The Month of JULY, 

And the summer keeps on speeding by..

We caught up with Grahame, Aileen and SIL Sue (NZ Friends) in Meze ( on The E'Tang du Thau) for a week.  Weather was still incredibly hot but we managed to make a daily beach-head under the trees, which was 100m from the boat and 20m from the very warm waters of the E'Tang.  Not very busy at all, and the evenings were spent drinking, recovering from a hard day or playing cards.

As the temperatures in the south are so hot- the usual scrub fires are in abundance. In Meze we were right on the path of the Canadair planes flying into the E'Tang toscoop up water for a nearby fire.  All 4 made over 12 fly through - picking up 6,000 litres of water a time. Took a video but couldnt down load it so photos--

As the nights were so warm, we decided to try sleeping up on deck- our only company (apart fromthe mozies) was the green flashing light--- we managed till 5 am when the mosiqotoes really decided we would make a nice breakfast.

 

Lovely evening meal with more entertainment in the Marina at Meze.

And more jousting!!!

We all left Meze together headimg abck towards Frontignan.   An arieal view of some of the oyster and mussel beds.

and spent a few nights in Frontignan--and off to the square 😀

We left Aileen, Gahame and Sue and headed off to Aigues-Morte for a couple of nights  to finally get the winter tent fitted and the generator checked over....moored in the main basin this time.

Finally left Aigues-morte by boat for the last time. Up to the Petit Rhone and then the mightly Rhone.

Arrived at Aramom, 12kms down stream from Avignon.    A fantastic spot-lovely captainaire and after cycling 12kms into Avignon - we decided this spot was perfert. 

Very small village but it has 2 bars (14 euros for 2 large beers and 2 glasses rose!) and 2 boulongeries, a few resturants and a amazing pizza place.  what more could you wish for.-----Max got to watch the Rugby at 9am!!

A night out in the village square at Aramon--BASTEILLE DAY, 14TH JULY. 

While we waited for steph to fly into Marseille , we cycled around a bit - unfortuately on one trip Lucy mis-read the map - it was 26km ONE way, not round trip - but we cycled though oarchards and sunflowers- it was ok in the end.  And our new fruit bowl with enough grapes to make a very early vintage 1/2 of wine.

And beware of closed railway stations---

We caught the train down to Frontignan where we left the car so we could pick up Steph from Marseilles Airport, and drove back through Aigues-Morte to catch up with Hans and Angie.

Steph arrived into the heat of 35 degress to stay for 5 nights,  and we spent a full four days tripping about, eating and drinking and enjoying ourselves.

      

Carrieres des Lumieres- MONET shown in the amazing quarry at Les-Baux-de-Provence

And a short programe of Douanier ROUSSEAU.

AVIGNON, - the bridge, Palais du Papes, and in the old square.

The Rhone is a lovely river- the water beautifuuly warm and clean so swimming off the back of the boat made perfect sense in 35-38 degrees.

AND OF COURSE saturday morning Rugby...second All black test against France---we tried out the second bar this time in Aramon. Its take your own breakfast from the boulangerie too👍👍

Off to PONT DE GARD, the amazing Roman aquaduct, (middle 1st Centuaryand ceased to be used for water in the 6th centuary), that took water from the springs at Uzes to Nimes, over 50kms with a drop of only 25cm per km.!!!!

AND then we took Steph to experinec see the bloodless Course Camarguaise, where the Raseteurs have to snatch a rosette or coloured cords off the horns... these bulls take 3 years to peak at their game and are the most important part of the show-- they breed them very fast ..

so so so fast--

 a

Never actually seen this before on our previvious visits-

--Luckily this guy was only winded and a bruised face- so the bull was recalled - rest break for 5 mins and its all back on😊and he went on to have some very good runs after that even with limp. ... bet he felt crap the next day.

The horse and bull breeders are very proud to hold up tradition of breeding these camargue bulls and horses on their often family run Manades (farms). The horsemen and women always look so good in their colourful shirts and rugged old jeans.

And of course a visit to a market at L'Isle-sue-la-Sorgue.

And stop for breakfast- I expected a plate 

with nicely cut eggs with a fresh mayo sauce-- well I got that - just in a 

different format😂

 

Now we start the trip up to St Jean De Losne to get KIWI ROSE ready for sale as the summer draws to a close...and the 75TH Birthday  😀😀😀😀😎😎   

So till next time...... 

Been taking bus rides lately-- and obviously some other countires should adopt these seating arrangments in their buses.....extra wide seta 😂😂😂😂😂😂 

 

 2025 - And a different life is in store for us now.for us now.

Been here 8 weeks and feels like months- how time flies. Still finding things to do even if its our 5th summer down here.

So we are now more like other Kiwi boaters and fly to Europe to escape the New Zealand winter, have fun on boats and enjoy some real summer weather.

After 14 years of living in the UK, we have finally moved back to NZ.  Initally we planned this Euorpean adventure to be 3, or maybe 5 years but never expected to be doing this for 14 years.

We  have to say it has worked out far better than we ever could have imagined and our new community in Gulf Harbour has embraced us.  We will always miss Chichester but it was time to move home.

The old boy has only been in theUK  for 12 hours--Wraysbury (Claire & Benjis house - they are away)   and he is up to his old tricks.!!

 

Flew back to UK from Auckland at the beginning of May... and ensconsed ourselves in the guest suite in the apartment block in Chichester and caught up with family and as many friends as we could.

Annie Boutwood and I go for a lovely walk and end up st a pub well known to us in our youth!!!!

 Quick trip and over night stay in london and with Ali Hall saw Moulin Rouge, which was fantastic. Also got to see The Govement Inspector at the Chichester Festival Threatre with Steph and Charlie.

Max even manged to do some spraying for some regular clients and then we went from Dover to France.

Oh the White Cliffs of Dover.

A night stop on the way down to Aigues-Morte, to talk to H2O in St Jean de Losne about selling Kiwi Rose later in the year. (Info gathering).

Its been on our minds for a few years now, and as we have been doing this for 14 years- we realise there is so much more we want to do- both in Europe and Australia that we don't have time for if we keep her.

Still, - we have this summer to enjoy...

Aigues-morte is another very social port  -- apart from a port side party organised by the locals, (10 Euros) 3 courses and all the wine you could drink-- its was a very very long lunch!!!!  AND meeting new UK boaties, enjoyables meals on board, drinks on board, 80th fun birthday parties and just surviving in the heat.

Hans and Angie- another visit to theTac Tac bar.

Alan comes to visit for a few nights>>

 

Max back in the sports bar in the square at Aigues-morte-  and the bar lady remembered him from last year and another free beer.   

Carol and Frank ( NZ) in their camper van popped past for a night as well.

Robin and Graham ( from N/Z) joined us on our pontoon for a week. 

A quick side trip back to UK 4-8th June to catch up with Benji and Claire for a few days- a trip to the Natural Science Museum, and a pint on the river under Windsor castle, lunch out with Claires NZ friends in a pub ( of course) and we were back to the boat.

The above was a movie of the Dino in action but couldn't transfer it .

Only Max could meet a group of French students - who had to find a man with a moustache to be photographed with !! 😂😂😂  

A quick pint under Windsor Castle on the thames.

 
Back to Aigues-Morte and the fun summer activities of Water Jousting has started...always fun to watch people being pushed off boats by other people with long sticks!!!

ONLY THE FRENCH-- on one bout both men got knocked into the water - then to my astonishment they swam to each other -slapped each other on the back- then did the 3 kisses and swum to shore chatting together-- just such a neat nation!!!!!!

Then the winner does a victory lap with music blarring!! First competitions of the season.

.. ACC in NZ would have them masked, breast-plated and shoulder-pads..😊😊😊😊 

After sorting out a new battery charger, getting the fitting for our new winter tent we are set to leave Aigues-morte for the last time.   but wait -pull off from pontoon, thrusters woork fine---BUT we have no forward motion- managed to tie up again to the pontoon and realised we probably have a mussel farm on our propeller....

Delayed by a day for a diver to come and remove the mussel farm and we finally take off and leave Aigues-morte after 10 months!!

Its a sad parting of ways and we will be saying au revoir to many places we have come to know so well as we leave this part of France.

Back at our favourite place in the MIDI for 2 nights only-----  Les Aresquires- in the middle of nowhere- peaceful, serene, magic and a virtually empty beach nearby.  The fishman houses seem empty too this year

NOW the hard work starts-- we decide motor down the coast for 3-4 hours instead on going through the E'Tang and the canal to Agde.... for our lift out and antifouling.

Max worked endessly as usual, and we had to reward ourselves each night with a trip to the local bar for a chilled beer..

Lovely house on the walk home.

Talk about a river side bach in the sky. This is where will stayed for the 6 nights we spent here in Agde

6 days later a very nice shiney hull, newly painted boat went back in the water.

Trip back up the coast coming in at Sete and onto the canal and back to our favourite place. 

Les Aresquires again- we shall miss this spot of solitude and the mostly empty beach so close by.

Quick catch up with Alan who has passed on his car-roof box to us -which we will surely need as we declutter the boat at the end of summer.  This resturant specializes on aged meat-- too hot for us to eat such a heavy meal for lunch but amazing all the same.

Difficult to read but all the meat has the age, place and breed beef cattle it came from.

And Max has started his collection of French Military hats ( Kepis )- now we will being scouring all the Brocantes.....

A few days  in Frontignan for the delicious oysters and prawns at the village bar .

The weather is going to become really hot mext week - 30-36 degrees it says   So we are out to Meze for a week, a small town on the E'Tang for some more R&R in a marina that also has a beach!!   and the added bonus is Grahame,  Aileen and Sue are going to be  there as well..  Lots more 5 crown card games😂😂😂😂😂

Talk to you all soon - if we survive this heat>>>😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀