27 to 31 August--Coming towards homegoing

Thursday / Friday 30/31 August

A fishing boat scrubbing off

The Summer is officially over.  Already, the temperature is dropping, and the wind is carrying a notice of cooler days to come.  After over three weeks, life on the boat is as sweet as ever. It’s not because the weather has been great (it has been patchy), or that there have been so many things to do (even if there were, we probably wouldn’t have done them), or that the town or marina changes much (although there are a thousand tiny little differences each day), but we have developed a pattern of quiet contented routine activities (or inactivitities, more correctly) which fills out the days to perfection.

 

This dry dock is permanently pumped out

When we go home, friends will ask about the restaurants, and we won’t have much to tell them, but we will probably bore them to death about the fresh produce available every day at the markets. We could go on and on about the simple luxury of a freshly buttered slice of toasted French bread, or the pleasure of having lunch in the wheelhouse with ther roof open but it still wouldn’t explain the different perspective on life and the world which comes from living “on the boat”.

A seagull seeking shelter?

 

 We are now looking at the forecasts with aview to returning straight to Yarmouth, and we have emailed the harbour to expect us from 1st September onwards

 

Wednesday 29 August

 

A really windy day, today, and the quiet holiday continues.  Our friend Jan will go to surgery for a brain tumour operation, so we are much pre-occupied with concerns for her and Rod & Ellen.

A "Green Beach" , free, from the mayor.

 

 

We had a look at another boat yesterday, “Jalda”, a classic gentleman’s motor yacht. Sadly, it has been neglected to the extent that duck tape is replacing the caulking in places, and some of the upper timbers have gone soft—a shame.

We hear that Jan’s op went OK, and we are delighted and relieved.

Since the rain had kept us in all day, we took advantage of the improved weather, and nipped out for a light dinner on the Quai. You can’t beat Entrecote & chips!

 Today’s film was DeNiro in “Casino”  a violent epic which went on a bit too long. 



A typical backdrop to dinner on board

Sunday 26 August

Sunday 26 August

Taking time to smell the flowers

 

A day out in Western Cherbourg.

 

It was bright, warm, and breezy, and the perfect day for a 5-mile or so walk to the West—yes, 5 miles! 

 

 

Overlooking the Western Rade 1

Past the swimming centre (closed), past the huge restricted military marine establishment (razor-wired off), and on to a lovely little beach-park overlooking the Western end of the Outer Rade we walked.

 

Overlooking the Western Rade 2

 

There we found a beach café which offered a “grand barquette” of pommes frites, and the temptation was too great. We succumbed in an instant.

On the way back, we detoured first through the delightfully tranquil botanical park, and then meandered through less familiar parts of the town.

Today's eating plan chip-wrecked

Street Art, Cherbourg style

A postcard from Cotentin

 We came across a patisserie selling a selection of delicious ice-creams, and seconds later, we were on our way back to the boat, ice creams in hand.  We know how to live!

 

As you might expect, all this had been quite tiring, so an afternoon snooze took us into the early evening, and dinner-time was upon us before we knew it.

The Botanical park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Super-duper.

 



Saturday 25 August

 

 

It must be a bank holiday—  gales and torrential rain started the morning.

Adrian & Vivienne on "Middlewatch"

 Whilst opening up the curtains, we spotted that “Knight Watchman” of Yarmouth had docked opposite, with signs of Adrian & Vivienne, our fellow club members, aboard. We met them during the morning in the town and later we had them on board for a pre-dinner cocktail hour.

While we were strolling around doing our usual, we discovered that there was a free 10-hour music event in the large market hall. This was a continuous  stream of 15-minute slots featuring musicians of all varieties and volume levels.

Status Quoi?

 In fact, it was so enjoyable that we went back after dinner for more , and also to enjoy the coffee and white wine at £2 per round.

 

Rocking the night away

Technical note: A routine check has showed that the aft bilge pump is U/S. (Bilges are dry). This will be checked out when conditions are better. Noted in jobs log.

 

Friday 24 August

Friday 24 August

Lubricating the sliding sunroof rails

 

With a change in the weather and a rainy blustery day forecast for later, it seemed a good opportunity to catch up with some jobs, both “ship” and “house”. 

 

 

 

 With frequent stops for tea-breaks, this took us up to a substantial lunch, followed by a light snooze indoors, while the heavy rain arrived and pounded down outside. How pleasant it is to lie all snuggled up in a duvet while the wind and rain do their worst just a few feet away.

 

The galley staff at work

 

The tourist train (again)

The rain and wind became stronger as the day went on. Happily, it cleared away before sunset, just in time to give us a very pleasant dinner-hour before setting up “the cinema” . We watched “Twilight”, one of over 300  movies which Hayley had loaded onto our “terabyte”.

Apparently, it was a very popular film.

 

And so to bed, perchance to dream ( of vampires?)

 

23 August - Another cracking day out

Thursday 23 August

 

The widest that Cherbourg can handle

Today’s excitement was an inspection visit to “Lascia Fare”.

Lascia Fare - a good bit wider

This was a good experience, but the bottom line was that this particular boat would not be suitable. She was designed to have a professional crew, and the living arrangements on board were completely impractical. The galley was microscopic, there was no proper dining area, and  the stairways were far too steep.  The beam of 5.6 metres meant that the nearest haul-out would be in Granville.  (Cherbourg maximum is 5 m ).  Basically, she seemed sound, but there was a lot of superficial neglect.

 All of this was discussed first over coffees at “La Fontaine”, and afterwards at dinner in  “La Regence”, before having an evening stroll on the town. 

 

 

Dinner at "La Regence"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The town authorities, perhaps to keep up business during the dead holiday season, had sealed off the main quay for a “Night Market”.  The market itself was a something-or-nothing patchy affair, but at each end, there was live music.

 



The string quartet (and a spectator)

Just outside “The Point” was a very good guitar duo playing standard rock, while at the pavement at the infamous “Bar Yalta” was a four-piece jazz string quartet doing great justice to Django Reinhart. A cracking day out, Grommet!

 

Tuesday & Wednesday 21 & 22 August

Tuesday 21 August

The magnificent theatre (closed)

 

Believe it or not, the main excitement of the day was a trip to the launderette, which became a self-help group in several languages as we  all figured out how to use and pay for the machinery. One chap we spoke to (in Frenglish) lived 5 months in Cherbourg, and 7 in Guadelope, Antilles, commuting between them solo in his own boat. Earlier we watched in some awe as the huge training ship “Queen Galadriel” executed a very tight turn at the end of the pontoon.

Queen Galadriel makes a tight turn

 

Wednesday 22 August.

Technical note: gas alarm has finally packed up. Now suspect that the sensor had been water-damaged when the fridge defrosted. Will re-site  a replacement sensor when we get back to base.

Inside the "Cite de la Mer"

 

We had a “big discussion” on the next move, and decided that we still had not had enough of life in Cherbourg.  So, we have arranged to “pay on depart”, and  we’ll see how it goes…

A lovely model

 

 

Meanwhile, we have been looking again at “Lascia Fare”. It is a large motor cruiser 22.6 metres long. 5.6 wide and with 2x850hp engines.  But, it’s a big decision…

 

In between times, we had a great cycle outing across town to “La Cite de la Mer”, where we thought there was a “Titanic” exhibition. There was, but it was last month.  Hoewver, we had an interesting time looking around, and enjoying the marina from a different perspective.

The marina from the museum

 

Dinner on board, a game of cards, and the beard is getting scratchy!

 

Monday 20 August

Monday 20 August

The morning misty drizzle was our excuse for a later lie-in (not that one was really needed). Then more brilliant sunshine allowed further lazing and sun-basking. (All day, mostly, except for a run to the shops).  We are deliberating our next steps, and may move out on Thursday, possibly to Guernsey, but we will decide tomorrow, providing the forecast stays as is.

Just a little light lunch

The evening sunset was spectacular, even lending a pleasing silhouette to the stark walls of the big naval site. We sat for nearly half-an-hour just marvelling at the ever-changing kaleidoscope of magical colourings and cloud patterns.

A spectacular sunset

Sunday 19 August

Sunday 19 August

The fog which arrived late yesterday afternoon has stayed the night, and the morning is cool, damp, and very still. 

The natives are friendly

A foggy evening

 Our bantering French neighbours from across the way are now also very quiet, after enjoying themselves merrily until well into the night.

The fog rolls in

The welcoming face at the window

Life on the boat is in its own very special little bubble—and so relaxing, although it is difficult to explain exactly just why  this should be.

  Little routines soon become daily practice, such as the nightly rounds of cards, etc.  Lately, in the evenings after dinner (usually on board), we have been watching the American version of the Danish series “The Killing”. This is a strange concoction, but very effective, and so unlike the American television we expect.
The fog cleared off in the afternoon to give yet another scorcher. In between sunbathing and snoozing we made use of the slightly better wi-fi at the marina yacht Club.

Our just desserts

Following a very nice dinner on board, we changed our usual pattern and headed off to the cinema to see “Jane Eyre” (English version). It was a lovely film. When we arrived in the cinema 5 minutes before start, we were the only customers, but we were joined by 5 others at the last minute. 



At "Jane Eyre"

Just before it got crowded

We got back to the boat just after 11pm to a light supper, some cards, and snoozeville...