Thistles & another puncture

Well, this is it - the final blog.    We got back home yesterday afternoon and I dived straight into rescuing plants from a thistle invasion that has to be seen to be believed.  Rich took Bear for a bike ride and promptly had a puncture!!   We were away 60 days, visited or revisited 35 ports, clocked up around 1800 nautical miles (our log stopped working so that is a rough guess), used 2 gas cylinders, filled the fuel tank 3 times and had 1 bath.   We have had such a fabulous time and would encourage anyone thinking of taking a sabbatical to JUST DO IT!

Jackmans Reunited



Home amongst the thistles



Back to Blighty

We reached Alderney on Thursday late morning so hired a bike for Charlotte and did a round of the Island in beautifully sunny, but v. blowy weather.   Charlotte’s bike developed a clonk with every peddle so the engineer was desperate to take it to bits and fix it - I think he is seriously missing not mending punctures every 20 minutes.  Friday we had a fabulous crossing from Alderney to Poole  It was sunny, blowing F4 from the west with little sea so we had our fastest ever crossing and reached Poole harbour just over 8.5 hours after setting off.   Connie & Zanna arrived down Friday evening and we have had a very happy weekend in Poole Harbour/Studland Bay.   SO good to see them again.   Rich and I plan to return to Duck St at the end of the week.   Will do one final blog from there just to round things off and give you the vital statistics of our epic voyage.   

PS Tragically no photo of Jackmans reunited as wifi in Studland can't handle it!

Sleigh Riding & Roast Lamb

Plotting tomorrow's passage

Sunrise over Sept Isles

Arrived yesterday afternoon in St Peter Port, Guernsey after a real sleigh ride of a sail from Trebeurden.   We were just flying downwind with an impressive following sea.   Not the most pleasant of motions but a really fast passage.    We had spent the previous night anchored off Trebeurden with Rich sleeping in the cockpit, which had nothing to do with a tropical heatwave, but everything to do with a dodgy anchorage.  Last night we were treated to delicous roast lamb and all the trimmings by Sukey (Rich's sister) and Mike Perry.  Our first roast dinner for 2 months - it was DIVINE!

Charlotte brought the rain...and chutney!

Our latest crew member

Charlotte arrived yesterday on a flight to Brest bearing proper chutney, branston pickle, newspapers, magazines, dvds & news from blighty.  So lovely to have her on board (and her goodies), despite the fact the weather has been miserable since she arrived!  Thought we were going to get stuck in Camaret for 24 hours today, but the visibility improved in perfect time for us to get the tide north through the Chenal du Four and we had a fabulous sail, storming along at 9/10 knots.    Now in L'Aber Wrach and it is still wet and miserable -  so much for flaming June!

PS Charlotte also brought new brompton tyre and inner tube, so we now have cream with our treacle tart again - Yeah!!

Wind - lots of it!

Biggest buoy in the bay 

Sea crashing over wall at Ste Evette

We left Ste Marine very early yesterday morning after hearing the forecast which was for strong winds later in the day.    We arrived at Ste Evette as the wind rose to Force 7 and attached ourselves to the biggest buoy we could find tucked well in behind the harbour wall.  It looked like a huge WW2 mine, without the prongs.     We put two lines on and after an hour one of them had chafed through as the wind rose to F8/9 so we put an anchor chain on and felt alot more confident.    We then watched the waves crashing over the seawall mightily relieved to be tied to something so substantial.    This morning we woke to a reduced wind and so decided to leave to go through the Raz du Sein and onto Brest.   Nomad coped with the remains of yesterday’s huge seas with remarkable ease.    Charlotte flies out to join us tomorrow - Hurrah!!   

Rain & beachcombing

The great british man abroad

Spent yesterday afternoon exploring Ile de Groix in the rain.    Walked round half the coast, rewarded ourselves with a hot chocolate/beer and came back across the middle of the island.   The island has a lovely gentle feel to it, very unspoilt and quiet (the rain could have had something to do with that).   A bit like Alderney.    FABULOUS sail today across to Benodet/Ste Marine where we picked up a buoy and dinghied up the river for about 4 miles.  It is a stunning wooded river with the odd chateau along the way and no-one around.  We are definitely coming back here to lose ourselves in the backwaters.   Had to wait for the tide to turn before we headed back so Rich went beachcombing.  Managed to persuade him we really don't need another plastic chair with no legs.......

Walking now.....the tyre has finally been laid to rest

Spent yesterday exploring Vannes & its environs by ferry and bike.    Rich’s tyre needed constant attention on the way, but made it back to the boat OK where we discover the French curriculum probably includes rowing as there were loads of children messing about in dinghies being taught by a rather unenthusiastic frenchman who kept showing off by using the oars with his toes.    Left Vannes in sunshine to catch first opening of the swingbridge at 4.30pm  Only hindered slightly by man rowing 7/8 dinghies across the very narrow channel.  Had a great sail up to Ile de Groix this morning and are now off on an island explore - by foot.  I know you will all be devastated to hear that the tyre has finally been declared DEAD after many, many miles of remarkably gallant service and unbelievable support from duck tape.

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RJ Cooking supper in Morbihan

Gentle sail to Vannes

We had a lovely gentle sail this morning all the way up through the Morbihan.   Took the sails down before going through a swing bridge and a gate to Vannes (medieval & pretty) where we are tied up in the middle of the town.  Thought we had missed the swing bridge opening time as there was no one waiting, but the yachtsmans bible - Reeds - was wrong on its info - phew - and we got in fine. The Morbihan is like Poole Harbour but 3 times bigger and with hundreds of little islands  & thousands of boats - a magical cruising ground.  I have a sneaking admiration for the French - they seem to sail everywhere, even when there is practically no wind, they often anchor under sail, leave under sail, moor under sail and let go under sail.  But I don’t quite understand why they motor backwards through moorings and anchorages at top speed for miles - what is that all about? 

CLJ propping up a menhir

Gallic Machismo and more punctures

We spent yesterday anchored off a beautiful sandy beach at Houat Island (pronounced What to rhyme with That).   We had planned to spend the night there but the forecast was F6 winds and rain so headed for the shelter of Crouesty - a huge boating park (1300 berths).    We arrived amongst a myriad of racing yachts to discover ALL130 visitors berths were reserved for Le Grand Prix du Crouesty.   Luckily they found us a residents spot and we are now watching all the boats go out for Day 2.   It is pouring with rain and blowing a hooley but the competitive streak is too much for most of them to resist so they are short tacking out of the harbour and the aggressive gamesmanship has started -  the gallic machismo is positively tangible.   

Morning rush to the startline

Treach er Gourhead, Houat

Later.... Went for a bike ride this morning to check out the entrance to the Morbihan and Rich had 2 more punctures!   He admitted that the tyre that has held together with duck tape for 100's of kms has finally bitten the dust.   However, after a good lunch he has decided he can probably fix it one more time with yet more duck tape.    Bring on the chocolate!  Charlotte joins us on Sunday and top of her list of things to bring out has to be a new tyre.   Along with chutney..... how come the Spanish and French don't seem to do chutney?

Spoons are always useful

Future anchorage - Ster ouen 

Rich & spoons

A blissful night’s rest in very sheltered anchorage had me fighting fit again so we set off in the morning sunshine on a bike ride, round the northern part of the island.   It is so pretty and unspoilt, very sleepy and gentle.  We checked out a couple of possible future anchorages and then headed across the island to Le Palais  - pretty town with small harbour and enormous ferry.  On the way Rich had TWO punctures but being the man he is managed to fix both - not only do we travel with a puncture repair kit and a spare inner tube, but spoons to use as levers, not only that, but hand wipes too - Duck tape not needed on this occasion.

Back to South Brittany

Fishing boat in the evening light

The just crossed Biscay look
We are back in Brittany having left La Coruna on Tuesday morning.  We picked up a buoy off Sauzon, Belle Ile, 50 hours later.  The weather & sea were kind to us again and we had a straightforward trip.  It would have been an hour less but Rich spotted a Naval exercise going on and was taking far too much interest in it so they warned us off and we had to go the long way round the military exclusion zone.    I cannot tell a lie, I had to dig very deep to survive the trip as I woke up on Tuesday feeling headachy and sick, the worst possible way to start a long voyage.   Rich on the other hand managed to crack through 2 books of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy.  The highlight of the trip was 3 separate large schools of dolphins who all joined us for an hour or so - a great morale booster.

Heading north again soon

La Coruna main plaza

Back in Coruna and the rain is coming down, but the good news is  the wind is moving round to the west so we are planning to set off in the next couple of days to head back to South Brittany so no more blogs for 3 days or so.  Met lots more people here  ALL of whom are away for a whole lot longer than 2 months - we feel like we have only scratched the surface of living on a boat in comparison.    Last night we met a couple from Falmouth who are off for 2 years round the world and happen to be in a Malo 39 - they tried hard to persuade us to join them.  Tempted?   Oh yes!   But not quite yet....    

Pilgrims & Paradors

Santiago de Compostela - LOVED it, but for pilgrims, who have made their great journeys, what must it feel like arriving into such a bustling throng of tour groups and tourists flashing their cameras and craning their necks into every nook and cranny of their beloved sacred cathedral?    I just hope that most of the pilgrims first entrance to the great place is for a service where the tourists are kept at bay.

Our first impression of Lugo - a city with its walls in tact - was not great.   The bit we had started at had modern buildings on either side interspersed with falling down old ones.   The roofs are made of stone and the rafters of many seem to have given up the unequal struggle.   Despite finding the attractive end of town decided Lugo didn’t have enough to hold us there for a night.   The possibility of going back via a parador in Vilalba was mentioned but I had forgotten my swimmers so decided I would have to buy something.  Well, its not that easy when you are over 50 with an ample derriere that likes to be held in its entirety within the garment.  Rich didn’t seem to understand why I couldn’t buy just anything......I had a grumpy wobble and we ended up back at a cafe for a concillatory coffee.    Decided to come to the Parador anyway and here we are in the most amazing tower - and who cares about swimmers!?  Our room is two thirds of the way up and quite splendid.

Vilalba Parador

View from Santiago Cathedral

To the end of the earth...

Coast south of Finisterre

We drove to Cape Finisterre yesterday morning and good old Dorling Kindersley pointed out the obvious that Finis Terre is the 'end of the world'.  Never thought of that before - duh!   It's an amazing headland but had a somewhat tacky feel to it (bit like Lands End?).   Many of the pilgrims that have been to Santiago carry on to Finisterre and traditionally burn their pilgrimage clothes here.   The only trouble is that they have caused alot of fires in the scrubland so there are signs begging you not to do it.   So there are many pilgrims wandering round furtively with plastic bags of dirty clothes that they don't know what to do with -- Another entrepreneurial idea is flashing through Rich's mind.......   We then drove south along the coast - stunning white beaches and wild landscape, before heading inland to Santiago which is lovely and full of pilgrims and yet more protesting students all mixing it in the main square and the narrow winding streets.

VERY splendid isolation.... for 13 euros

Last night an Irish man told us about the posh yacht club here where if you dress up (tie, jacket etc) you can have a jolly good meal in splendid surroundings for 13 euros including pre dinner drinks, wine and coffee.   Well, it seemed too good an opportunity to miss so we get all dolled up and find real shoes for the first time for 5 weeks and off we trot.   The club has all the hallmarks of a wonderfully traditional gentlemans club - all v. splendid, but ladies only allowed on the first ‘deck’.   When we walk in we decide we will only stay for drinks (9.30pm - thought we were being v. spanish) as we are the only people there apart from about 20 incredibly well dressed, well coiffed, well shod Spanish ladies of a certain age playing bridge. - think they may have been there since lunch.    But no, the man on the door has mentioned that we are staying for supper so we are ushered to our table and eat good traditional food - prawn cocktail, stew and ice cream & bread & butter pudding, in VERY splendid isolation being waited on by very attentive, charming staff.      Best 13 euros ever! 

Cracking sailing.....

Have had two great days sailing in a row.   First from Viveiro to Cedeira which is a lovely village - one of the prettiest on this coast - so Dorling Kindersley tells us.   But we never got ashore as it was blowing 30 knots and leaving the boat at anchor just didn't seem too clever an idea, particularly as soon after we arrived we watched a tiny Polish yacht drag its anchor straight past us.   Luckily another Brit was already in his dinghy chasing after it and he managed to wake the skipper who was fast asleep having just arrived from France singlehanded.    Now in La Coruna where the marina is right by the old city.  We are planning to hire a car for a couple of days and go exploring inland.

Booster seats & bar codes

Far left hill is Faro viewpoint

Rich biking through barcodes

Biscay is awash with child booster seats - we passed our fifth yesterday - so decided to practice our man overboard drill and fished it out.   Tis the perfect helmsmans seat!   Radar came in handy as it POURED with rain most of the way here and visibility was zilch.  On the plus side we did get to sail.    Now in Viveiro.  Large, deep sided, tree covered ria with islands, beaches and a lovely old town.  Today we have done two long bike rides.  One up the river and the other to a view point at the end of the ria.  We are surrounded by eucalyptus woods which Rich describes as ‘biking through a bar code’ as they are all so straight.

Sunday saunter to Luarca

Sitting in the pouring rain in Luarca, a pretty little fishing village west of Gijon (6 degrees  west) .  Well, the guidebook say it is pretty but we are in the outer harbour and can’t see the old bit of the town.     Tis only the second downpour we have had in four weeks so we aren’t complaining but it would be nice if it stopped so we could go and explore without getting soaked.   There was enough wind to be able to sail today for most of the trip and the sun shone all the way until we were safely tied up.  Think there is a a 2CV rally going on - just seen our sixth.   We head to the first of the Alta Rias tomorrow - Vivero.  

PS Rain stopped.   Sun is shining.  Beer is good & cafe has wifi so this gets posted - hurrah!

Gijon old town

From clouds to lakes

View from Puerto de San Glorio!

Yesterday we came back through the southern part of the Picos taking in the lakes.   We drove up to the top in thick cloud where there should have been a spectacular view!  

Riano Lake
As soon as we started coming down the other side visibility improved and the difference in climate and vegetation was really dramatic.    Got completely lost in Gijon after we got spat out of a Carrefour underground car park in an unknown street, but now safely back with a well stocked boat.    Barcelona v Man U led to copious celebrations last night - including Asturian bagpipes.    An idle day today exploring Gijon and then heading west tomorrow - not sure where to - depends on the wind and the swell     

Goatherd guard dogs

Alas, we awoke to a cloudy, rainy day in the Picos so decided on a hearty walk along a valley fortified by an extremely large breakfast.   We set off under the illusion it was a 3.5 hour walk there and back (life would be so much easier here if we understood Spanish - or had bought a decent map).   Up the valley we went - and up, and up and up - eventually arriving at Pido, a small v. pretty village, but with no bar to slake our thirst and it had taken us 3 hours.   We took the easy way home and came back following the road.       En route to Pido we had our second terrifying experience of the trip so far (the first being the cruising chute incident) when we heard distant goatherd bells.  As we got closer we heard barking as well, when we rounded the corner there were two extremely large dogs guarding the goats and they were not  pleased to see us.    I honestly thought we were going to be ripped to shreds.   Rich remained extremely calm as I firmly hid behind him “nice doggy, good boy, there, there......”   My mind was racing - could they smell my fear, if they go for Rich all I can do is grab a rock and try and thwack them on the head - Rich meanwhile was thinking he would fend them off with the rucksack........     Anyway this was a good reason for coming back a different route as there is no way I would have faced them again.   So with 20km under our feet today we are now in Potes, the hub of the Picos and about to do some evening perambulation round the old town and the touristy shops before finding a restaurant that serves the local speciality of a very hearty bean and meat stew.     

From sea level to 2000 metres

Drove up to the Picos this morning through such glorious country - we have completely fallen for this bit of Spain.    Went straight to the Fuente De cable car and headed up to the highest point that is easily accessible.   Walked for 90 mins or so before coming back down.   Just wish we had been better prepared and had given ourselves enough time to walk back.    Rich was particularly delighted as we got to the snowline.  Now in very comfortable hotel in Cosgaya with swimming pool and tennis court and a view of the mountains.  I have just had my first bath for weeks - bliss!

 
  

Poo Paradise

Now in a marina in Gijon - 3 other boats here, all serious longterm sailors.   Their boats are bristling with windvanes, solar panels, aerials etc - 1 Dutch, 1 Irish, 1 French.    Such jolly bonhomie as we swop tales of Biscay crossings and plans for the next leg.    It's weird that we've been here two weeks and this is the first time we have met other people doing similar things.     Yesterday we were sailing in hot sunshine looking up at the snow covered Picos mountains - a surreal experience.   Spent last night in the most idyllic anchorage - Ensenada de Poo - beautiful beaches, coves, rocks, hills, meadows, sunshine - and we had it all to ourselves, along with the swell which was like sleeping in a merry mixer!   An experience never to be repeated   Have hired a car for tomorrow and are heading for a couple of days walking in the Picos.

Statues in Santander

Poo Paradise

Now in Santander....

Visited a couple of pretty small fishing villages on the way here.   We sat in a bar watching beautiful young girls in their first communion dresses (think Princess Di wedding dress) celebrating with their families.  It was all slightly incongrous though as there was a huge Nintendo DS bus in the town square  into which they kept disappearing to play games!!    Now anchored off a beach just inside the entrance to the river to Santander.    The Spanish youth are holding demonstrations in every village, town & city we have been to protesting at there being no jobs for them.....well, we think that's what it is all about, but I expect the uk press has kept most of you alot better informed than us.  We saw another Brit yacht for the first time last night when he anchored next to us.    He was well into his 70s, solo and had just sailed across Biscay for the umpteenth time.....   A couple more ports to check out  (one called Poo which we just can't resist) before we get to Gijon where we plan to leave the boat for a few days and go walking in the Picos.

Mending fishing nets in Castro Urdiales

Modern art....

Caught the metro into Bilbao this morning - about 10 miles upriver.    Went straight to the Guggenheim museum.   We were both bowled over by the building and the fish gallery but most of the rest of the exhibits just left me cold - are all modern artists obsessed with sex, rubbish, gluttony and depression?    To cheer ourselves up we wandered off to the old town and had delicious tapas and a glass of wine - all was well again.   Came across a rack of Bilbao Bikes as opposed to Boris Bikes, but couldn’t work out how to work them!!   Maybe no-one else could either as the rack was full?

 

Now a bit of culture...

Thursday 19th May

Nomad in San Sebastian

Now in Getxco, which is at the mouth of the river going up to Bilbao.   Tomorrow we become culture vultures (off with the crocs/flipflops and on with the proper shoes) and head to the Guggenheim, a good lunch and a walk around the old town.   On the way here we spent last night at Getaria - small fishing village - and ate the best fish I have ever tasted roasted on open fires.   After we had dropped anchor the locals laid on some serious entertainment in the way of girls rowing races - 12 in a boat.    We had a lunch stop yesterday at San Sebastian which is lovely - Rich tried to winkle his way into the posh yacht club there, but got severely reprimanded by a very fierce signora - turned out he was trying to go in through the ladies changing rooms.    Our Spanish is still virtually non-existent and is matched by most Spaniards command of English.  We have learnt that when we say our boat is a ‘malo’ they think our boat is ‘bad’.  Handwaving and gesticulation seems to work well enough though.

                                          

Duck Tape & Chocolate

Phew!    We have just got back from a 30km  bike ride that there is no way I would have agreed to do if I had seen the contours involved.   Set off at 8.30, but had to return to the boat as R had two slashes in his front tyre.  He set to fixing it with a puncture repair kit and duck tape whilst I googled Brompton spares and arranged for possible delivery of a new tyre a couple of ports down the road.    Our hearts sank  - Nomad without the Bromptons is like treacle tart without the cream, impossible to imagine.  Zanna came to our aid and declared 'You shall have cream'........    However the duck tape seem to do the trick.  You see with chocolate and duck tape in the world all can be restored to its natural order in a moment.   So off we set again.    An hour and a half of uphill to Jaizkibel (1500ft) which is on the Pilgrims route and then 30 mins back to sea level to Pasajes, the next port to the west, which is just STUNNING.   A v. old, higgledy, piggledy village clinging to the cliff, cobbled v. narrow main street, half of which is covered with building.   Eventually you reach a sunfilled square where there is the best beer I have ever tasted.    Met the Morleys there who turned up on their Harley - Bromptons meet Harley - not sure which got more admiring looks as we lined them up (OK so there was no competition really!)    Back home via the valley route which is a bit like the M25 - terrifying and a large amount of concentration needed not to wobble when the larger lorries thundered past.  Now off to promenade in true Spanish fashion and eat Tapas....

Hola! We're in Spain...

Yesterday's land exped was brilliant.   We went up La Rhune, in the Pyrenees, in a little mountain train to the highest point around and had a fabulous view in all directions - including being able to look down on where we sailed to this morning - Hondarribia.     I lie, we didn't 'sail' as there was no wind when we left Cap Breton at 5.45am so we motored the 25 miles.   Hondarribia is in Spain - the other side of the river is France and we biked back there for lunch today.    Hondarribia has got a magical, walled medieval town (though there is some pretty nasty modern building surrounding it) .  Think Carcassone without the tack and the tourists - beautiful.   I have just winched Rich up the mast again - third time this trip - I swear he finds something wrong up there just to keep me from lying around enjoying a siesta.  This evenings entertaiment has been watching a Dufour 45 coming into a berth opposite us.   An older man, looking as cool as a cucumber, reversing in sitting down whilst a younger woman draped herself over the decks, looking beautiful, but not exactly poised to leap ashore with ropes etc.  We were so impressed - he obviously knew exactly what he was doing......  Having got the boat nicely alongside he grabbed a rope, attached one end to his boat and leapt ashore with the other end, though failed to get a  turn round a cleat, and tried to hang onto it while the boat drifted out in the breeze.  Lots of shouting.....girl leaps into action and puts the boat into reverse at full speed.    Crash!    Rich leaps off Nomad to go and help and man gets back on board - girl then throws a mass of rope at Rich who manfully attaches one end to a cleat only  to discover he has both ends and nothing is attached to the boat!  Anyway after a bit more toing and froing they are now safely tied up alongside and inspecting the damage to their rear end.  More injured pride I think than serious boat damage.

We plan to stay here two nights - maybe bicycle along to Pasajes tomorrow - then visit San Sebastien the following day.

A Night Ashore

Am typing this lying in a wonderfully comfortable bed.   The best things you can ever offer travellers - of land or sea - are a comfortable bed, white fluffy towels and robes, a swimming pool  and a glass of chilled champagne and free wifi - we have it all here.     Anne & Anthony Morley (friends from US & Belgium) arrived at Cap Breton yesterday morning and whisked us away to their house about 30 mins away.    They've spoilt us rotten.    We lunched at a restaurant in Cap Breton recommended to Rich by the woman in the wine shop next door, who he complemented on her excellent English, she replied that she was from Oxfordshire!  Today we are being taken on a grand tour of the coast - Biarritz, Bayonne, St Jean du Luz - and up to the best view point near here, La Rhune, which involves a small mountain train ride and is right on the Spanish/French border.    Then it's back to Nomad (I've missed her - it feels a bit like leaving a dog in kennels - hope she's OK)     Tomorrow we head for Hondarribia about 25 miles down the coast, just in Spain.    

Biscay..............Been there, done that!

We’ve done it!!  Crossed Biscay in Nomad!!!  So happy!  So exhausted!  We left Camaret on Wednesday morning at 7.30 and had to motor for the first 6 hours as no wind at all.  Had an easy time going through the Raz du Sein, after which the wind got up, and then we set our course for Hendaye on the French/Spanish border.   From that point on we didn’t see another yacht until we arrived in harbour.  Wind stayed at a steady F4/5 the entire way, until the final 6 hours when there was none, so again we had to motor.   

Highlights - being in the middle of a multi-national exercise involving frigates, helicopters and submarines, seeing dolphins, sunsets, sunrises, cruising along at 10 knots with the cruising chute with appropriate music  (Thomas Crowne affair), being boarded by French customs (any distraction is welcome), enjoying the company of a tired migrating warbler who hitched a ride for a while.  Low points - feeling sick, being sick, getting the cruising chute down and broaching, Rich getting nasty rope burns, the disorientation and utter loneliness felt at 3.30am when the moon disappeared and all was dark without even any fishing boat lights to focus on.    

5 hours before we were  due to arrive in Hendaye we changed our minds and headed for Cap Breton (fantastic beaches, classy upmarket resort)  as the tide and conditions were just right.  In total it took us 53 hours.  So here we are basking in the sunshine (30C), sipping chilled wine and eating freshly caught prawns.   Our plan is to stay here for a couple of days before heading to Spain......

Rich has only just mentioned that it is Friday 13th!

Off watch

Our little friend 

Beach at Cap Breton

Early morning Tuesday and the wind has dropped so we head off today for Camaret.   A mixture of excitement and anxiety as we head for the Chenal du Four, Raz du Sein and onto Biscay, hopefully tomorrow.   Because of the weather we are now planning to head for the French/Spanish border, rather than La Coruna and then work our way east along the Spanish coast.   Great excitement this morning as Rich got up to discover phosphoresence.   As  I leapt out of bed to check it out he admitted it was in the loo!!  I went back to bed v. quickly.   Wee fee gratuit has been brilliant here - not sure what it will be like the rest of the trip.

Nomad's office

More biking...

On the GR34

Monday afternoon - our third day in L'Aber Wrac'h, but it has been no hardship as we have met lots of good people as we compare the weather forecast for heading south and glean much information on places further afield from old hands.    Our bike miles are rapidly increasing again as we explore the local area, though the GR34 (the footpath that goes all round the coast here) is definitely not all bikable so the bikes get carried - all good exercise.  It is such a doddle cycling with the wind - I feel like I am so super fit as I power up the hills with ease.  Only to discover that I have to peddle to go downhill against the wind.   The wildflowers are stunning, the beaches are empty and the sun is still shining.   We plan to wait until tomorrow morning before setting off for the Chenal du Four and Cameret, by which time the wind should have dropped.   We have a problem with part of our anchor winch so Rich has been trying to beg, borrow or steal a vice.   He found a translation website that when he asked "I need a vice"   came back with the translation " J'ai besoin de Memphis".

Beach near entrance to L'Aber Wrac'h

L'Aber Wrac'h

L

Three amazing guys from The Orkneys

We weren't going to blog again until we left L'Aber Wrac'h but three guys on jet skis with scottish accents have moored behind us and when I asked them where they had come from the said 'The Orkneys'.  I roared with laughter and said "no, I mean where have you come from on your jet skis?"   "The Orkneys" they replied......      They are raising money for Make a Wish and Macmillan Cancer Support by going from The Orkneys to Monaco!!   How amazing is that????   Anyway I just wanted to spread the word in case any of you were as bowled over by this complete madness as us and felt compelled to donate.   Isn't wonderful to know that such great adventurous spirit is still out there.   And no, they are not going through the canals.....Biscay next for them.    http://www.europeanjetskichallenge.co.uk/

Meanwhile we wait here for the wind to drop or change direction.   Going through the Chenal du Four with 25/30 knots of wind against tide just isn't an experience I feel I need (the jetskiers didn't know what the The Chenal du Four was.....their navigation seemed to be head for the green stuff and aim off a bit!)  Very happy doing lots more biking and lazing around in the sunshine.

Avoiding small children

Just arrived in L'Aber Wrach having bumped the bottom (very gently at dead low tide) on the way in whilst trying to avoid an entire fleet of small children messing about in tiny dinghies all going in different directions.   Great fun to watch - once we were safely tied up.   Just mightily relieved not to have started off our time in France drowning a couple of them.   Spent last night anchored off Trebeurden.  Had a great sail there from St Peter Port in the sunshine, but had to donk all the way here as no wind at all.   However the sun was shining so I'm not complaining.   We did try to get the cruising chute up but with little success......