AL, Snork Maiden, Planning, Rigny

This will be a quick b(log) since it's after 10pm and we are planning to make a start tomorrow, leaving Marans for La Rochelle. 
   Al now safely on board having wisely brought his English brolly - feels like we never went back to Bristol!
 Spent a happy hour or more up the mast late afternoon after the rain had cleared, untangling 25 metres of flag halyard.  You will see that we are now flying our red ensign, and a brand new French courtesy flag.

The weather has been a bit on the rubbish side, just cool, grey, drizzly.  Tomorrow might be a bit damp, but the winds from the West will take us to La Rochelle by the early evening.  Yesterday wasn't very special here so we drove up to see our barns in Rigny.  Excellent lunch on the way - real Routiers cafe. The buildings were pretty much as we left them so it seems that Kie & Brett's repairs have held.  Mme Chateau in good spirits, shouting down her mobile 'Les Americans sont arrive' as if we were the liberating forces!