2020,, And finally we are in France. (1)July.

 After all the set backs from COVID on a family holiday in Bali, and a trip around Italy, we have finally made it to France and Kiwi Rose.   Before we left we started to celebrate Max's birthday with the first of the chocolate cakes (with Robin and Dave) , the second at Dawns & Alvins but no photo.

Once on french soil of course the first stop would be at Calais Wine Superstore, then a 6 hour drive where we had our first night in a St Nicolas les Citeaux

Up to stay with friends in Freissons in the french Alps where across the vallee are the wonderful ski resorts of Meribel and Courchevel (roll on winter👍👍).

Max actually discovered that e mountain bikes are the way to go!!!! 

AND another birthday cake from Peter & Lesley. 

Finally arrived in Agde, on the south coast to an extremly dirty boat. From the howling breezes off the mediterranian to the boaters working on their boats.  So it took a week or so to clean her and then paint on the anti fouling. Our newly designed winter tent got shredded in the winter winds---another problem to solve.

End of first winter..................................End of second winter 😂😂😂

Of course all that hard work deserves a  good french reward.

In the middle of all this hard work we had a really lovely break away in Carcassonne for Max's real Birthday. We were joined by good friends Alan & Shelia to celebrate his 70 (+) on the day before.

Cute statues in the old town park and a military presence as well which we will no doubt see more of.

A lovely night out for Alans birthday finishing with cocktails at the hotel.

The old walled Medivial City of Carcassonne, founded in third centuryAD by the Romans.The ramparts have 26 towers forming a 3 km circle around the old city. People still live and work in side the walls and it is full of resturants and history. Luckily not too full of tourists and masks yet not totally compulsary. 

                                        Birthday time for Max

Celebrations finished, boat clean so now we can start the floating part of the holiday.

 

 

15, 2019, last blog, Winding down at the end of a long busy great summer.

Well its been a great summer,  and now we head on our last journey from Beziers to Agdee, where  Kiwi Rose will stay for the winter.

Went for a cycle ride along the Canal du Midi to Colombier where we stayed back in 2007. This was after finishing our hire boat holiday on the Midi with Colleen & Terry and Bob & Heather which started the ideal of this whole boating life for us.

Even managed to find the same gite that we stayed in during the Rugby 

World Cup. (picture from 2007)

Then off to stay overnight with Alan & Shelia (Scottish boating friends) in a little Village called Azille. This is the local wine cave,where the locals were in full flow delivering their grapes. 

And of course Max found the price very reasonable.

So we leave Beziers and head on our last journey down The Canal du Midi to Adge and the boat yard where we will get taken out of the water. (Canvas and glass down.)

And we continue to see some unusual sights!!  Love the hat.

Arrive in Allemand Yard and Kiwi Rose gets taken out of the water.

 And we are so close to going out to sea.!!!

                              So we stay in a Air bnb for a few days while we packed  up the boat and Max 

still managed to watch the World Cup Rugby on French TV. 

AND SO TO BED.

Its been a long hot summer, starting from St Jean de Losne, travelling down the Rhone via Lyon, Avignon, and down to Montpellier and the South of France.  

We had a great time travellng down, spending time with lots of old friends and making new friends along the way.  

As we drove back home across France we stopped in St Jean de Losne catch up with John & Michelle, and Tony & Kay for a good pizza and a few drinks. 

Then onto to Brugge where we stayed with Aileen & Graham overnight before tackling the Euro tunnel and the M20 & M25 back to Chichester.

SO

Au revoir

for another year..