As we have a good distance to cover, we sail off early before the sun rises. We continue west from Santander and enjoy the mountains that build up behind the rocky beaches. A very nice scenery and it is very peaceful to let it sink in as we glide by out on the sea. We try to pause for lunch in Ria de Tina Mayor but the entrance is shallow and the swell is high so we decide to skip this tempting idea.

The Asturian coast

Entrance to Ria de Tina Mayor

Weather is clearing up

The mountains in the distance

We continue westward and decide to take a chance and see if there is space in Lastres – described as a “very pretty unspoilt fishing village”. As we enter the harbour we spot a pontoon and grab a space. Just as we tie up, a Hallberg-Rassy joins us on the other space and we help them tie up. The Italian owner is sailing up to Ireland together with his daughter. We go up together to register but there is no office and there is nobody at the Nautic club so we leave our names to one of the shops that know them and go back to the boats. We return through the narrow streets and have a nice dinner aboard.

Melody in the harbour

The beach at Lastres

Sofie and I decide to explore the village and the narrow streets and the small houses climbing on the mountain is truly pretty. By chance, we stumble into the tourist office and get a map and direction to the top of the mountain. We continue the steep climb up to the church and after a while, we reach the top with its chapel and restaurant looking out over the sea. The scenery is breath taking and far below, we can see Melody in the harbour.

Lastres – climbing the narrow streets

Lastres

View from the chapel

View from the mountain

Lastres

The square in Lastres

I wake up early and go for my daily quest for bread. The village is completely quiet and at a café I get directions is Spanish how to find the bakery. As my Spanish is non-existent I pick up the word for Church and start climbing. The hungry nose then leads me down a narrow passage to a bakery where you stand in the middle of the baking process as you decide your pick. After that, I countinue up to the mountain top. If the scenery was beautiful the evening before, it is now magic. Some birds sing and you can hear the sea below but otherwise this is a completely peaceful place and stunning view. I sit down at a bench and take my time and enjoy the moment.

The church in the morning

Sunrise from the mountain

Lastres in the morning light

We expect to spend some days in Gijon as we heard from friends that it is a nice city. The marina sits next to the old town in contrast with Bilbao and Santander. We take a walk into the town and gets some information. There is two beaches connected to the town and the Playa de San Larenzo city beach is very nice. At the cape to the sea, a park has been set up on the grounds of an old fortress with a concrete monument marking its place.

Gijon from the park at Cerro de Sta Catalina

The San Lorenzo city beach

Elogio del Horizonte

Cimadevilla – Gijon old town

Gijon is famous for its cider culture and we go out on the town to taste. The cider should be poured from distance without looking – the higher the better. The Asturian cider tastes different from both the Swedish sweet cider and the Breton dry cider and is a good refreshment.

Pouring cider

In the harbour, we also spot a Swedish flag. We have not met any Swedish sailors since Brest and it is fun to meet Anders and Lena from S/Y Space. They have just arrived after crossing the Biscay and are eager to experience the town and join us for a walk in the town and some drinks and snacks.

Anders and Lena with S/Y Space in the background

We stay for some days and enjoy Gijon and just relax. Swimming, visiting the roman baths, running, eating & drinking, walking and listening to bagpipe orchestras. The party life is late, and as I go for the usual quest for morning bread, I am in good company of people who are still partying – some even entering into new bars. There is also an army of people cleaning up fighting a never-ending battle with glass, plastic and other remnants after the night.

Gijon from the far end of San Lorenzo

Bag pipe orchestra

The roman baths in the morning light

The hard-working city cleaners

Next stop is Avilés which is not very well described in our pilot book. This is the third largest city in Asturia after Gijon and the capital Oveido and it turns out to be a beautiful town. The harbour is however filled to its rim with small sailing boats obviously participating in a race. We manage to tie up outside of an orphaned trimaran. It turns out that the race is a qualification race for a race to Azores and later across the Atlantic where they start from Les Sables d’Olonne. Funny to think that they have sailed from our starting points in two days when it has taken us two months.

The lighthouse at the Avilés approach

Race boats arriving from Les Sables d’Olonne

We have a light dinner at the main square and then we split up in a shopping group (Sofie and Birgitta) and a city exploration group (me). The town is fascinating with medieval, renaissance, baroque, modern architecture intertwined with parks. The evening is enjoyed in the Sidreria Tiella Asturia that we were recommended for local food. The menu is vast, the rations are huge and the setting next to the square and church is nice. A very good ending of this stop and Asturia in general.

Streets of Avilés

Avilés

Avilés

Avilés

Avilés

Avilés – the 17th century arcade. Note different pavements for people and animals

Avilés

Avilés

Avilés

Avilés

Avilés – the medevial Fransicaner church

We sail out from Bilbao and head west. First intended stop is Castro Urdiales approximately 10 NM away including some miles within the Bilbao harbour. In the pilot book, it should be hard to find a berth and suggested berthing alongside of the wall. I am not particularly fond of alongside berthing as the combination of swell and tidal water make the boat hit the wall continuously as well as having an audience on the quay. I call the yacht club on the radio and instantly there is a guy coming out to us and direct us to a mooring buoy. He tells us that they run a 24×7 water taxi to the moored boats and the price including all services at the club for 25 EUR. Hard to match so we clean up the boat and call the taxi to get ashore.

Castro Urdiales – first stop after Bilbao

Castro Urdiales from the mooring

24×7 Water taxi

The nice club house at Real Club Nautico Castro Urdiales

The city is dominated by the Santa Maria medieval church next to the crusader fortress at the end of the harbour. Timing is perfect, we get time to experience the beautiful church from inside before it closes at 18 and as we come outside, the fortress is opened. The main portion of the fortress is however closed probably since the lighthouse installed on the top is operational. This is why a hideous glass construction with an elevator is raised on the wall facing the sea. We stroll around on the grounds and then we hit the old town. We split up where Birgitta go for the shops and I stroll around in the narrow streets and get a grip of the town. The old town is very dense and on the other end of the city is the nice Ostende (!) beach.

Promenade

Nice architecture

Santa Maria Church

The Santa Ana Crusader castle

Church and Castle

Castle Santa Ana

The Ostende beach

We grab a table on one of the restaurants and try out the grilled Anchoas that is a local speciality. Just delicious! Then we stroll more in the old town as the restaurants and bars fills up with people before returning to the yacht club. It really impresses me how these friendly boatmen handle their taxi boats in the swell.

Rowing team with their boat

Melody in the bay

View of the bay from the Castle

View of the old town from the club

Next day, we start with a breakfast at the harbour promenade before we go for a shopping tour and do some provisioning.

Melody in the morning

We have decided to leave this beautiful town and do a short hop to Laredo further west. After a short but beautiful sail, we enter this big ultra-modern marina at lunchtime. We get a good spot as the marina is half-deserted, which feels weird but the marina is probably too new to have filled up its many berths.

The coast

The modern marina at Laredo

New town to discover and we start by taking a look at the old town and the road that leads up to the Santa Maria church. The road continues up the hill and on the top, we get a great view of the city and the bay over to neighbouring town Santona. We take some time to make the scenery sink in before we go back to the town.

Laredo Marina seen from the hill above

Laredo looking east

Santa Maria church and entrance to old town

Old town entrance

Laredo old town

At the first restaurant there is a typical stag party and another hen party blocking all the spaces so we continue to the next one just to experience that it is also packed with people dressed up as hippies. It turns out that we landed in the Laredo Ye-Ye fiesta celebrating 60:s and 70:s. Music on the streets and people of all ages dressed up. We do not find any costumes for us but we buy some flowers to wear in our hair. The party gets more and more crowded with outdoor scenes all over town. Very nice atmosphere.

Laredo Ye-Ye

Laredo Ye-Ye

Someone graps the opportunity

Laredo Ye-Ye

Laredo Ye-Ye

Laredo Ye-Ye

Next day we check out and go over the bay to Santona. Again the pilot tells us about the limited berthing places and probably only alongside. This time it is correct, no watch on the VHF and no spaces. I find a deserted spot on a hammerhead on the entrance and try to find a harbour captain but there is none. I ask a man in a neighbouring boat but he tells me that I probably can stay for free and offers me his second key to the gate. Feels strange but I put on my running shoes to get a grip of the town and try to find someone to talk to about the berths. The mountain with its forts and lighthouses should also be worth experiencing and I need to move my legs.

The packed Santona harbour

At the tourist office, they do not know anything about the harbour so I decide to climb the steep mountain. The views from the mountain is stunning and a good place to let the mind wander.

The San Martin Fort – one of the many fortifications

View of the Laredo Bay from the mountain

View from the mountain

View eastwards

As I get on the far side of the mountain, Birgitta calls in distress. Some guys have came and told her that our place is deserted because there is a boat on the bottom and we will be in trouble at low water. I run back and exactly as they say there is less than 2 meter at the berth. The harbour was clearly deeper when I entered and as we leave the berth, the depth clears to more than 5 meters directly. On our way out, we pass the same mountain scenery and the small lighthouse at the far end where my run was interrupted.

Leaving Santona

The mountain from the sea

Faro del Caballo

As the weather forecast for next day shows rain, we decide to continue to Santander where we should stay some days waiting for Sofie to arrive. We have a nice sail in fair winds and arrive to Santander in the afternoon.

Isla de Mouro at the entrance to Santander Bay

The city marina is full and do not have possibilities for catamarans so we continue to the larger marina south of the town. This is a modern marina with all the facilities but far outside town.

The Santander marina

View of the town and the bay from the marina

We stay some days in Santander that is a nice town and we have managed to hit it during the “Semana Grande” fiesta so there are music on the streets. As Sofie arrive by plane to the airport nearby we go out to the Magdalena palace that was built for the Spanish royal family in the beginning of last century. Great views over the bay and the main beach – Playa Del Sardinero.

Cathedral of Santander

View of the bay from La Magdalena Palace

La Magdalena Palace

View east from the palace

Playa Del Sardinero

Playa Del Sardinero

We celabrate that Sofie has arrived in our newly found favorite restaurant – Bodega Cigaleña. Apart from excellent food, the classic interior has wine bottles from floor to the ceiling.

Interior from Bodega Cigaleña

We change the courtesy flag to Spanish and Basque combination and cross the River Bidasoa to Hondarribia in Spain. The old French flag starts to look rather bleached after a year in the bright sun and it has served us well since we crossed the English channel last year.

Setting the Courtesy flags

The Hondarribia marina is also big and modern. Half price, great location and friendly, English speaking staff. The city beach is just around the corner and just next to the city. We go to explore and take a Pinxtos break at the central San Pedro Street with its restaurants and bars. There is the Hondarribia Blues Festival going on so music is played on the streets and the big scene down at the harbour making the day even better.

Hondarribia Marina

The Hondarribia city beach next to the marina

The bay towards Hendaye

Hondarribia Blues festival

Hondarribia blues festival

We take a walk up to the old town with a great view over the bay. The impressive but rather unromantic castle of Charles V looks out over the river and the bay and must have had a perfect strategic location. We take some time to wander around in the narrow streets with its shops, restaurants and bars before we return down to the Marina district with its brightly coloured fisherman houses. The evening is spent on the town with music and a lot of people in the streets.

Hondarribia

Jessica and Alexander in the old town overlooking the bay

Hondarribia old town

Hondarribia old town

Hondarribia blues festival in the night

I go up early to get us some bread and I notice that we now have moved from sleepy France to Spain with its late habits. The streets are filled with people looking for some place to go after the last bar has closed at seven, some to cafes, some kiss and hug and others take a morning swim.

Party animals looking for next place to go in the morning

It is Jessica’s birthday and we have decided to celebrate it in San Sebastian. It is some hours away and people have told us that we probably would not get space in the small harbour. We therefore leave Melody in the marina, rent an apartment and take the bus. The apartment is located in the Gros district with a ten-minute walk down to the old town and the city beach Playa de la Concha. As expected, San Sebastian is beautiful with its semi-circled beach and an old town sitting at the foot of the mountain rising high above it crowned with a fortress and a statue of Jesus.

San Sebastian old town

Old town seen from the beach

On Instagram, I have noticed that an old friend and colleague is in San Sebastian so we meet together in the old town. As usual, it is good to meet with old friends and meeting them abroad is even better. We spend a nice afternoon talking of old times and our travel plans.

Meeting Jan and Lisbeth in San Sebastian

We re-join Alexander and Jessica who gets a birthday balloon before we enjoy the sunset and then go to old town for a nice dinner and a walk through the beautiful old town.

Jessica with her birthday baloon

San Sebastian sunset

The next morning, it is time for some running again. The plan is to go up to the fort and have a look out over the town. The road up the mountain is steep so this is good exercise. Well up on top, the view is stunning. As I know that the others will sleep, I stay on this spot, find a corner of the fortress for myself, enjoy the view and reflect about life. I feel extremely energized and filled with energy as I come back to the apartment to join the others.

Old town in the morning run

The fortress on the mountain

The Jesus statue on the top of the mountain

View from the fortress

My secluded bastion

We leave our luggage in the train station and go for a nice Pinxtos lunch in the old town. As I descibed the view from the mountain, we all climb up the steep slopes and enjoy the views before heading back to Hondarribia.

San Sebastian old town

San Sebastian

Pinxtos time!

Model of old San Sebastian

Early in the morning, we steam out of the harbour and set sail towards Bilbao. The weather is nice and we have a nice sunset in our backs. The wind increases and we need to go down one reef outside San Sebastian. We get good speed in modest seas. The coast is beautiful with the mountains with its green sides coming down into the sea.

Sunset as we leave Hondarribia

The Basque coast

A monestary clinging to an island

We reach Bilbao in the late afternoon and check into the modern Getxo marina. This is one of the three marinas located in the big Bilbao port with a restaurant complex connected to it. Bilbao is a half-hour Metro ride so we decide to check up the old parts of Getxo instead. This turns out to be a good decision as the small but beautiful old village is climbing up a steep hill overlooking the old port. A good photographer with patience could make good posters and postcards here. Narrow streets and two neighbouring restaurants on a small garden. We sit down in the garden and enjoy this secluded area of the world.

Getxo marina promenade

The Getxo beach

Getxo old village

Getxo old village

House in Getxo old village

A street name in old Getxo that is hard to say

The village garden

Next day is Bilbao expedition. But first I jump into the running shoes and run out to the lighthouse at the entrance to the harbour. With its hills, it is a good exercise and, as usual, I stay out longer than I thought from the beginning. The fresh morning air, nice views, solitude and thought process fills me with energy and on the way back I manage to get some fresh bread as well.

The cliffs out to the lighthouse

The lighthouse

Cliffs on the ocean side

Ocean side

Looking towards into the harbour

Flower dog outside Guggenheim museum

We take the Metro into the town and land in the bustling capital of Basque. We head for the Guggenheim museum and spend some hours in this futuristic building. As usual, no photos is allowed so I only have a picture from the interior to get a grasp. The building in itself is just as interesting as the art.

Bilbao

Interior from Guggenheim Museum

Interior from Guggenheim Museum

After a shopping break, we continue down to the old town with its narrow streets filled with restaurants and bars. We are getting spoiled with these picturesque settings so we return to the more restaurant district and have a nice dinner before returning to Getxo.

The river

The theater in old town

We go up early in the morning as Jessica and Alexander needs to catch a flight at nine after three weeks at the boat. It feels sad to see them leave but we have had a great time and experienced a lot. Birgitta and I return to Bilbao where she digs one level deeper into the shops and I take a more relaxed tour into the old city soaking up the atmosphere. We meet later and go down to the Plaza Nuevo to have some Pinxtos and relax.

The river seen from the old town

Plaza Nuevo

Street in Bilbao old town

We need to leave Archachon early in the morning to match currents and tidal water at the tricky entrances at both Arcachon and Capbreton that is todays stop. We leave when it is still dark in the harbour and go through the entrance just as the light permits us to see the sand banks. The sun slowly sets over the giant sand dunes, which is a rewarding view. As we come further, dolphins come to play and make it even better. Weather is nice, but just before Capbreton, the fog comes over us again but it is no problem in entering the harbour.

Dolphins come to play with us

The entrance is very narrow and shallow with a tidal lake and a river inside so caution should be taken. We enter in nearly perfect conditions but the sea and current is noticeable and I should not want to enter this port in rough weather in mid-tide. Boats entering with the flood get shot as a cork through the channel and there is a rough spot of 100 meter with very disturbed seas.

Entrance to Cap Breton

The centre of Capbreton is up the river but we stay in the harbour where there are a number of restaurants and a casino. This part of the city is clearly built around the large marina and its beaches. We take a stroll around the harbour and eat in a nice restaurant by the sea.

Plage Cap Breton seen from the pier

Jessica and Alexander at the pier

The beach

The casino

An interesting setup is the fish market where each boat has its own booth right next to the harbour. Smart logistics and you can really know where the food is coming from.

The fish market

The fishing boats delivering to the market

As we circle the marina, we hear live music and stay at a restaurant where a French Elvis sings. He truly connects with his audience and apart from the well-known Elvis songs, he also shows off with everything from Sinatra to Creedence.

A French Elvis

The next day as we wait for the tide, I take a walk up to the town centre that offers more shops and restaurants in a compact centre.

Canal up to the town

Capbreton center

Capbreton center

Leaving Cap Breton

We leave Capbreton in relatively calm seas and head for Anglet outside Bayonne. The marina did not have any space for us however so we decide to continue to Ciboure further south. This city is located in a bay that hosts three small cities that are interconnected – Ciboure and larger Saint-Jean-de-Luz who is separated by a river and Socoa at the entrance to the bay. The harbour master is waiting for us to show us our berth and help us with the mooring lines. Just as we cleared everything up a hard rain sets in so we stay in the boat for dinner as the rain falls. Nice evening.

Getting closer to Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Ciboure

Rainy evening in Ciboure

Next morning, I wake up early, go for a walk on the new town, and get a pleasant surprise with a market. I buy bread, cheeses, sausages, ham and local produced juice and cider. Very nice start of the day and after a fresh breakfast we go to watch the dancers performing at the market.

Sunny morning at the market

Traditional dancers at the market in Ciboure

Ciboure is located on a steep hill and we decide to climb the hill to a tower that sadly is closed. The view must be stunning from there as we get some nice views even if we could not climb up. We continue our walk out to Socoa, take a nice lunch in the harbour and have a look at the fort and the breakwater.

Ciboure

Socoa

The breakwater at Socoa

Saint-Jean-de-Luz seen from the Ciboure quay

Ciboure inlet

Ciboure

The fishing port

Ciboure seen from Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Saint-Jean-de-Luz beach

In the afternoon, we start to explore Saint-Jean-de-Luz and its beach. This city is a bit larger and boast with a great beach. At the square in the harbour, there is a scene and a number of restaurants around it. We sit down at a restaurant that overlooks a nice summerhouse of Louis XIV. There are bands playing on the scene, weather is nice and we enjoy the city before going back.

Outdoor scene with bands every night

Next day, I take the running shoes and run to the far end of the beach and up the hill to Pointe de Sainte-Barbe. A very rewarding view over the bay and the cliffs north towards Biarritz.

View of the bay from Pointe de Sainte-Barbe

Pointe de Sainte-Barbe

I run back and find a bench on the Ciboure mountain overlooking the bay from the other end. A very calm place and I sit down and reflect over life and its pleasures and challenges.

View to the sea from the bench at Ciboure mountain

Birgitta arrives to the airport and we go back to the boat for a late dinner at a seaside restaurant. A very nice feature of this coast is that the sunsets are great as it sets over the Biscay.

Great sunsets!

Time to do an expedition again. We take the train to Bayonne to have a look at the capitol of the French Basque coast. A very nice town with a majestic cathedral and nice old town along a quay.

Bayonne

Cathédrale Sainte-Marie de Bayonne

Inside the Cathedral

Bayonne old town

Bayonne quays

We would like to go to a visit to one of the producers of the famous ham and we find one but it was in French. The guide speaks very fast so my limited French is not enough to understand the full picture but together with the tour you get the basics as well as a tasting afterwards.

Tour at a Bayonne ham producer

We get on the ten-minute hop to Biarritz to get a quick visit to this famous resort. The pilot book clearly said that this was a fair weather anchorage only and when you arrive you understand why. The port is for small crafts only and the waves are pushed up so even in this calm weather, the water is filled with surfers. Extremely nice views though and since there are direct flights to Stockholm you can hear Swedish everywhere which feels strange. We stroll around, enjoy the views, and have a nice dinner before taking the last train home.

Biarritz – Grande Plage

Biarritz

Biarritz

Panorama of Biarritz and its harbour

Biarritz – Rocher de la Vierge

Biarritz

Last city on the French Basque coast is Hendaye. This town is border town to Spain and a small ferry runs across to Hondarribia on the other side of the river. Hendaye also has a very nice beach where the city center is located further up by the river. The marina is located inside the bay but 100 meter across to the beach so location is perfect.

The ferry between France and Spain

I pull out the running shoes and go out to Pointe-Saint-Anne on the far side of the beach. Again, hard work pays off with a stunning view of the bay and the coast. The train through the park is part of a trail from Biarritz to Hendaye that is called Sentier Littoral.

My running trail at Pointe-Saint-Anne

Running trail at Pointe-Saint-Anne

View towards Biarritz at at Pointe-Saint-Anne

Chateau and observatory

View of the bay from at Pointe-Saint-Anne

Pointe-Saint-Anne

The trail at Pointe-Saint-Anne

Pointe-Saint-Anne

The evening is spent on the Hendaye Chipiron festival – a street festival for mini squids. Many people on the streets, bands playing and dancing everywhere. We also take a look at the town centre and have a walk to the bridge that leads over to Spain.

Hendaye chipiron street festival

Hondarribia / Hendaye bay from city centre

There is a five star PADI diving centre next to the marina and we have decided to go for a dive. Neither Jessica or Alexander has a certificate so they start to get the basic training. They get a very good instructor in Lucille who is pedagogic and calm and everything turns out well. After some hours in the pool, we go out to the diving site in the sea. I join for this dive and as it is the first dive in years so it is good to get “de-rusted” in a calm environment. As Lucille takes care of Jessica and Alexander, I do exercises to feel that I am back in the right element. Feels fantastic and we also spot a nice octopus. Feels very good as we go back!

Jessica and Alexander at dive training

Jessica on her way to first dive in the sea

First dive in years

Jessica and Alexander together with the fantastic instructor Lucille

Today is a great day – my new crew arrives! Jessica and her boyfriend Alexander is coming down for a couple of weeks. I get an AirBnB apartment in the Bordeaux city centre and go out to the airport to get them. Good to see them again and we take the night out on town with dinner and a then a stop at the wine bar. The concept of trying small sips of good wine is appreciated and we stay for a while.

The appartment in Bordeaux

Next day we have decided to dedicate to the wine museum. I said that it is really worth spending a day and we had seen the city centre the evening before. We have an early breakfast and take the tram. We spend the day here and order a taxi to take us to the bus station to go north. The first taxi company failed to deliver, first tell me not to worry and then when it is too late tell me that they did not have any taxis available. The reception in the museum jumps in and gets us another taxi that drive like a madman so we can catch the bus to Pauillac. The bus takes the route through the vineyards and I can show the castles and sights that I had been experiencing last week. A very good day that ends with ”Moules” at La Salamandre.

Jessica and Alexander

Due to the constraints of tides, we need to cut the trip to Arcachon in two and we decide to go back to Royan. There is a gale building up so I thought it should be good to stay in a good harbour near the entrance to Gironde and wait for the weather to calm down.

We start early in the morning when the tide is right and start steaming north. The weather is fine at first but the gale and the rain is soon over us but as we are in the Gironde, the sea does not build. I notice that the anchor seems a bit loose as it hangs in its holder and before this has sunk into my brain, the anchor dives away on its own! Full stop on the motors but the anchor soon hits the bottom and stops us permanently. All of the chain is out and the remaining rope has been jammed into the winch by the sudden drop. We are in the middle of the canal and large ships are running around us. In combination with the gale, some adrenaline is generated sitting here.

The winch spins around and have no power and I find that the wheel has disconnected from the motor and as I tighten it up, it starts moving again. Since we are in strong current with the gale further straining on the jammed rope, it takes some time before I can unjam the rope and start recovering the anchor. We motor towards the current and manage to get the anchor into the boat before a freighter comes too close to us. It turns out that you do not need to exercise to get a good max pulse!

The sea over the last part of Gironde is pretty rough as it is exposed to the sea and it feels good to enter the harbour. We tie up and are greeted back to Royan. It is good to know that my new friends Martin and Ariane are in the same port so we go visit them. They have their stepdaughter and her friend on visit so later we continue out on the town.

The capitainerie at Royan

Martin, Ariane and their visitor

Rain keeps falling down

Martin is an architect and explained how he sees the town. Modern but still timeless and very nice in its structure centred around the harbour with open spaces leading from the harbour and the market. No shops or restaurants in a “bad spot” but a good flow with easy access on foot. He also urges us to pay the market and the church for a visit. Last time, I just saw a lot of concrete. We spend some lazy days waiting for better weather and with these new eyes; I come to appreciate the town. The market is really a nice building – built like a shell with an open-air feeling inside. The Notre-Dame church is also very special. From the outside, it is very grey, but the inside with the large windows and high ceiling together with dark concrete gives a mighty feeling. As usual, knowing more usually leads to appreciating more.

The park in the harbour that the town is centred around

The open space with the square and the boulevard to the market

Royan architecture

The market

The modern Notre Dame church

Inside Notre-Dame church

The big windows giving a magical light inside

Last time I was here, there was a world championship of frisbee. Now there is a country festival going on and we stop and enjoy the dancers.

Country festival in the harbour.

We also take a walk to the west part of town down to the casino. Beautiful scenery although the sun is not shining.

Casselets – fishing huts

Promenade to the west parts of town

I sail down the Gironde to Pauillac that sits in the middle of the Medoc wine country. Medoc in turn is divided into Haut-Medoc on the upper part of the Gironde closer to Bordeaux and Bas-Medoc that stretches out to the ocean. Haut-Medoc is considered to produce some of the best wines in the world and I am curious to learn more.

The entrance to the Pauillac harbour

Pauillac turns out to be a very sleepy town, at least outside the tourist season. I stray along the streets and decide that I should go along with my initial plan and rent a bicycle to visit some wineries. I visit the tourist office to ask whether it is possible to get some guided tours. It turns out that the most prestigious ones want to book a month ahead and that you should have a written confirmation. Planning holidays one month ahead is simply not my habit so I continue asking. I am curious on the 1855 classification and want to get to one of the four premier cru in Haut-Medoc. Three of them are located in Pauillac so I have some hopes. Three of them only take visits from “professionals”. I wanted to ask if I did not look like a professional but I guess that the answer had been pretty blunt. To my surprise they were able to book a visit to Mouton-Rothschild the same afternoon. Off-season is often good season!

The promenade in Pauillac

They also give me books, maps and directions so I can do my planning. I love these moments when you get to a new place and start decide on how to explore it. Here I am in the middle of all these Chateaus in close distance and a lot to learn about wine. I take a coffee and make a rough plan to stay close to Pauillac the first days and then go down to Margeaux in the southern part later. I also would like to visit Blaye on the other side of Gironde as people told me that it is a beautiful city.

I take a look at Tripadvisor and find out that there should be a really good restaurant just outside town. This restaurant turns out to be a two-star Michelin restaurant and I get so surprised to get a table the same evening so I decide to enjoy a nice dinner there. The food and its display was perfect and along with the setting of the chateau and the vineyard outside the window it made a perfect evening.

Château Cordeillan-Bages

Château Cordeillan-Bages – starter on a vine

I get my bike and start by going north through the wine lands towards Saint-Estephe that is the most northern appellation in Haut-Medoc. Beautiful scenery and nice roads. Fields with vines stretching mile after mile and castles of different styles and sizes scattered in the landscape. No need to stress so I take my time and just enjoy getting lost in the landscape.

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild – sister chateau of Mouton-Rothschild

Road to Saint-Estephe

Cos d’Estournel

Chateau in the vineyard

And another chateau

Getting lost on purpose

Chateau and hotel

In the afternoon, I arrive to Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. It is a nice classy place but I expected more of the exterior. I went by Chateau Lafite-Rothschild on the way and that was a huge chateau. As expected, the reception is very formal and it is obvious that they want to keep an exclusive status on everything. The guide – dressed in a suit even if it is extremely hot outside – start by telling more about the 1855 classification. This classification was set in 1855 for Bordeaux wines on order from Napoleon III for the world exhibition. The classed wines was divided in five crus and has not changed since then. Except for Mouton-Rothschild that became a premier cru in 1973. The guide emphasizes that this has nothing to do with the power possessed by the Rothschild family but with the quality of the wine and the 1855 requirement that there should be an actual chateau on the premises. Regardless of background, this reclassification to the best of the best must naturally have a great impact of the possibility to set their own prices and the tour confirms that cost control has not been the prime focus. It is interesting that even the most conservative of rules can be bent if you have the power and perseverance to do so.

We continue to the new winery building that is intended to implement concepts from the theatre with the vats on the scene. A very neat production facility with impeccable order.

Mouton Rothschild – the theatre

Mouton Rothschild – Vats on stage

Mouton Rothschild vats of French oak

Mouton Rothschild – Wine cellar for really old wines

Mouton Rothschild – barrels

Mouton Rothschild

There is also a museum but photos is not allowed. It contained a lot of artefacts ranging from roman time statuettes to gifts by different royal families and political leaders. It has nothing to do about the wine but the family history, heritage and connections to political leaders and other establishments take up a lot of the focus of the tour.

Mouton Rothschild – gifts from Scottish Army (!)

We end with an interesting tasting session with two of their less famous wines from other chateaus (Chateau Clerc Milon and Chateau Armailhac) together with their flagship – a Mouton Rothschild from 2007 for 650 EUR per bottle. The wines from the good years of 2009 and 2010 comes at 1200 EUR…. Each year has a new label from a chosen artist where some has caused debates.

What makes the tasting very interesting is that one of the other visitors have a private guide who turns out to be a wine broker. Besides sharing his tasting experience, he also gives his insight of this tricky industry. As an example, brokers and merchants try a very young wine just aged some months – the Primeur– that is the base for negotiations. The production is then often priced and sold at this stage which must be a huge risk since these wines normally comes at their best right after at least 10 years. For some of the prestigious wines such as this there will probably always be a market but this goes for all the other wines as well. Interesting and fascinating trade.

Mouton Rothschild – tasting the wine

The yearly labels for Mouton Rothschild

I met a couple from upstate New York at the tasting and we decided to go for a dinner together in Saint-Julien which is the next city south from Pauillac. They had reserved a table at a restaurant conveniently named “Le Saint-Julien” so I take the bike back to the boat and have a shower before I bike the 15 minute ride. I arrive early so I take a quick tour of this small place and decide to go back when the chateaus are open. The evening becomes very nice talking on life and work balance and how to design your life to make the most of it.

On the way to Saint-Julien

Road to Saint-Julien harbour

Dinner with my new american friends

Next day I decide to go south. I pass chateau after chateau. Vineyards everywhere and a good peaceful setting. South of Saint-Julien, I stop by Chateau Bechevelle described as “Versailles of Medoc”. I manage to squeeze into the next English group at 11 and since I am an early bird, this gives me plenty of time to go down to the river and relax. I find a peaceful place down in the former harbour looking out of the Gironde, sit down, and enjoy life.

Château Pichon Longueville

Having a peaceful time down at Gironde in old Bechevelle harbour

The tour of Bechevelle is more relaxed and more concentrated on the wine even if it is natural to start with the history of this castle that is one of the older. The name is supposed to derive from the fact that the sailors lowered the sail in respect for the Admiral XXX who lived in the castle and this gives their logotype its meaning – a ship with lowered sails. This is another 1855 Classé chateau, which means that costs has not been spared. Good guide though, professional tour but also a pleasant feeling and a wine that sits well on my palate. After the tasting, I take a walk in the park and enjoy the magnificent castle.

The new facilities at Chateau Bechevelle

Vines

Chateau Bechevelle

Tasting at Chateau Bechevelle

Chateau Bechevelle seen from the park

A logo in real life

I get up on the bike and continue. I pass a village and decide to visit a smaller chateau. I spot Chateau Moulin Rouge and decide to give it a chance. This is a completely other setting. A very nice woman greets me, start talking of the wines until she has to go and her son takes over, and gives me the story and the tasting.

And another chateau…

Chateau Moulin Rouge

Wine tasting

Fuelled by this more energetic direct meeting I stop by Chateau Aney and walk into a building. A man shows up and is happy to show me their wines and do a spontaneous tasting. This is a knowledgeable guide if there has ever been one and we discuss a lot of the classification system that confuses me. Beside the 1855 Classé system, there is Chateau Bourgeois, Crus Artisans and cooperatives. He confirms my understanding that the 1855 classification was done at that time and since it has not changed since then it is somewhat disconnected from the actual quality. Bechevelle will be a fourth cru and Mouton Rothschild will be a first regardless of how they improve their production. Knowing that the vines has been exchanged and that most of the production techniques since 1855 makes this connection weak. What is true is that these chateaus have the name and resources to make good wine and most of them understand that this is a jewel that needs to maintained. Chateau Aney is classed into the Chateau Bourgeois which was founded 1932 for the wines that did not make the classification in 1855. This classification is renewed and thus has another meaning. Good wine and to a more modest price.

Tasting and discussing at Chateau Aney

Feeling energetic – I continue to Margeaux and have a late lunch. I manage to find a tour in English at Chateau Desmirail. As I come there, it shows out to be just me and the guide is happy to get anything to do. She describes the history of the castle, how they have decided to keep much of the traditional houses and techniques and she puts a lot of energy in the tour.

Chateau Desmirail

Chateau Desmirail – Vats

Chateau Desmirail – experiment with amphora

After this tour, I take the bike and go back through this beautiful landscape and chateaus. I arrive back in Pauillac in good time to be able to enjoy the sunset and have some seafood on the promenade.

Chateau Palmer

Chateau Margaux

Chateau Palmer from the vineyards

Back in Pauillac

Sunset

Next day is reserved for sightseeing. I read and heard about the city of Blaye and decide to bike down to a ferry down the Gironde and go over to the other side. I love to walk around in old fortresses and amaze of the work and resources put into these fortifications. Blaye has a huge citadel to block the Gironde from enemy ships. This citadel is accompanied of a fort in the middle of the river as well as Fort Medoc on “my” side of the river. First I stop at Fort Medoc before taking the ferry.

Early morning in Fort Medoc

Ferry to Blaye

Blaye is completely dominated by the view of the citadel so I walk up to this fortress and book a tour in the afternoon. Until then I ask if there are any Chateau that I could visit and get recommended to Chateau Marquis de Vauban. Vauban was the architect of the fortifications along with more than 160 (!) fortifications in France. This Chateau visit yet another type of visit. There is a small train that you can take from the citadel to the castle, and the tour was clearly intended for larger groups where you could have a lunch or dinner at the chateau.

Morning coffee in Blaye

Chateau Marquis de Vauban

Small train to the chateau from the citadel

Ready for dinner!

As it is midsummer’s day, I decide to try to find a restaurant where they serve herring. No midsummer is complete without herring. I finally find a place where they serve smoked herring and when I ask for vodka to go along with that I get a confused look from the waitress but she manage to find a bottle hidden somewhere.

Herring with Snaps!

The citadel tour guide is very energetic and again I get my own guide that is happy to have anything to do. Perfect, we have a lot of time to talk and we visit some parts that is not possible to visit with a group. Impressive citadel but I do not envy the soldiers that were put here for life. As usual when I visit these fortifications, I feel grateful that I am born in the right time and place to do what I do.

Way up to the citadel

The citadel

Blaye Citadel!

View of the town from citadel

Street in the citadel

The kings entrance

Citadel bridge

VIP tour into the secret underground passages

Private garden of residents

Citadel gardens

Next day is “Lamb day” in Pauillac. This turns out to be a street market with tables where you can have lamb and other food. As I skipped breakfast, I start with some boiled escargots that tasted delicious. There are geese walking around and people are enjoying this hot Sunday afternoon. I spend it with my German “neighbours” – Martin and Ariane – who are on a half-year trip with their classic ship built in 1907. They have went through the canals down to the Mediterranean, through Canal du Midi and are leaving next day to Royan to continue north. We have a nice afternoon, go to the cooperative for a tasting and some purchase and then we spend the evening at the La Salamandre seafood restaurant talking on how to enjoy life.

Breakfast escargots coming up

Martin on his ship from 1907

Livestock at the market

Rainbow over Pauillac

Last evening with Martin and Ariane

My plan is to leave La Rochelle and go to Pauillac in Haut-Medoc. Due to the tides I have to break the trip into two parts, one passing the Gironde entrance at relative high water and then arriving at Pauillac at slack tide since the currents are strong in the harbour. I decide to do the stop in Royan and thought it would be a good idea to go on a bicycle to Marennes from there. Marennes is famous for its oysters and a major part of France oyster production come from the Marennes-Oleron area. The Marennes harbour should however be limited in size and what is worse is that there is a power cable at the entrance that is too low for me. Bike seems to be the choice.

Melody in the harbour

Royan was a classic pre-war resort that was destroyed by English bombers in January and totally erased by American bombers in April 16 and 17 – less than a month before the WW2 ended. The latter was the first use of Napalm and it killed 1700 civilians in a horrible way. Now it is a completely reconstructed city with the only exception of the Saint-Pierre church from the 13th century. The city is centred around the beach and the harbour in a circular shape with a wider alley and square between the sea and the market that has the rooftop of a shell.

Pre-war poster for the seaside resort Royan

Morning promenade

The market

1200 Saint-Pierre church – the only old building still standing

The modern Notre Dame church

The city is filled with young people and it turns out that the world championship of Frisbee is currently going on. Amazing to see the players running around in the hot sand when it should be mandatory to stay in the water. I take a number of swims myself during the day but still feel too hot. The restaurants in the harbour offers some comfort and shadow but it is extremely hot.

World Championship of Frisbee

Teams warming up on the beach

Flags in the sun

Next day it is time to take the bike tour to Marennes. Two option – either the shorter road that has traffic and the longer that is a bike route. I think the longer route looks nices and it goes like a serpentine by the shores and is indeed very beautiful. I make stops to take a swim and enjoy the views. The last part goes through a forest by the sea which is good since the sun really takes its toll.

Going west from Royan

Plage de la Grande Côte looking west

Plage de la Grande Côte looking east

The forest at La Coubre

Lighthouse of La Coubre

The winding road makes the estimated 25 km trip turn out to be more like 50 km and I arrive in Marennes in the late afternoon. The harbour is very limited in size so even if I had the possibility to come under the power cable – I doubt that I could have found a space. The city is very sleepy and no restaurants are open. I also do not find any of the expected oyster palaces. I did not cycle all this way to eat kebab so I go into a pharmacy and ask for directions and they recommend going to the beach Marennes-Plage.

The Marenne Harbour

Marennes-Plage turns out to be a small beach community with restaurants along the beach. I manage to spot a nice seafood restaurant and can get my hard-won Gillardeau oysters. Extremely nice.

Finally. Some extremely nice Gillardeau oysters as reward

It is getting late so I bike off so I can get through the forests when there is still light and I arrive to Royan well after midnight to return my bike.

Returning the bike in the middle of the night

Getting back to La Rochelle is a nice sailing trip in light winds and the “Capitainerie” in the marina directs me to a perfect spot. This marina is the biggest I have ever seen – over 3000 berths and a forest of masts. A number of shops, restaurants and facilities nearby and a nice beach on the ocean side.

The huge Les Minimes marina

The beach next to the marina

Time to dig a bit deeper into the city and buy some stuff that I need. I decide to take the recommended city walk where you get a map and you can follow a trail with descriptions of what you see.

City sightseeing

As I like to climb towers – I get very pleased when you get a ticket where you can climb all three of the towers at the entrance of the old port. In all of the towers there are also exhibitions so this will take a while. The first tower is the chain tower where they used to pull chains between the towers to close the port. You get a good view of both the town, the port and the entrance.

The harbour seen from the chain tower

The Saint-Nicolas tower seen from the chain tower

Next tower is the Lantern Tower that looks like something picked from Disney. The view from the upper platform is great and I stay for a while.

View towards the Lantern tower

View of the marina from the Lantern tower

After a lunch in the harbour, I climb the third and oldest Nicolas tower that have a great view over the town and the harbour. It also gives a nice view of the lively and good outdoor bar Belle du Gabut.

Belle du Gabut

There are a lot of restaurants but I got a recommendation for the blue boat in the harbour that honestly looked like a fast food shack. Very basic in terms of tables and glasses but great seafood to a very decent price in an unparallelled setting in the old harbour.

Fresh oysters in the old harbour

The blue boat

I decide to get a beer in the nice outdoor graffiti bar Belle du Gabut with an alternative setting and good atmosphere. After enjoying the scene I take a walk on the streets of La Rochelle and enjoy the street life of this nice city.

The Belle du Gabut outdoor bar and restaurant area

Street life

I spend the last evening on a restaurant on the beach next to the marina. Having mussels overlooking the sun set over the ocean feels like a worthy last day of this nice visit to La Rochelle.

Last evening restaurant view

I get restless sometimes and after some days fixing the boat in a hot La Rochelle, I decide to get some wind in the sails. As Birgitta and I sailed from Île d’Oleron to Rochelle, we passed Île-d’Aix and there were a number of free visitor boys so I think that if I am lucky I can grab one of them this time. If not – I go back to La Rochelle. The holding ground should not be good and the currents are strong so I rule out the anchoring option. As I arrive, there are a number of buoys still free and I take one of the outer ones so I stay afloat regardless of tide. Time to do some exploration again!

First day, I do a quick visit but is not sure where to put the dinghy so I return after a quick look at the Fort de la Rade and the city. The weather is nice and I am securely tied up to a buoy so there I decide to stay overnight and come back tomorrow.

The main street Rue Gourgaud going north

Main street towards south

This island has historically had a strategic position in the inlet to the naval centre Rochefort. The island hosts two forts – one on the south side and one on the north side. They formed a line of defence together with the forts on Île d’Oleron, Fort Boyard, Île de Ré and on the mainland. Now it is a calm and very relaxed island with no car traffic. Oysters and Mussel beds are everywhere and there are some nice beaches.

My decision to stay is rewarded by a nice sunset over the fort on the island and with Fort Boyard in the distance.

Fort Boyard in the distance

Sun setting over Fort de la Rade

Second day, I launch the dinghy again and set course towards the large beach where I thought I could put the dinghy aground during low water. However, the bottom is muddy and not nice so I decide to try the quay where I find a place to tie up and let the tide do the rest. Sometimes, the tide comes in handy. You drag the boat so it lays still and stay for a while until it is completely dried out.

Sometimes, the tides is great. Leaving the Dinghy securely for a couple of hours

I wander along the streets in the small sleepy city that is waiting for this days delivery of tourists from the nearby citys. It is nice to stroll around in the Fort de la Rade on the southern side of Pointe Saint-Catherine and have a look over the sound to Île d’Oleron and enjoy the good looking and original lighthouse installation. Strolling through the streets gives a peaceful mindset which I can understand would not be the case in the vacation period when this city must be flooded by people.

The fortress Fort de la Rade in the southern Pointe Saint-Catherine

Fort de la Rade

Overllooking the west side of the island

The lighthouse on Pointe Saint-Catherine

First stop is to get large fresh oysters directly from the sea with a view of the oyster beds.

Oysters at the Oyster farm.

Overlooking the oyster and mussel beds in the eastern bay

No cars on this island except for the fire brigade

The island is not large so I take a promenade around it and I do a visit to the other fort on the norther part – Fort Liedot. This is a heavy battery fort and as usual I am happy that I was not born as a French soldier who had to build and live my life on one of these stone fortresses.

The Fort Liedot on the northern part of the island

Fort Liedot

The more rugged northern beaches

The sandy beaches on the west side

I even manage to squeeze in a galette before it is time to return to the dinghy before the tide comes back in. I get a very nice evening in the boat with the sun setting again and it feels like life is very, very good.

Back in town

From Bordeaux, I decide to rent a car to go to Cognac. The morning is filled with logistics of returning the keys to the host, finding the rental location, doing the contracts and finding the car and document the previous damages. Why is the car rental process still so tedious? Is it done on purpose to get you to sign all the extra fees? Should be a straight process after booking the car online. Anyhow, I get a nice C4 with GPS, roll out of Bordeaux in sunshine, and reach the small town of Cognac in the afternoon. I check into the nice but odd hotel I booked on the main street. Time to explore a new town!

Place Francois I – city center

The Saint-Léger church

The city gate by river Charante

As it is afternoon, I decide to visit the Cognac museum first and try to find tours the next day. I stroll down the city, through the city gate and reach the river Charante where the museum is located. It is a nice small museum in a nice building describing both the city and its history briefly as well as give introduction to the Cognac houses and production.

A wine press in the Cognac museum

Old production

I plan to visit two houses – Martell and Otard based on the thinking that Martell is a major brand and must be more “industrial” and Otard since I learned at the museum that this family of Norwegian and Scottish ancestry bought the castle where the French king Francois I was born and lived.

Before the visits, I take a promenade through the town, see the nice public garden and the city hall and take a detour to visit Remy Martin. They had a very nice shop with extremely nice Cognacs – the most expensive at 22000 Euros but no tasting.

Taking a walk

A Remy Martin for 22000 EUR

Nice old monastary yard

The public garden

The city hall

Nice work in public garden

Next stop is Camus which is the only family owned house left. The lady in the shop is knowledgeable and nice and let me do a tasting of all of their different Cognacs. Just a small sip and even if their XO is nice, I fall for the Ile-de-Ré Cognac where the grapes has been growing on the island and matured on the island and refilled in another vat and matured again in Cognac. The island cognacs have a taste that goes better for me so I buy a bottle.

Lineup of the Camus cognacs

With perfect timing I reach the Martell house just in time after having a galette at Creperie l’Olympia. I start to grow an addiction to these filled pancakes. The Martell tour is what I expected. Professional, well planned and with a tour through the site and ended with a tasting of the XO and the Cordon Bleu.

Display of grapes and different soils during Martell tour

The Cognac districs

Display of blending process at Martell

Right after that I run down to the Otard house down at the river and come just-in-time for the tour. Completely other setting. We are four persons on the tour and the guide is both knowledgeable and shows a lot more passion for the Otard cognac house, the production as well as showing the castle. I get to taste the VSOP, XO and even the top 1795. Very nice Cognacs and good setting.

The nice entrance to Otard castle

View of River Charante from the Otard tour

The ball room in the Otard Castle

Otard storage

After the tastings, it is time for a promenade by the river through the Francois I park which is a large green area by the river.

River Charante

The White house

View from the bridge towards the town and Otard Castle and Hennesy next to each other

Walk in the park

Walk in the park