Gardening weather

Mar 13

We keep on saying we won't drive back to the UK again from the Midi, then do it when the shopping list gets longer and longer. Peter blames Angie (new tumble dryer) - Angie blames Peter (boat paint) but 13 hours is a long haul even sharing the driving.  The poor Kangoo was sagging under all that and the Tesco shopping! For the first time we took Kes (the collie) - to call him a bad traveller would be an understatement - but dosed to the gunnels with 'mal de auto' pills he survived OK.

Peter got a reasonably clean bill of health from his GP (surprising given his age and youthful indiscretions), but they managed to find problems with Angie's blood tests (no not liver) so April will be more trips to UK consultants much to her fury. To add to her good mood, the cleaning skills of the postgrad tenant in the Bristol flat were limited to turning on a vacuum cleaner so it took her two full days to degunge it ready for relet. Diesel and peagé charges have rocketed and add a new boiler for the flat and we got back to Carcassonne broke as usual!

After our rude comments about the dress of our neighbour on Sirius he let us take a photo - I rest my case.

Nigel - Sirius

We managed a trip to Arles while we had the hire car as Peter doesn't want to turn south down the Rhone next August.  A good time of year to visit as there were no other tourists, but overall we felt it was a disappointment after Avignon.

Arles - River Rhone

Arles - Mairie

Arles - Roman Amphitheatre (aka Bull Ring)

Arles - Roman Theatre

Everyone on the barges was busy finishing off the Winter jobs - fitting solar panels etc. Peter did a load of minor electrical jobs (wheelhouse alarm and a panic button - must be feeling insecure) and a 240V wheelhouse socket so we can have music and Navigo on while flogging up the Rhone later in the year.  The Spring gardening is done with lots of geraniums and primula in tubs and the herbs in seed pots.

A bit bored as we have been to all the interesting restaurants that we can afford and pre-tourist season Carcassonne doesn't offer a lot other than the Cité.  Angie has got to the stage where she is washing down interior walls (?) navigating around Peter who is usually flat on his back on the sofa playing computer games.

Although the photos show blue skies we have had mixed weather over the Winter - quite a lot of rain and two light snow falls but nothing like up North (or even last year here when the Bassin froze). Angie was feeling alert and spotted this 'anvil' cloud formation one afternoon.

The first barge to leave was 'Sirius' en route to Toulouse on 20 Mar but luckily we can't go yet (or Peter would) as we have a Beatles concert on 22 March, but soon after it will be engine on and back on the cut.  We have changed our mind and will be spending a month in and around Castelnaudary (so Angie can have her UK med checks) but then it will be pottering east for a hull repaint and the Rhone.