The Dordogne

Canoeing on the Vezier

It seems like the obvious answer but the Brits probably enjoy the DORDOGNE for its eating and drinking opportunities - especially interesting if you don’t mind the means of production of Fois gras and charcuterie.  Apart from that, there are fairytale castles and slow moving rivers.  This really is the land of the Michelin guides, with pretty (or prettified) villages, woodlands, the occasional vista, many cultural experiences around prehistory, cave art and handicrafts.
It's very green - lots and lots of trees, and these tend to obstruct long vistas, so if you are a horizon sort of person, maybe this is not for you. 

Winter can be cold here - double figures below are unusual, but not impossible. We did have a look at a house that was for sale, and it confirmed the old saw about getting what you pay for.  Perfectly nice, and on the French market, probably worth the 200,000 € they were asking, but a long way from the 'dream home'.  As some of you know, we are thinking about relocation relocation, so this was a useful bit of benchmarking.
    We also visited LASCAUX IV - the huge, new International Centre for Cave Art.  As you may know, this centre mimics the famous cave paintings, reproduced on mouldings of the original cave walls.  Sure, it's not the real thing, but allows safe viewing of the images.  Lots of technology used to enhance the experience.  Actually, the most exciting experience was an interactive art display featuring painting that had some relationship to the Lascaux images.  Hard to describe this so here's a pic.

Lascaux IV

There are 6 different stations and you can use them to choose sequences to display, folowing different intuitions or logic or even dreams.  I could have spent all day here!  It was also air conditioned.

The only human figure at Lascaux - birdhead man

Returning via Chalais, the landscape became less wooded, but quite flat.  We're talking here about the area around Bergerac. We spent the night at Chalais, with Al's 87 year old 'cousine', Choute,  (don't ask.)  She has a summer home in Cognac - sorry no pix - it's an old 'pigoniere' or pigeon cote. Converted in the mid 80s, it's a place where she feels in contact with Pierre, her hsband who died 10 years ago.  It was clearly a place that the family came to stay - the empty bunk beds echo the passing of that time. Now her family have their own lives, even their own grandchildren, so the visits have fallen away.  At one time she was going to sell but now, fitted with a couple of stents, continues to make the 5 hour trip from Paris in her 12 year old Megane, which she drives like a teenage boy.

Thinking....

Back in Charron, playing a waiting game with the yard, who are doing some of the work that came up in the survey.  On the way back from Chalais, we revived the 'sell or sail' debate. These photos sum it up for me:

As you probably know, I like feedback, and please follow the blog, if you like it.  I only have 5 actual followers and that really embarasses me.

Incidentally, I am finding Google's Blogger offering a bit restrictive on layout - also writing on iPad seemed really clunky. 

Going Aganst the Flow

 

The Dordogne

Canoeing on the Vezier

It seems like the obvious answer but the Brits probably enjoy the DORDOGNE for its eating and drinking opportunities - especially interesting if you don’t mind the means of production of Fois gras and charcuterie.  Apart from that, there are fairytale castles and slow moving rivers.  This really is the land of the Michelin guides, with pretty (or prettified) villages, woodlands, the occasional vista, many cultural experiences around prehistory, cave art and handicrafts.
It's very green - lots and lots of trees, and these tend to obstruct long vistas, so if you are a horizon sort of person, maybe this is not for you. 

Winter can be cold here - double figures below are unusual, but not impossible. We did have a look at a house that was for sale, and it confirmed the old saw about getting what you pay for.  Perfectly nice, and on the French market, probably worth the 200,000 € they were asking, but a long way from the 'dream home'.  As some of you know, we are thinking about relocation relocation, so this was a useful bit of benchmarking.
    We also visited LASCAUX IV - the huge, new International Centre for Cave Art.  As you may know, this centre mimics the famous cave paintings, reproduced on mouldings of the original cave walls.  Sure, it's not the real thing, but allows safe viewing of the images.  Lots of technology used to enhance the experience.  Actually, the most exciting experience was an interactive art display featuring painting that had some relationship to the Lascaux images.  Hard to describe this so here's a pic.

Lascaux IV

There are 6 different stations and you can use them to choose sequences to display, folowing different intuitions or logic or even dreams.  I could have spent all day here!  It was also air conditioned.

The only human figure at Lascaux - birdhead man

Returning via Chalais, the landscape became less wooded, but quite flat.  We're talking here about the area around Bergerac. We spent the night at Chalais, with Al's 87 year old 'cousine', Choute,  (don't ask.)  She has a summer home in Cognac - sorry no pix - it's an old 'pigoniere' or pigeon cote. Converted in the mid 80s, it's a place where she feels in contact with Pierre, her hsband who died 10 years ago.  It was clearly a place that the family came to stay - the empty bunk beds echo the passing of that time. Now her family have their own lives, even their own grandchildren, so the visits have fallen away.  At one time she was going to sell but now, fitted with a couple of stents, continues to make the 5 hour trip from Paris in her 12 year old Megane, which she drives like a teenage boy.

Thinking....

Back in Charron, playing a waiting game with the yard, who are doing some of the work that came up in the survey.  On the way back from Chalais, we revived the 'sell or sail' debate. These photos sum it up for me:

As you probably know, I like feedback, and please follow the blog, if you like it.  I only have 5 actual followers and that really embarasses me.

Incidentally, I am finding Google's Blogger offering a bit restrictive on layout - also writing on iPad seemed really clunky. 

Going Aganst the Flow

 

Survey arrives, so does Al

The Sevre Niortiase at Sunset

Here's the sun setting over the River Sevre the day before Al arrived.  The river is very, very tidal - here's an evening high tide, so all the boats are floating.  There's a small summer-only restaurant, La Ponetere, under canvas (apart from the kitchen).  This is the view.  Their speciality is seafood, particularly mussels from the region.  They say that this year is particularly good for mussels, because there was so much rain in the winter.  It makes them plump and juicy. 

Snork Maiden's Beautiful Stern

 The survey was pretty good, all things considered.  Now waiting to hear from the insurance company.  The biggest job is dealing with the headlinings.  It took just over a week for me to bite the bullet and decide that I have to strip out the old stuff from the aft cabin and start from scratch.  The forward cabin is fixable.  I washed the lines and half of the hull, and the stern - you can see how good she looks - apart from the wonky ladder and jolly bucket!
 I'm afraid I have't really kept you up to speed.  I went to the doctor, afraid of chest infections. Saw not just one but two (one was an itern).  So my chest was comprehensively examined and declared free of infection.  Just a nasty cough left over.  Interesting - small practice, seen without appointment.  Discovered that everybody whispers in the waiting room.

The old Niort Canal at Marans

Al arrived on Thursday and we decided to check into an AirBNB - hard to live and work on the boat at the same time, especially when there are two of us.  Not made any easier by a total absence of any bathroom facilities in Philippe's yard.  Difficult at low tide.  Of course it has also been an emotional time - are we sailing or selling?  We have missed our usual June slot - it gets very hot and busy in July. We have decided to go camping in the Dordogne for a few days, after which I am going to Cambridge for a yoga course.  I will fly back to complete the work and drive home.  We have wept, laughed and remembered all the good times and some of the hard times we have had with Snork Maiden.  But we feel that the time has come for her to move on to new, adventorous owners.  She really is a boat that could take you anywhere.  We will probably advertise her soon, in England and France.  The survey pronounces her a sound vessel in good condition, and that's the very least we could say about her.  We put our dreams in her and lived them out.  

Next: Why do the British so love the Dordogne?  We take our tiny tent, face a heatwave  and find out...

Survey arrives, so does Al

The Sevre Niortiase at Sunset

Here's the sun setting over the River Sevre the day before Al arrived.  The river is very, very tidal - here's an evening high tide, so all the boats are floating.  There's a small summer-only restaurant, La Ponetere, under canvas (apart from the kitchen).  This is the view.  Their speciality is seafood, particularly mussels from the region.  They say that this year is particularly good for mussels, because there was so much rain in the winter.  It makes them plump and juicy. 

Snork Maiden's Beautiful Stern

 The survey was pretty good, all things considered.  Now waiting to hear from the insurance company.  The biggest job is dealing with the headlinings.  It took just over a week for me to bite the bullet and decide that I have to strip out the old stuff from the aft cabin and start from scratch.  The forward cabin is fixable.  I washed the lines and half of the hull, and the stern - you can see how good she looks - apart from the wonky ladder and jolly bucket!
 I'm afraid I have't really kept you up to speed.  I went to the doctor, afraid of chest infections. Saw not just one but two (one was an itern).  So my chest was comprehensively examined and declared free of infection.  Just a nasty cough left over.  Interesting - small practice, seen without appointment.  Discovered that everybody whispers in the waiting room.

The old Niort Canal at Marans

Al arrived on Thursday and we decided to check into an AirBNB - hard to live and work on the boat at the same time, especially when there are two of us.  Not made any easier by a total absence of any bathroom facilities in Philippe's yard.  Difficult at low tide.  Of course it has also been an emotional time - are we sailing or selling?  We have missed our usual June slot - it gets very hot and busy in July. We have decided to go camping in the Dordogne for a few days, after which I am going to Cambridge for a yoga course.  I will fly back to complete the work and drive home.  We have wept, laughed and remembered all the good times and some of the hard times we have had with Snork Maiden.  But we feel that the time has come for her to move on to new, adventorous owners.  She really is a boat that could take you anywhere.  We will probably advertise her soon, in England and France.  The survey pronounces her a sound vessel in good condition, and that's the very least we could say about her.  We put our dreams in her and lived them out.  

Next: Why do the British so love the Dordogne?  We take our tiny tent, face a heatwave  and find out...

Boat Yard Life

The River Sevre Niortaise - Philippe's boatyard is just to the left

This will be a short blog - the first few days are always a kind of settling in period.  This trip is different since we don't know what the survey report will require us to do before we can launch.  I have an idea, but realistically we have to count the cost of the work, and the time it will take, then weigh up whether we launch or not.  
    I am getting back in there with Snork Maiden - re-acquainting myself with the instruments etc.  We have a problem with the wind indicator - an early NEXUS.  It looks as though the sensor (windvane) part at the top of the mast is broken - unsurprising given the  5 winters of gales it has endured on this exposed coast.  I am waiting to hear from Nexus if the kit is still availabel.  I guess we can always sail without it.  The forecasts are generally good and we have primitive Windex indivcator at the top of the mast.  Permanent squint. 

Good news - I have found a walk.  I was getting a bit stir crazy this afternoon, so went for a little exploration.  There was a track I had never noticed before.  It runs along a sort of dyke, parallel with the river.  Lots of reeds and marshy bits, with cereal fields on the land side.  This area of the Vendee has been drained for at least 1000 years.  It seems incredible to me, that given the huge area of modern France, just why they bothered?  At some point the Dutch were brought in to complete the process.  There are drains and ditches everywhere you look and they all have names - one of the main ones is called The Cure - I can't do the accent but i think it means The Priest. 

Bad news - Al seems to have what I have - so he's postponed his flight until Thursday.  Although I was disappointed, it's probably a good decision.  I will try to get ahead with the headlinings etc.  One of the etc. is installing the new depth / speed sensor.  The challenge there is tracing back the wiring and reconnecting all that.  I will be brave and approach that tomorrow.  I also bought the materials for the headlinings and will start that work.  Probably enough for one day. 

I went to Marans this morning - 10km to the nearest proper bathroom.  I just want you all to know that.  So I killed several birds with the Marans shower block - shower and hairwash, washing up from yesterday and a bit of emergency laundry.  It smells just the same as it did when we fist arrived here, how many years ago?

Last night I got a little bit spooked about being the only person for miles around, sleeping in a totally unsecured space.  What to do?  Lock the washboards and enter via the forward hatch, which I can lock behind me?  Nah.  I'll just go with the odds and trust that there are no psychopaths around... I'll put the lock on tomorrow.  It is just a little creepy, but only if I think about it.  I will restrict my nightly viewing to CALIFORNICATION - a harmless and sexy sitcom on Netflix.  If you really want an innocent feelgood, try HJORDIS.  Still gripped by The Bridge, even though I don't know what's going on most of the time.  

Oh dear, this really is the diary of a nobody.  Stick with it friends...

Boat Yard Life

The River Sevre Niortaise - Philippe's boatyard is just to the left

This will be a short blog - the first few days are always a kind of settling in period.  This trip is different since we don't know what the survey report will require us to do before we can launch.  I have an idea, but realistically we have to count the cost of the work, and the time it will take, then weigh up whether we launch or not.  
    I am getting back in there with Snork Maiden - re-acquainting myself with the instruments etc.  We have a problem with the wind indicator - an early NEXUS.  It looks as though the sensor (windvane) part at the top of the mast is broken - unsurprising given the  5 winters of gales it has endured on this exposed coast.  I am waiting to hear from Nexus if the kit is still availabel.  I guess we can always sail without it.  The forecasts are generally good and we have primitive Windex indivcator at the top of the mast.  Permanent squint. 

Good news - I have found a walk.  I was getting a bit stir crazy this afternoon, so went for a little exploration.  There was a track I had never noticed before.  It runs along a sort of dyke, parallel with the river.  Lots of reeds and marshy bits, with cereal fields on the land side.  This area of the Vendee has been drained for at least 1000 years.  It seems incredible to me, that given the huge area of modern France, just why they bothered?  At some point the Dutch were brought in to complete the process.  There are drains and ditches everywhere you look and they all have names - one of the main ones is called The Cure - I can't do the accent but i think it means The Priest. 

Bad news - Al seems to have what I have - so he's postponed his flight until Thursday.  Although I was disappointed, it's probably a good decision.  I will try to get ahead with the headlinings etc.  One of the etc. is installing the new depth / speed sensor.  The challenge there is tracing back the wiring and reconnecting all that.  I will be brave and approach that tomorrow.  I also bought the materials for the headlinings and will start that work.  Probably enough for one day. 

I went to Marans this morning - 10km to the nearest proper bathroom.  I just want you all to know that.  So I killed several birds with the Marans shower block - shower and hairwash, washing up from yesterday and a bit of emergency laundry.  It smells just the same as it did when we fist arrived here, how many years ago?

Last night I got a little bit spooked about being the only person for miles around, sleeping in a totally unsecured space.  What to do?  Lock the washboards and enter via the forward hatch, which I can lock behind me?  Nah.  I'll just go with the odds and trust that there are no psychopaths around... I'll put the lock on tomorrow.  It is just a little creepy, but only if I think about it.  I will restrict my nightly viewing to CALIFORNICATION - a harmless and sexy sitcom on Netflix.  If you really want an innocent feelgood, try HJORDIS.  Still gripped by The Bridge, even though I don't know what's going on most of the time.  

Oh dear, this really is the diary of a nobody.  Stick with it friends...

A Pot Pourri

This blog is a bit of a mix.  So here is Snork Maiden looking not at all bad for her survey yesterday.  In the photo it looks as though she's wearing her sails in the cockpit, but it's just a pssing cloud. Really. One of the amazing things about the Vendee is the incredible 360º cloudscape and the variations in the clouds themselves.  This afternoon is blue sky with an almost complete border of cumulus.  Oddly enough, the flat landscape can also give me a feeling of claustrophobia.  
  Yesterday we had the boat surveyed by one of the 2 Lloyds qualified, English speaking surveyors in France (the other one is on the South Coast).  He liked our boat - that's always good. He thought she was very well-equipped (she is).  Of course there are things to put right, as always, but nothing too big or too serious.  The engine started, third time of trying.  Not bad. I need to get a fuel filter - I think I can do that in La Rochelle.
 

The Pot Calling the Kettle....

The day before yesterday I went down with a nasty, nasty cold - croaking away, throat, chest, nose - the whole lot.  The survey was thorough but took all day - I lay down and slept at the end of it!  Today I have been to the pharmacy and have a pack of 4-day / night drugs - hope they do the job.  There's a new Mini-U in Charron (a village of around 2000 people) - has some organic (Bio) food.  The photo - well, those are 2 of the most important pieces of kit on the boat.  And because we use bottled gas, everything goes black.  The espresso pot really IS black - an impulse buy in Spain that has served us very well.  As some of you know, I love cooking on Snork Maiden.  She has a huge galley for her size.
 

Back to Charron - this skateboarding cow cheered me up this morning.  Found next to the Pharmacy.  I also found myself reflecting on all things French.  Their shopping in out of town malls has reached staggering proportions (Le Clerc the size of a small village outside Lucon). In spite of that, small villages like Charron sustain a pharmacy, post office, bakery.  Their's a sense of civic pride, but the French complain about regulation and taxes.  Left to themselves - like this boatyard, there's a sense of anarchy.  Environmental regs nowhere to be seen with all sorts allowed to seep into the ground, and later, the river.  The products themselves, though, are becoming more environmentally friendly.  Anti-fouling now less poisonous than it usedto be.
When in France, I do have a sense of a private, bourgeoise life, lived behind closed doors.  Streets are empty, gates and walls high, with an air of impenetrability, shutters closed.  This all in a marked contrast to our recent trip to Crete, where life seems somehow more public, more outdoors, in the street.
Al should arrive on Monday, having spent a week up in Staffordshire, surrounded by verdant countryside.  I can use the break from all the summer greenery that I find sort of oppressive after a while.  I am glad to see the cereal fields here taking on some high summer yellow tones.  OK enough.  It's 6pm and the sun is still high.  Time to slice and salt the aubergines for tonight's supper. I must be feeling better!