2021 June -July

Well what a start to the year-- we had the most amazing time in New Zealand for 3 months, spending lots of lovely time with Emma and Jesse, and catching up with old friends and various boating friends around the country.  Wok and Sam gave us a couple wonderful trips out to Great Barrier and Kawau Island, and also gave us the use of their apartment in Auckland as a base, which made such a difference.(especially with the amount of clothing we brought with us.)

So despite 2 weeks complusory quaratine in a hotel in Aucklansd, and various PCR tests in Sydney on the way home and in Chichester-- we got back to real life for a few weeks.  Back to work for me into a very different enviroment with none of the 92 covid cases the unit had when I left in Feb, ( actually had forgotten that The Royal Free Hospital is a major liver specialised centre).

Max went back to the spraying jobs that had lined up while we were away. Trying to see friends was tricky as lock-down was still an issue.

FINALLY  D Day;;; we thought we had filled all the necessary paperwork and with our negative PCR tests we drove to Dover.

Little bit of a hiccup with a very dour French customs man at Dover 😕😓 when on the entry form, from the 12 boxes for reasoms to travel= we actually couldn't tick one because none really applied to us. The nearest one was that we had a secondary resisdence in France.

Despite feeling really clever because Max had got the Capatinerie of Beaziers Port to write an official letter for us---the customs man didn't like it.  Have to admit he did'nt smile at all but with a big shake of his head and a sigh--he ticked the box for secondary residence saying at the same time that he could refuse us -- and we got through---PHEW it was close.   Not sure the french are liking the English much at the moment.

The faithful Yaris loaded again but not that full as French Wine stores have all closed due to Brexit,

So juat a roll of carpet, and 25m roll of marquee material for the new part of the winter tent and of course Max's bike.

Due to covid we decided to drive straight through to Beziers and apart for stopping in a truck stop for 4 hours sleep, we arrived at 6 am to a very dirty (recent Sahara sand storm) boat.

Time to clean and take down the winter tent. 

So hosing, scrubbing, taking frame down and packing up tent, backs aching and all in 4-5 hours. 

Finally where Max wanted to be, after a nana nap and shower/shave he is enjoying his first cold beer of the holiday..

This was Max's can of coke left in the car that didn't like the 30+ heat of the day- no mess but top blown off.

                            Neighbouring boat------luckily empty so no candle light suppers to endure.😂😂😂

                                           

Empty Quay at Beziers which is often full of hire boats but it is so much quieter this year.

A member of the Kiwi French boating group -- Charles Whitehead has designed a pennant flag for our boating group.

We may ell  be the first oaot to have her flying in France. 

We like it, and of course it doesn't stop us flying other black flags..😀😀

After a week or so in Beziers we have to take off across the Etang to Sete and then Frontignan for a meet with the Nicolas, the canvas man for a measure up for the new back end of the winetr tent we need made.

Due the the low bridges from Beziers down the Midi to the round lock at Agde, and onto the Etang. Due to the low bridges on the Midi, we have to put the canvas down, and then glass especially for the Bridge/lock at Villeneuve-les-Beziers.

You can see the top of arch of the bridge at the end of the lock. Better not to take any chances but we could squeeze under with the glass up but a few inches either way would see our windshield crack. ---just not worth it👍👍👍

Through!!!!  so now onto Sete - the place where we moor on a wall just on the entrance from the Etang, so not to have to go through under the rail and and road bridges into the main part of Sete maririme area. (PLUS its free- always a bonus). The local living there are very frindly or seem so to us each time we moor.  

  As you can see the plaine tree disease in the south of France has meant alot of beautiful old old trees have been cut down along the banks, taking with them a lot of the charm of the canal.

First lot of rain while moored on the wall in Sete. Again waterways so much quieter then even last year.

Canvas man on his way so up AGAIN with the wooden tent frame.  Max has to make another A-frame support for the rear end so when you don't have as car???????

Guess this will be supper tonight😀😀😀 -- pop up area for the months of July and August.. The french are very good at these things during the summer months, with music get-ups, arts and crafts etc-- not forgetting all the markets.

I on the other hand was having a dilemaa with my gin glass---- unfortunalrly the large one, although i really like the shape, is rather too large, (needs much too much gin), ice melts and it gets a bit dilute so I have reverted to my favourite glass again.

Again having problems with my blogsite and so excuse all the jumble.

Last note for boaties.

2020, (4,) To the end of an unusual year.

So during our last weeks in the south of France, we spent some time in Aigues-Morte and then travelled back quietly though Frontignan again and over the E'tang de Thau towards Agde and onto Beziers.

View from the Marina on the sea side

of the town of Aigues-Morte at dusk.

Besides Lucy seeing an osteopath about her sore buttock (Sciatica) and a failed battery charger we set off back to Frontignan. 

 Its a quiet place normally but the fishing boats went out at odd hours and not slowly--- causing a bit at rocking at night.

and the very serious fishermen.

 Again we had to drop our canvas and windows to get under the low bridge at Villeneuve-les-beziers at the begining of the Canal du Midi.   

Luckily the weather was lovely and NOT raining.  

And the lovely sunsets. We spent a few weeks just lazing around when we got to Beziers. Cleaning and tidying the boat. 

Its very quiet, and only excitment was a tree falling over and the amazing group effort of the police and the council man clearing it up.!!!!!!

Had a lovely lunch out with Alan & Shelia to a fishing village, Port Leucate, about 30mins past Narbonne, where the fishermen all have little returants attached so they sell their own catches.

After losing the back end of our 2yr old winter tent in the high winds in Agde, we, after having a quote locally for a new back end of the winter tent made, we decided to buy a tarp for 19.99Euros. Lets hope it works!!!!  And Alan helping Max to biuld his new A-Frames. 

To end the year we find out that due to Brexit (and Covid hasn't helped), our favourite place to buy cheap wine, (after Lidl & Intermarche) is CLOSING😭😰😭😂. Calias Wine Superstore.

So a last quick visit on our way home. Not too much this year as Max is afraid that finally the shocks may give out after all these years of heavy loads!!!!!!! 

 

We are now back in Uk enjoying (😆😆) our two weeks quaratine. 

Its a bit sad when we have been having a lovely holiday doing our own thing on the boat, only mixing with one couple the whole of our 8 weeks away. 

Now staying inside the flat, only going out when necessary.

so, 

Back to reality of the real world.

😒😘

OOps sorry, by the time I have posted this Max will have been back spraying his Wet & Forget, and I have been back in London working for a week. 😊

2020 (3), The time to do nothing.

Firstly I want to say we have been devastated.... When one chooses a name for a boat, you think long and hard about all the connotations that might be made, lanuguage barriers and ease of pronunctiation.. NOW  we have had Kiwi Rose for 10 years and have been well pleased with the name.--------------------so when a lovely french lady swims by our boat in Sete, and asks " whats a pink kiwi??", we are flabbergasted and of course immediately realise , rose wine.😭😥😥.  oh bugger !!!!

To move on.....We love sitting on this wall here in the middle of no-where at les Aresquires. Stayed 6 nights. (only meant to be 24hrs😏😏).  No water, electricity, cars, night noise and hardly any other boats, except the local fishermen who zoom past at all hours in little speedy wooden boats that through up a hell of a wake..

The hire boats go past on a mission or moor to go to the beach for a quick swim. We have had lots of lovely cycle trips exploring the surrounding area, and one never forgets the wonderful smell of the sandy hot dry pine forests.. 

 

The View from the bridge at les Aresquiers of the Canal du Rhone a Sete.   And a 3-5 min cycle to the beach.

                                                         

  

Night times views.

 Not much happening, no travel, just lazy days, doing nothing in the mornings, maybe a cycle trip or just reading.  Temps about 28-32 degrees, and so we have found a favourite beach for the afternoons, with quiet seas one day, and ????not the next. 

And of course the beautiful Flamingoes. I have tried to catch a photo in flight as their pink wings are tinged with black, but no luck yet.

                                                 On our exploring we found a fresh shell fish stall, and later that day a hungry wife cycled to get supper---what a presentation, freshly shucked and on ice.

One of the problems with boating is where to fill up with water, and where to get deisel. For some reason here where we are its scarce. We have found we can easily last 9 days on our water tanks so that just requires trips to Frontignan (easy and local) to top up, but Deisel???    

Max after much consideration (ie, not wanting to lug 20-30l cans of deisel in his bike and load the boat up that way)--- we decided to go to SEA to get deisel!!!So on a lovely calm morning (8am) we headed out at the Frontignan canal exit onto the Mediterranian. 

The return trip to the sea port of Frontignan took us all of about 90mins but we have been to sea!!! 

After this lovely excursion we deicided to go out onto the Etang de Thau again and the idea was to drop anchor for the night just outside Meze.  The wind decided to get up a bit and it became a bit to rocky, so just we had lunch and returned to the canal.

Some of the sq kms of oyster        and muscle beds on the Etang. 

Pretty boats moored up, but really, even this is a bit far in "growing your own"

    

We think our plan from here is to head to Aigues-Morte and do some more exploring by bicycle around the Camargue area before we head back up to Beziers in Mid september. The weather is starting to cool a bit to 26 degrees and the nights are definately drawing in. It alwasy amazing us how quickly it happens as summer comes to a close.

With the Uk and the rest of the EU changing quaratine laws everyday as the number of people testing positive continues to rise, (especially in the 20-40 age group) we will wait and see how it effects our return to UK.

((Please excuse the irregularity of the blogging but for some reason this version I find difficult to us and has a mind of its own when it goes to print.😒.))