Fizz in Royan

30/07/2009 by admin.

Yesterday we sailed from La Rochelle to Royan, a distance of 53 miles. It took a little longer than expected as we had to wait off the entrance to the Gironde river for the tide to turn. The wind picked up during the day, and was blowing force 5, over 25 knots, by the time we got to Royan. The marina at Royan is right in the middle of the town, with a row of shops and restaurants on the boardwalk at the end of the pontoon. Wiffy , while not available in the marina, is available at the bar at the entrance to the pontoon. Any excuse for a drink. The waiter, a tad eccentric, speaks very good English,far better than my French, so it looks like this will be our base while in Royan.
We were woken this morning to what sounded like a cat being slowly castrated. It subsequently turned out to be the guy on the neighbouring yacht doing some violin practice. I only hope his navigation is better than his musical skills. In spite of this, we will probably spend 3 nights here, before heading back to La Rochelle.
Royan is a very popular holiday resort, with miles of sandy beaches and plenty of shops and restaurants. The architecture is very 1950’s, with very few old buildings left, primarily due to heavy bombing by the Brits in 1945. In spite of this it is a very attractive town with plenty of parks and open spaces. We had a long walk this afternoon to what turned out to be the best mini golf course we have seen so far. In spite of Stu getting 3 holes in one, his consistency let him down, and age and experience won over. Claire’s Mum’s birthday is today, so we will be singing happy birthday over the phone to her later.
Off to the beach tomorrow, weather forecast looks good. It’s a tough life out here, but we are stoically pulling through.
Chris

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