Pornic

(The editor is actually doing this bit of the blog for a change)

We were heading for Pornic next to meet up with Mick & Anne-Marie, who you will remember from previous blogs. In order to get into Pornic you have to get there around high water so either early morning start or latish arrival.

We left at 0500 and did a quick three and a bit hour sail.

When we arrived Brian the YM examiner was there to take our lines, no pressure ….. He said I was taught by an old pro-that’s no way to talk about the Balmer! We met his wife, Liz and then they headed off back north.

Mick and Anne Marie were on the next pontoon and invited us around that night for drinks (sound familiar?) It was good to see them again, since we had completed a lot of the early part of this trip sailing together, and were looking forward to it.

We were hungry and knackered so Louise cooked up a quick omelette for breakfast and off for a quick kip, before exploring ashore.

Pornic has turned out to be one of my favourite places, it has a mediaeval feel mixed with the South of France, and a cracking beach just minutes from the Marina. We have decided to stay a few days before heading off to Ile de Yeu and then Sables D’Olonne where we hope to meet up with big Alec of Northern Ireland fame, who was part of the wooden top crew, i.e. me & him on Kevin’s “Krystal” a couple of years back.

I hope I haven’t included too many pictures , we have taken quite a few !

We are off to the restaurant below tonight as Louise has hankered after Moules et Frites since coming to France

and then meeting up with Anne-Marie and Mick to celebrate her birthday, although we are probably all suffering from the last 2 night’s celebrations of meeting up again on Camira & Fleur!

We went to the local beach for a lazy day the next day. 

and then the next day a walk into the neighbouring village Sainte Marie and back via the other side of Pornic, about 9 miles in total.

It’s no wonder I wanted to visit the “Cave au Vin “on the way back.

Since we reached France I wanted to be able to get the fabled wine out of a hose pipe et Voila!

It is now Saturday and the worsening weather has kept us here, but I can think of worse places to wait out a blow, just so we are not totally peeing you off with pictures of sunshine here’s one of today spent inside the boat catching up on the blog and reading because its blowing a hoolie.

Looks like we will still be here tomorrow, but we think it is market day so we will dander along there to see what that’s happening, I hope Louise doesn’t end up buying a cow to wash, she’s been practicing her French again !