“Christmas festive season in France”
2021 Is our very first ever Winter Christmas!
Thanks to COVID & the NZ government's MIQ system making it very difficult to go home, we are staying in Europe for Christmas. On the bright side sometimes not having a choice in what we can do is okay, even though we will miss our family terribly Marcel & I are determined to make the most of our first and most probably last winter Christmas.
While out walking a few weeks ago through a park where the contractors were busy putting up Christmas decorations it hit me how lucky we are to be able to spend this, our very first winter Christmas in Europe, putting aside COVID and all it entails. Every day it seems we experiencing the European Christmas spirit. Here is our winter Christmas wonderland itinerary packed full of Christmas markets & beautiful places to see while cruising down the Rhine.
Trading our summer Kiwi barbeques for Christmas markets, Mulled wine & Rudesheimer Kaffee
For a couple of Kiwis that live in Auckland NZ and have spent most of our NZ winters holidaying in warm countries, it has been quite a big ordeal preparing to stay for an entire winter here in Europe. Just to understand how cold it really is going to be and what type of clothes we need has been quite stressful. Thanks to helping from friends, family, and Google hopefully we are prepared to venture outside over Christmas and experience the best of the Christmas spirit, so looking forward to the Christmas markets and everything that our river trip has to offer.
Christmas preparations in Les Sables
The festive season here Les Sables has been fun to watch, each day while out walking more and more decorations have been put up in the streets & parks, the decorations are taking over the streets which is great as it helps to take our minds off the sometimes wet cold miserable weather. There is also an abundance of brightly decorated Christmas trees, in the parks, lining the streets, in the shops, it really is Christmas tree mania here.
“Our first-ever winter Christmas market” Small and buzzing with Christmas cheer!
It was such a thrill to go to our very first Christmas market here in Les Sables. We didn't even let the cold & drizzle stop us from going back for a night visit. The market was super busy and stunning with the castle lit up in the background. Even though only people with COVID passes were allowed to enter the market and masks were mandatory we decided to go back the next day when it wasn't so busy to buy more Christmas presents. The castle is a maritime museum and was open with a very interesting display of old and new seafaring technology.
An update on “Kiri Maia2”
Most days our daily walk takes us past the Lagoon yard & pier. This month Christmas madness seems to have arrived, the Lagoon yard and pier have become a hive of activity. With boats, yes more than one are arriving every day. It's amazing how quickly the finishing work is carried out, the boats are then put into the water and the delivery crews arrive to sail away in them. At this stage, we have been told Kiri Maia2 is still on schedule to be delivered at the end of January. Let's hope any possible COVID-related hold-ups don’t intervene before Kiri is handed over to us.
How has COVID affected us
Up to now, we have kept pretty much to ourselves, everywhere we go we wear our masks use hand sanitizer & keep our distance from the people we come in contact with. Now that we are leaving the comfort zone of our apartment & Les Sables and will be in contact with so many people we will defiantly have to be even more careful, as there is a lot of countries we are planning on going to for the Riverboat cruise and our trip to Greece and back.
For now, we are looking forward to,
Enjoying site seeing in Paris, our Christmas riverboat cruise & then a road trip to Greece to pick up our gear that was left in storage from when Kiri Maia one was packed up & sold.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
Karen B.
“The Mercy”
A lot of us will have watched the movie “The Mercy” based on the true story of the disastrous attempt by amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst to compete in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in 1968.
Saturday afternoon surprise
25th October, I was so pleased we decided that for our Saturday afternoon walk we would head down to the marina and walk along the only pier that pedestrians can go on. As we met Ertan Beskardes on his boat “Lazy Otter”.
Simply by offering for Marcel to give Ertan a hand with a job that required two people we had a few incredible days with Ertan. Learning about the ins and outs of sailing in the Golden Globe Race that is due to leave Les Sables d’Olonne in September 2022.
Marcel & I were taken completely by surprise when Ertan offered to take us out on Lazy Otter & even more surprised when Marcel was given the helm on our very first trip out of Les Sables d’Olonne harbor into the Atlantic ocean. For me, it was very exciting having the opportunity to be on a yacht that is going to sail around the world in the famous Golden Globe race. As for Marcel, it was not quite as exciting as he discovered that helming a long-keeled yacht while motoring is not easy especially when it came to docking it back on the berth. Lazy Otter was determined not to go where Marcel wanted her to go, it took quite a bit of maneuvering by both Ertan & Marcel to dock her on the pier.
The Golden Globe race is defiantly not for the faint-hearted - non stop sailing around the world
The Golden Globe is a solo, non-stop around the world race via the five capes without modern technology or the benefit of satellite-based navigation aids, the skippers will be using a sextant on paper charts. Competitors must sail yachts similar in concept to Sir Robin Knox’s 32ft vessel Suhaili. The competitors that have entered the race will spend around 250 days at sea and are only able to sail into port twice to drop off video footage in Cape Town & Hobart Australia without stepping on land. Unlike the movie “The Mercy” competitors don’t have a radio phone enabling them to call friends and family. However, the contestants are able to occasionally talk to loved ones using a Satellite phone.
Safety is paramount
Ertan has spent months & months getting Lazy Otter ready for the race including many hours of sailing in accordance with the race entrance rules. All entrants are tracked 24/7 by satellite, but all competitors will not be able to interrogate this information unless an emergency arises.
Preparing food for a possible 250 plus days at sea without being able to stop for more.
Imagine having to plan all your meals without being able to stop for provisions along the way. When we met Ertan he was experimenting with eating different types of freeze-dried foods that are available. His general opinion was eating the freeze-dried food while sitting on the boat in the marina is really difficult as it doesn't taste very nice. All though when you are at sea and are cold & hungry most things taste great. Ertan also has to carry enough water for the entire trip, even though it is possible to collect rainwater along the way.
My thoughts on the Golden Globe race
By spending time with Ertan, Marcel and I had a wonderful opportunity to learn more about this famous sailing race first hand. By spending time on the Lazy Otter & going for a cruise out into the Atlantic Ocean in quite a rolly sea, we were able to imagine what Solo sailing around the world sometimes in atrocious conditions no mod cons or technology would be like.
Our conclusion - it is defiantly not for us. Even though I am aware that Marcel & I will be sailing in some not ideal conditions in fact for me some very scary conditions we will be in the height of luxury compared to the Golden Globe sailors.
Note: for this blog, I have written it in regards to our time spent with Ertan Beskardes, with some information taken from different websites about the Golden Globe.
Blog by Karen
Les Sables d’Olonne France, will be our base for the next few months while we continue to wait for Kiri Maia2.
Marcel & I are very fortunate to have found a comfortable sunny one-bedroom apartment with a reasonable-sized living kitchen area and a small balcony with views over the marina. This great little apartment will be our base till we move onto Kiri Maia2, all going well Mid February.
As to be expected the waiting is not always easy. Especially as we don’t speak or read French, also we don’t really know anyone except for our newfound family Greg & Virginie it’s a shame they live so far away as we really enjoyed our time with them.
Funnily enough, going back to Greece felt a bit like going home, as we were used to the language, customs, and the sailing environment we were living in and there was always plenty of English-speaking people for us to talk to. Even the set out of the supermarkets where products are located & the packaging on the groceries was familiar. So coming to France has been a bit of a challenge. Who would have thought grocery shopping could cause so much anxiety that quite often I would give up and leave.
Creaming the 10,000 steps a day challenge we have set
We have settled into a daily routine, of which walking to various places takes up a lot of our time as we are now car less. The daily challenge has become to achieve 10,000 steps. So far the weather has been very kind to us sunny not too cold and very little rain so it hasn't been a hardship to spend a few hours out and about exploring Les Sables. To add to the excitement of our regular shopping ventures to the local supermarket a five-minute walk away, once a week shopping is combined with a trip to the laundry to dry our sheets. While the apartment has a very efficient small apartment-sized washing machine there isn't a drier and the balcony isn't big enough to hang the sheets on.
Shopping mania
Prior to returning the rental car, shop till we drop, was our motto, slowly each day more and more purchases were stacked up in our apartment. Before heading out each day quite a lot of research went into figuring out where to buy everything. Just like Greece, it was not always obvious which shop stocked a particular item we were after. For example the Webber barbeque, this was purchased from “Darty” an electrical store even then Marcel had to ask as they weren't on display. Lucky for us Darty also sold all of the essential electrical items required to get us back to Greece, best of all Darty had very friendly staff that could speak some English. The staff seemed delighted to see us each time we arrived at the shop, we are very happy with our purchases especially a TV which Marcel has managed to connect to his phone so we can watch Netflix & YouTube on a big screen instead of my very small tablet.
No car, but we have super cool e bikes
So far not having a car hasn't really bothered us, especially since we purchased our super cool Orange & Electric Blue fold-up Eovolt bikes, enabling us to travel further and quicker than walking does. Mind you this probably won't be the case once winter sets in next month. Marcel is very happy as our apartment is within a short walking distance to where Kiri Mia2 will be delivered and launched. So far Marcel has been able to organize with the local contractors most things we need to enable us to set sail and make our way back to Greece.
Time has raced by since leaving NZ
So much has happened since leaving NZ on the 25th of August, arriving in Greece being back on board Kiri Maia even if it was only in Cleopatra's yard, finally meeting Mark & Stacy - so looking forward to sailing with them next year. Finalizing the sale of Kiri Maia, a relief for us all. Our road trips to spectacular Meteora and the lovely seaside town of Patras, then a second road trip to the Peloponnese Olympia and Delphi.
Finally 7th October, it was time to leave Greece & set up home in France. Leaving Greece caused us quite a lot of stress as the night prior to leaving a major storm hit Preveza with torrential rain and high winds. Then as we were getting ready for bed our phones blasted out a warning alert from the Greek Government, I have to say the alert scared the living daylights out of me, my first thought was oh no we are in “Alert Level 4” and won't be able to leave for France tomorrow! Fortunately, this wasn't the case it was just a storm warning, and everyone needed to batten down the hatches.
Cute town quay Ambracian Gulf not far from Preveza View from our apartment in Les Sables d'Olonne
On 7th October 2021 we said goodbye to Greece & hello to France. In all the excitement of finally moving onto the next stage of our adventure towards setting sail on Kiri Maria2, we forgot how challenging & unsettling moving to a new county that we hadn't been to before could be!
The first of many issues upon arriving in France was not having a French sim card!
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Great site guys, love reading all about your adventures.
Kaz