3rd October
By the 1st of October we had to be out of Biscay in order to comply with our boat insurance - well we made it!! On Friday 30th September we sailed into the Gironde!! It is an epic river entrance - huge breaking surf on sand banks to each side. There was an enormous Atlantic swell - when we were only less than half a mile from a large container ship, if it was on a `down’ at the same time as us, it dropped completely out of view!!! Yet this was a relatively calm day!
It was a gloriously hot, sunny day as we sailed up the first part of the river and into Royan. Paul was quite excited to discover that the marina is half price from 1st October - a bargain!!! Royan is an interesting place - it was completely destroyed at the end of the war so has been totally rebuilt. It has wide open streets and a lovely light and airy feel. The beach is amazing with coffee coloured Gironde water. It is also full of hairdressers and estate agents! And the market! Such delicious food - especially the local speciality…whole baked beetroot!! Plus local fruit, nuts, tomatoes, fish [still unknown, still tasty] - mouth watering!!
We have also had the pleasure of once again bumping into a couple who we first met in Bourganay - we have had some good chat over `aperitifs’!! They have a car here and yesterday invited us out for some site seeing. We drove along the `coast’ [or river bank?] to Talmon - this is the most picturesque little village with a church perched right on the cliff - at high tide the water comes right up to the walls! There is also a tiny harbour where boats dry out in a muddy creek [Surfleet style!?!] Such a fantastic spot. We also got a closer look a these fishing huts which are all along the cliffs - they are built on kind of stilts. From inside, the fishermen lower a big square net which is then hauled up with the aid of a counter weight under the hut - has to be seen really! And if they bring up anything which is alive, then it’s dinner! On the way back we looked at some ancient caves - apparently you can stay overnight in one for about 60 euros each! We ended the day on `Youen’ with a bottle of champagne! Another `better than Heartbeat’ Sunday evening!!!
It was a gloriously hot, sunny day as we sailed up the first part of the river and into Royan. Paul was quite excited to discover that the marina is half price from 1st October - a bargain!!! Royan is an interesting place - it was completely destroyed at the end of the war so has been totally rebuilt. It has wide open streets and a lovely light and airy feel. The beach is amazing with coffee coloured Gironde water. It is also full of hairdressers and estate agents! And the market! Such delicious food - especially the local speciality…whole baked beetroot!! Plus local fruit, nuts, tomatoes, fish [still unknown, still tasty] - mouth watering!!
We have also had the pleasure of once again bumping into a couple who we first met in Bourganay - we have had some good chat over `aperitifs’!! They have a car here and yesterday invited us out for some site seeing. We drove along the `coast’ [or river bank?] to Talmon - this is the most picturesque little village with a church perched right on the cliff - at high tide the water comes right up to the walls! There is also a tiny harbour where boats dry out in a muddy creek [Surfleet style!?!] Such a fantastic spot. We also got a closer look a these fishing huts which are all along the cliffs - they are built on kind of stilts. From inside, the fishermen lower a big square net which is then hauled up with the aid of a counter weight under the hut - has to be seen really! And if they bring up anything which is alive, then it’s dinner! On the way back we looked at some ancient caves - apparently you can stay overnight in one for about 60 euros each! We ended the day on `Youen’ with a bottle of champagne! Another `better than Heartbeat’ Sunday evening!!!
posted by Sue at 4:56 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home