney from place to place...

Missed on last blogs -- we had a great night ( sadly only one) catching up with Grahame Vietch and wife Marie in Beziers- after they has been travelling Spain and on their way through to their boat in Auxerre.

And new boating friends met in Beziers, Paul and Claire ( on Sasika) , from Horsham although Paul has spent a lot of his life boating from Chichester marina.!!  Small small world.😂

SO THA'S ALL FOLKS----- TILL NEXT TIME..

sorry about all the vidoes.

It's a sad sad world!!!

 2023,  June  23rd,  Cycling and cycling.

Finally got our act together after looking continually looking at internet weather sites--at breaks in the the stormy weather, we set off for Girona, just over the border in Spain ( 2 hours drive).  Max's new bike rack bringing a whole new experience for biking from the boat.

Girona is the cycling centre of the region- lycra everywhere- just didn't quite manage to persuade Max

 into a brightly coloured skin- tight suit...😢😢 

An amazing hotel with a view over the old city and full of weekend cyclists( --sort of like oursleves-- not!!.)

Lovely old city - Girona, in the northeastern Catalonia region, and known for its medeival architecture, and still partly walled old quarter .

                                                            

Very bland and sparse inside this church compared with others we have seen.  Tiny allys and streets.

Anyone who has watched the series of GAME OF THRONES  will recognise this place as it was used in the filming ( not that Max and I have a clue - we were told!!)

CYCLING.     The cycling route from Olot to Girona was about 60kms-- part of it following an old train track, other bits just cycle paths through woods, fields and little towns.  We caught the 10am bike-bus up to Olot that took 50 mins and cycled back over 4 hours, as planned .👍👍 

    You pass though lots of old bridges and a few tunnels- it was a narrow gauge railway so paths nice and narrow.

Spied a nice watering hole for some on the way.

Managed to miss most of this black cloud with thunder that chased us for the last 10kms and got us 15 mins from the hotel.   Our clothes got so wet that the planned cycle the next day did not happen- soggy shoes just  aren't our thing.

I have to say Max cycled in front of me as we were continually passed by speeding men and women in lycra and we, well...

Max did comment that I was the only one he saw riding a sit-up-and -beg  electric towny bike ,, with a basket on the front!!!.

In my defence I do have padded cycling shorts on underneath my shirt.  (and did have gloves and a helmet for that ride ( not in that picture.))

Quick stop driving back to Beziers in a Spanish supermarket on the boarder, to buy 2 x 1.5l bottles Grants whiskey for 17 euros.

Here are the recipiants, Alan and Shelia, with the 12 packets of rich tea bisciuts and 2  boxes of PG tips brought over from UK and the whisky.....( Heinz salad cream still in the car)

The following weekend was a car trip to the Lot Valley, about 3.5 hrs inland for my Scottish cousin, Callum Macrae's 70th birthday and house warming in Touzac,

Such a different landscape to the south -- greener, less vines but loads of maize growing. Did a cycle ride alot the river Lot ( 30KMs) on the sat - then back for a sleep and then the party.

This is our booking.com hotel- amazing old renovated building in the middle of Fumel, quirky inside but worked well.

The special event for us was that my brother Billy, who is a professional harmonica player, was asked by Callum to join a group of his friends in a band and play on the sat night.

Some of the band were total strangers to each other and after one night of dubious practice- they emerged victorious on the night-- a few clips follow.

Sound check early in the evening of party..

Party time.

Managed to catch Billy on a high!!!!

Rory Macrae( another cousin) and wife Catherine,  SiL Pippa, and of course Max surrounded by faithful dogs again.....

💙💚💛💜

Lastly but not least --- for those Kwiws out there-- I am onto my last box ( best ever cling wrap)--- 200m to go!!! 

                                                                          Till next time.💓