Carcassonne Winter 2012

Dec 12

Arrival in Carcassonne on Halloween was blighted by a mooring mix up, but Stephanié was apologetic and everything settled into the previous winter slots.

Tricia and Nigel - the neighbours

Normally our first few weeks in Winter moorings are spent exploring the new town and meeting new boaters, but it was same bargees and shops so it was straight into the usual routine, Peter was busy doing boat maint and Angie set up her Pilates and French classes.  The latter is now held intermittently in a local café at midi and the French tutor feels that conversation flows more freely aided by alcohol! No noticeable improvement in Angie's French though she is convinced 'total immersion' is the answer,

Theee Sagar's in a row - top that

Peter went beserk on the internet ordering everything from books to boat bits (the joy of having a postal address).  The shock of overuse killed off the PC - which had been slowly expiring anyway  - so he bought a new Toshiba 'All In One'.  He then took the old Sony to bits, got new optical and hard drives etc and rebuilt it - we now have a spare PC to Angie's disgust (Angie would have liked an iPad).

Kes has only been left on the bank once in three years (accidentally) but he must feel we are trying to discard him because as soon as the engine is started he sprints for his onboard navigation spot - quite funny when it just the monthly engine 'run up' - or perhaps he too is ready to move on already,

How do we get a sculpted outline like that?

 The winter diesel delivery took ages as the tanker driver only had a big hose nozzle, so all 450 litres went in using a funnel - Peter felt faint at the bill, but had enough money left over to take Angela to the local Italian restaurant that night. Very cheap and cheerful - an Italian owner/chef and an attractive female waitress.  Angie had Spaghetti aux Fruits de Mer which comprised a very large platter heaped with langoustine, crab, mussels, squid and assorted fishy bits - by the time she got to the pasta she was flagging despite being fuelled by the recommended Chianti.  Must go back!

The Winterer's party was a bit cold and thin on the ground - our only étrangers were Ricardo and Colette from 'Ricoheba'.

The closure of the canal meant that the VNF could extract some of the dying Plane trees - at 20 a time it is going to take xx years to do it all.

A bit ugly and bleak without trees

Also a chance to do other canal maint

A shallow ditch

Carcassonne seems a bit subdued this year, though we did have a vintage car rally on the canal side.  Angie wasn't sure if the driver was looking for talent but decided those days were past :(

Kes drags us out for a couple of hours a day and the Cité and the River are a good circular route.

Cité

River Aude

With the imminence of Christmas all the boats are decked with lights and we hosted Winter drinks - Peter attempted his first home made puff pastry, all the mince pies/jam tarts/cheese straws etc were scoffed so it must have been OK (though the vin chaud may have helped).

We had to rescue a stray dog on the point of expiring from the ecluse, then  a couple of coypu decided to set up winter quarters there,

The lady running the local Dog Rescue Home (A Brit of course)  is a member of Angie's Pilates class - lots of nice dogs but Angie has been banned from visiting on the grounds Kotare is too small for a dog pack! If you are on the Midi http://www.dogrescuecarcassonne.co.uk/dogs.html.

Nigel on 'Sirius' is a train spotter and saw/heard this lovely old steam train in the Station (doing a festive shopping run) it pulled onto the canal bridge to fill up with water - luckily not from the canal but a canalside hydrant.

The boat is decorated with massed Christmas cards and our festive season has really fired up - Anniversary, Angie's Birthday, Christmas all in a week - then the diet!  So the next blog update won't be until Peter can get close enough to the keyboard to type.

A Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2013.

Déjà vu 2

Oct 12

Into Toulouse for our longest stay ever and negotiated the cost for a fortnight - it still looked like the national debt (of NZ not UK - not being politicians we can't visualise trillions).  A quick restock of Peter's favourite foods (and a miserly doling out of 'housekeeping money) before Angie departed to UK courtesy of Easyjet or is that an oxymoron.

Tucked onto the Esplanade at Toulouse

Peter settled in to watch Sports channels without being nagged. .Just so Peter didn't completely vegetate the French version of the DBA (Paroles du Mariniers) held a rally in and around Kotare's mooring - so Peter moved into the main port 'single handed' for the duration - not bad for deckcrew.  There were boats everywhere with peniches using Kotare as a turning point - actually the handling was quite impressive and not a bowthruster to be heard.

Angie apparently enjoyed her UK shopping and the visits to relatives and arrived back with all the normal goodies - but she wasn't particularly impressed at bacon, eggs, mushrooms and chips as Peter's celebratory Dinner! Once the cheddar and pork pies had been consumed we departed a few days later for a leisurely crawl towards Castelnaudary.

Lots of hire boats on the water enjoying Autumn rates - judging by general traffic density over the year 'Locoboats' are doing well - 'Le Boat' OK and 'Nichols' trailing in well to the rear.

At La Segala we were joined by the local fauna - Kes was not impressed.

Quite a lot of barge traffic with everyone heading to Winter quarters - Gladys and Sirius were a day or two ahead of us, but we caught up with them at Castelnaudary as they were off for holidays in the sun (?).

'Fandango' demonstrating the best route

Castelnaudary rapidly filled up with barges - as well as 'Gladys' and 'Sirius', 'Jane Louise' and 'Carolyn' came in for the Winter and 'Linda', 'Acadia' and 'Tigers Tail' transited for a few nights. A few drinks catching up with the cruising season news and the usual tales of 'there I was upside down with the wire cutters and the wife started the engine' and general moans about hireboats. A howling gale for a few days (120 kph gusts according to the VNF) but after that all reverted to normal.

Grand Bassin

Nice sailing barge

So farewell to Odile (La Capitaine) at Castelnaudary and off on the last week of the 2012 cruising season. We were blown out of Castelnaudary by a developing gale - 10 ecluses (some multiple) in 80 mins must be near our record speed and that was with a lot of reversing to remove claggage from the rudder after each ecluse.

Sheltered from the wind at Villepinte for the weekend - Peter is busy on Amazon ordering 'bits' for delivery to Carcassonne and Angie is using the Wii to get ready for Pilates classes. Our usual moorings were a bit crowded but the sunny days are back with us, though we are covering the plants at night in case a frost surprises us and the shame of it - the CH had a trial run one night. Then back into Carcassonne on 31 Oct.

We have done 1360 km this season - half our normal cruising distance.  Peter is wincing at the imminent diesel top up (400+ litres) but just as well to keep Kotare full as, given Hollande's tax measures and the general French despondency, who knows when the cries of 'Brits Out' (and all other foreigners) will begin.

Déjà vu,

Sep 12

As we expected the last month has been a bit boring retracing routes we have done before - the disadvantage of spending a second cruising season in the south.  We even considered sprinting for Agde to paint the hull and then up the Rhone in early Spring but dithered and decided against.

We met up with 'Merlot' (Paul and Kathy)at Castelsarassin and they followed us to the local Intermarché.

Damazan was a new stop, we had expected a 'night market' but the village square had been converted into a giant outdoor cafe - tubs of mussels and seafood plus lots of local wine - led astray by some of the bargees from Buzet it was a really good night. It must have been as Angie dropped a shoe into the canal on boarding - guess who had to recover it!

We got as far as Mas d'Agenais where we stayed for a few days for Angie to sunbathe before turning around.  We had passed most of our fellow Carcassonne Winterers but Sirius caught up at Mas.

Quo Vadis and Sirius

Tricia and Nigel were adopted by an African Grey parrot for a few days

Nigel looking enthused

Off east and we had to stop at La Fallote due to an Arret (blockage) - unfortunately there was a precious stone and fossil museum - so the 'free mooring' cost Peter a fortune as Angie added to her mineral collection plus 'just a little jasper pendant'.

La Falotte

The Arret was a Plane tree across the canal - allegedly dropped by a farmer who had been prevented from irrigating his fields.

The River Garonne was seriously low - though the Baise was navigable

Garonne - April

Garonne - August

At Serignac- 'Linda', 'Sirius' and 'Dunvegan' moored up and we had a drink. Steve on Dunvegan had tried to get up the Rhone in April but had given up due to the current so perhaps August next year will be the best. The resident hotel boat 'St Louis' was out and about - new maxim 'Hotel boats are always met at a bridge on a blind corner'

It is getting Autumnal with the trees changing colour and mist on the canal in the mornings - but the moment we put the Summer duvet on the bed the temperature shot back into the 30's.

Autumn is nigh

Angie was looking like an English sheepdog as her hairdresser has been on holiday - so a few days in Moissac to get her suitably shorn.

This is interfering with my sunbathing!

'Gladys' had to pay our Castelsarassin overnight fee as the Capitainerie was on Winter hours and shut (thanks Eric) - who dropped us in it - a Belgian boater who got upset at us rafting to 'Laura' is the primary suspect?

Then we pottered up the Montauban Embranchement to Lacourt St Pierre - electricity and water for €3 a night which is very reasonable. They are piling the canal sides and there are two dredgers at work which slowed us down a bit.

Peter won his weight loss bet so is now 20lbs lighter - can he keep it off - beer in the local cafe tonight ?? After a weekend of Rugby Internationals and boat cleaning it is off to Toulouse next.

Carcassonne to Toulouse Dry Dock

Jul 12

We stayed in Carcassonne for Bastille Day (our first dry one).  A few parades, a large produce market and all the shops had external stalls.  Peter talked Angie into buying some bright yellow short shorts A very good fireworks display over the old city that night.

Légion Etrangére

Alternative demo -  'No to Austerity'

Jackie's farewell gesture had been a bet with Peter regarding weight loss (Peter understandably having to lose double the amount) which will cramp his style for a few months.

We stopped at Le Segala again and the local bar - Peter didn't enjoy his Cola Lite while Angie quaffed beer. To her disgust the male barmen in the pubs always place the beer in front of Peter (especially as under the new regime Angie pays). Onwards along the Midi - the sunflowers are still magnificent.

At Villepinte we were rather stunned to find an old lady doing her washing in the canal at one of the old wash points - not sure how she has survived into her seventies.

à la manière traditionnelle

Then it was off at a slow pace to Castelnaudary where we stayed for 4 nights - partly for the annual night market and the jazzed up Rock band.

but we also gave Kes his biannual scrubdown

We are not amused!

At Montgiscard whilst sunbathing Angie was stung by a bee, her rapid rise off the roof topless must have been funny to watch (as a spectator). Then Toulouse where we met up with Merlot (Paul and Kathy) - we departed after a few days and got as far at the Port de Emboucherie where we suddenly lost most of our steering.

After an internal check of the rudder gear we found it had dropped 8 inches and was resting on the top bearing! Angie declined to go swimming (despite being an ex Army swimming Champ?) so we ran a rope around the bottom of the rudder and levered it up (knew that RIB would be useful).  Then limped back into St Saveur.  With the help of Paul's excellent French we managed to get into the VNF dry dock the next afternoon (minor miracle).

Rather than a major repair job, we found the rudder had lifted out of the bottom bush (the bottom curve of the rudder had lifted it out whilst reversing over something) so it was an easy task to lift it back in - but it was also a chance to check the prop/propshaft bearing, do some patch painting etc.

Then it was back into St Saveur for the night and then slightly poorer it was on Westwards.

Spanish Holiday

Jul 12

After mooring in Carcassonne, the next day we left the kids to babysit Kes and headed towards Spain.

Kes was stressed at our departure.

We headed down through the Pyrenees stopping at a little Spa village for morning tea (and to let Peter recover from Angie's driving).

Then up to Chateau Peyrepertuse, a Cathar castle last visited in the 90's (Peter had forgotten the climb up or might have bailed out).

A late lunch (assorted chicken and duck brochettes) in Millas, then it was on into Spain.  Peter had found a converted 13C Rectory in the hills outside Girona. Small (5 bedrooms), very beautiful, friendly helpful staff with whom we conversed in a mixture of French, English and our four words of Spanish. A swim and a cold beer or three, then a good Catalan meal..

We spent the next day in Barcelona - standard sightseeing - though Angie couldn't find anything to buy?

Barcelona Cathedral

Palau de Musica (Opera House)

Gaudi cathedral - under wraps

Getting out of Barcelona was a bit fraught, but the GPS proved its worth (only delivered us into an rundown housing estate once - when we missed a turn). Back to the Hotel for beer and an excellent Dinner and then the next day more sightseeing in Girona. But first into a small Industrial Estate to find Angie a little cast iron teapot (as used in the Hotel) - it must be love!

Girona waterfront

Girona cathedral - very tall and massive

Then it was a gentle drive back to Carcassonne where Jackie fed us a large Chinese meal, which was lovely but judging by our waistlines unneeded.  Kes didn't look too stressed.

A spoilt dog!

The next day we used the hire car to stock up with food and drink - then delivered Chris and Jackie to the Airport - before collapsing for a few hours. Next up Bastille Day.