Endless Winter

 

Snork Maiden and her sisters on her pontoon at Marans

Slow start to this year's blog, I'm afraid.  Facebook partly to blame - I feel as though I have already said it all - but I'm aware that it is a different medium.  This b(log) acts as a diary and record of where we go and what we do, although it fell into a black hole of Internet paranoia last year - maybe year before.

It usually takes me a couple of days to acclimatise, to settle into boat life, live in a space of around 4 square metres, speak French and hone my DIY and engineering skills.  This year I am also having to get used to the temperature and the unforgiving NW/West wind.  It's rare to have to turn on the fan heater between April and September - but this year is pretty strange, weather-wise.  For anyone who's interested, Meteo France have a detailed 10-day forecast on the Internet.
Marans Weather

The plan for today, after a second cuppa, is to major on the engine, and give the outside of the boat a first, rough clean up.  Lots of winter debris - dust from the grain silos, dead leaves, green tint to woodwork and lines.  The engine... will she start?  First check will be batteries, once I can find somewhere to put the self-steering gear that is occupying the aft berth.  Oh yes, on MY bed.  The boat becomes like one of those old plastic puzzles where you had to move from one corner to another by sliding tiles one at a time.  In fact the whole business of becoming seaworthy again is a kind of mental and physical Rubic's cube.  Eventually it all falls into place and away you go!

The wide big sky landscape that surrounds us - if you enlarge this pic you can see the line of trees that marks the Marans Canal.

I just want to tell you a bit about the landscape here - the photo gives a clue but can't capture the huge sky, flat land leading to an expanse of shallow bay.  It can be bleak under a grey sky, with an icy wind blowing from the west.  There's a desolate feel to the small coastal villages, shuttered against the weather.  Here and there are fabulous banks of wild flowers and clumps of irises in all shades of mauve-to-purple. The sun is shining today - but it's still fan heater weather.

Nothing stays the same!  Our favourite lunchtime cafe has turned into a betting shop with soft porn beach babes on the TV.  The old boys sit around with glasses of wine while the (new) proprietor operates some sort of instant lottery machine.  Maybe horses come into the picture somewhere.  They still serve lunches and coffee is OK but another bit of 'old' France has slipped away.