L'Estaque to Our Destination - Port Saint Louis du Rhône!

23/10/2015

3 days in l'Estaque got us thinking, and although there is so much to see between here and our new mooring in Port Saint Louis du Rhône, we'll have loads of time to visit locally once we're settled, so we're just going to straight line it from here.

We set out at 11.15, after dropping our beep back off at the capitainerie (and recuperating our deposit cheque!), into not-quite-smooth waters and beautifully clear skies. A little chop was accompanied by low swell, but it was right on the nose, and it was warm enough to drive from the fly bridge in our hoodies.

There's the train line we had hoped to take... Next time!

Having checked in with the capitainerie at Port Napoléon we knew to head straight for the visitors pontoon, and report with papers before being assigned 'our' space. Crossing the shipping lane was a bit hairy, and we might have got a wave from this guy, or he might not have even seen us, who knows?! In any case, we're playing with the big boys now - by which I mean, we're getting out of everyone's way!

A sad moment of déjà vu - it's just shy of three years since this was the start of our journey from East to West, but this sail boat remains unmoved, un-rescued, and rather forlorn.

We rounded that spit into the channel giving access to Port Napoléon, which is incredibly narrow considering they'll take boats up to 40m long, where to our stbd there was a snorkler, and to port, just meters out of the channel, a fisherman was barely wet up to his knees!

And at 4pm here we are, given a choice of 3 available spaces, with free wifi (when we're getting good signal - time to invest in some kit there), showers, a restaurant on site, all of our gear already in place, our wheels and piles of post, including food parcels and vitamins (thank you family xxx).

An exciting new chapter - much of which will fall into the Works category ;-)

Marseille to L'Estaque

20/10/2015

Alas, that pesky sailing regatta is still following us, and we can't stay more than a night on the visitors pontoon in Marseille as they need the space, so we're off again. But we will definitely be back, as a mooring in the town centre is a perfect base for a proper visit...

Farewell, Marseille - à bientot!

L'Estaque is not far - although an hours motor, and they were very helpful over the phone, so we trucked out late-ish, at 11.10. Although a northerly wind is blowing and we're in a zone chock-a-block with commercial traffic, we are well protected so the journey was a smooth one.

Having been told we'd be on the visitor's quay, we had checked it's placement in the pilot, and were heading there (with the fly bridge depth sounder in the cupboard) when we spotted mad waving from the quay poiting us to a spot behind us. No problem, A hit reverse and we moored side on to an unmarked pontoon next to the slipway and haul-out cradle, where we were met by a kindly gentleman who was so impressed with the driving skills he insisted we must have a bow thruster. On asking what our draft is, advised that we had been pretty close to running aground - oops!

We thought we'd head out for lunch, but discovered we needed a beeper from the office, which was closed between 12 & 2pm, so it's lucky J had picked up a baguette before our departure from Marseille! 


With a(nother) mistral coming we knew we'd be here for a few days, as long as they had space, so we broke out our Time Out South of France guide - a gift when we first moved here 12 years ago, so perhaps time to get the newer edition - and started planning some alternative transport.


First we set out on foot to the Port de Corbières, a marina at the mouth of the Rove tunnel - the largest canal tunnel in the world housing a shipping canal used from 1927 until part of its roof collapsed in 1963.

It was a goodly stroll of 2.2 km, not through the prettiest countryside, and we couldn't go in the tunnel, so we did an about turn and set back off home.

 

A treat felt well deserved after such physical efforts (the like of which J feels a likely allergy coming on), so we picked up a chocolate chichi frégi to go (recipe here if you fancy blocking your arteries!):

Basically a humungous doghnut, the chocolate is optional (?!) - hand needed in the pic for scale - made to order. Small children in the queue were getting one each, but we shared about a third with a cuppa, and had a late supper with the rest for pudding - yummy!

The next day we had planned to take the train from l'Estaque to Martigues, and waited on the platform with tickets in hand, and dog on lead, accompanied by an SNCF emlpoyee. When the train eventually arrived we hopped on and stayed in the hallway part, to be informed by the conductor that we weren't allowed onboard with the dog unless she was wearing a muzzle. Not having a muzzle we had to get off at the next stop - Niolon - and hope it was a different conductor on the return train on 1h30 time.

Niolon is so pretty, with a tiny port dominated by a dive school and their boats, and stunning views of Marseille:

 

 

A dooer-upper?!

We were on time for the train, but were met by a nice controller who was also insisting that we descend at the next stop, and who stayed with us as the car was full of high school kids who needed protection from the hounds aggressive tongue poking! Photos taken of, and choochie-coos dispensed to the vicious beast, we got off at l'Estaque with the mental note that, unlike on the cote d'azur, around Marseille they do actually want Roxy muzzled. Poor girl!

Cassis to Marseille

19/10/2015

Cassis has a strict evacuation time, so we didn't delay, and were off by 10.30, giving way to a tripper boat whilst still in the confined port area, we pulled out into what looked like water level mist, but no... Smoke on the water!

We're aiming for La Pointe-Rouge, but having tried the phone number in the pilot a couple of times with no luck, J is forced to use the (hated) VHF to raise a response from the port - but still nada?! They could be on lunch break of course. Odd, but we decide to go for it, and pull in at the fuel quay at 12.45, with A tieing up while J hot-foots it to the capitainerie - the fuel guy has been very specific on the short duration of stay he'll allow us for not buying his product.

And short duration works, as they haven't a single space to offer us, and were caught with the nautical equivalent of their pants down - their VHF had been switched off! With a sailing regatta breezing through we were once again stymied in our planning, but they were helpful in suggesting alternatives, and we set off again with numbers to call.

Having been assured of a space in Marseille, the approach is both beautiful and confusing, as the entrance to the port is practically invisible until you get there. 

The modern structures somehow fit with the ancient originals, and we're looking forward to staying - yep, you guessed it, there's a mistral coming through, and by 14.25 we were moored up on the 'quai d'accueil' in the Old Port in Marseille.

Although works are underway to renovate the quay side and nearby road, we seem to be far enough away that the noise doesn't disturb, and even the passing ferries are so respectful of the speed limit that they leave little wake. The same cannot be said for the divers in their RIB, who set us off on a rock n roll ride which seemed endless.

There are a surprising number of English & Irish pubs at the quayside - even compared to Cannes - and we were directed to a park for the hound, where she found not only grass and greenery, but friends and an improvised swimming spot to boot. Finally she's happy!

Ile des Embiez to Cassis - via the Calanque d'en Vau

17/10/2015

10.00 start into a beautifully calm day, which is actually warm without the mistral blowing.

We overtook a tug towing a dredger - quite a rarity for us to be overtaking anyone, and it felt good!

Although the Calanques are past Cassis on our journey, the capitainarie had assured us a spot would be kept until 6pm, so we trundled past, excited to experience these natural wonders for the first time, pulling into the Calanque d'en Vau behind one of the notoriously frequent tripper boats.

Still, they tripped off before long, leaving us plenty of space to moor to one of the buoys outlining the authorised mooring zone by 12.30. The beach was surprisingly packed, until we remind ourselves it's the weekend and toasty for October, so it all starts to make sense.

We were shortly followed into the mooring by a speed boat called Elton, who dropped their anchor worryingly close to ours, and proceeded to cast a line, despite the obvious 'no fishing' signs. Not a language barrier issue, and to top it off, the fisher tipped a bucket of small, dead fish overboard on departure. Humans & fish - nil, Gulls - result!

After sarnies on the fly bridge, A launched the paddle board, before donning his wetsuit (Mr Rubber-rubber to his friends - sorry, but if it sits here long enough, J will name it; it even has a theme tune!) for a swim, boat hull inspection in the incredibly clear waters, and a bit of snorkeling. J doesn't yet have a wetsuit, and refused A's kind offer of a loan, so stood lookout against other visitors on the water - which included scullers, paddle boarders, divers and, of course, more tripper boats. Roxy literally paced the decks, ensuring all knew exactly where A was at all times.

And here's a wee challenge for y'all: how many nutters, I mean climbers, are in this photo?! Answers in comments, please, and the first to get it right wins a kiss from Roxy - you gotta come and get it, she doesn't deliver!

At 2.45 the sun had moved over and we were no longer warm, so we weighed anchor and retraced to Cassis, where we were asked to wait on the fuel quay for a port agent to accompany us to our spot; slight issue, as the fuel quay was occupied, and the occupant was unmanned, so we trod water for a while before our guide arrived, and led us to quite literally the tightest mooring maneuver required so far. Of course A aced it, and got a respectful thumbs up and bravo from the agent. Some later arrivals got disparaging 'oh-la-las' on their skills, with one needing a tow, and another simply needing a larger space. Useable mooring space size is inversely proportionate to one's driving skills, apparently.

All tied on at 3.30 we headed off into lovely Cassis, to find not one blade of grass openly accessible to dogs, and on asking a local dog owner for directions she took us to an alleyway with little grass, but a huge no dogs allowed sign! Oh dear, poor Roxy...

But Cassis does have the most beautifiul carousel EVER:

 

A bit of a downer, but we had a disastrous meal out at a restaurant run by an accomplished false advertiser, with a huge billboard offering all sorts of moules for 9.90€ per kilo - the sort of advertising to enchant J, who is an accomplished Moules-Frites tester, with years of experience behind her.

As it turned out, the small print said 'from' 9.90€, with marinière - the classic - at 15.90€, and the only choice at 9.90€ was simply steamed. Of the 'kilo' served - take your word for it, we hadn't brought the scales - about 40% of the shells were empty; they can fall out during cooking and be waiting in the delicious juice, except all J found in the juice were clumps of barnacles, and some sort of unidentifiable piece of sea scuzz... Minging.

They took the complaint on the chin, and we were not charged for the moules, but on departure our waitress asked if we had received satisfaction, and was surprised at our positive response, as "usually the director couldn't care less!". Hmmm, looks like we had a lucky escape - both with the bill (although 10€ a pint is Monaco pricing), and the lack of food poisoning!

The next day the weather remained beautifully clear, and we strolled back to check out Port-Miou,  and also observe a rock formation reminiscent (to J) of an Independence Day spaceship crash.

 

Although Cassis is famous for it's wine, somehow we forgot to buy any :-( Next time!!

Ile des Embiez - continued...

Tourists were thinner on the ground on Monday, despite the regular ferry service to Le Brusc even during low season, and we set off round the island on its 6km nature trail, although on Roxy's insistence we scrambled down to every beach, and up to the tower and last resting place of Paul Ricard, which he chose as the highest point on the island facing the sea, so we walked at least 7km that day, and when the heavens opened on the home straight, some of it was done at a run!

Follow me!

I believe this is called a sit in! With beach swag to boot!

The rock formations are genuinely interesting, kinda wish we'd listened in geography class!

We topped our morning off with lunch Chez Charles, and a visit to the Domaine Ile des Embiez boutique where, although we were too late for their rosé wine special offer, we did enjoy a tasting and rosé master class - although the gentleman spoke faster than a machine gun fires so it was tricky to keep up - and bought a bottle or two of their Côtes de Provence, bien sure!.  

Tuesday involved a good walk to tire out the hound before locking her up on the boat and heading to the Oceanographic institute & aquarium up on the hill. The institute, now presided over by M Ricard's granddaughter, does much that cannot be visited by the general public, but the small museum and aquariums are still worth a visit, and in the summer they also run kids workshops to raise awareness of the human effect on the oceans and teach littl'uns the best ways to treat the sea.

On Wednesday the Mistral blew a hoolie all night, so although tired, we walked round the north eastern point of the island watching the Le Brusc ferry thrown all over the shop from behind the protection of a navigation light tower, and back home via the island vineyards for lunch and a nap. 

Say what?! I can't hear you through the wind.

We'll be hiding from what is coming for a good few days...