Tour de Grussain & surrounds

Hello from Frontignan!  We've just spent a week in Grussain because of a rather fierce tremontane - 7s and 8s (gale force) for 48 hours easing down to 5s (still unpleasant) for the remainder of the week.  But on checking the forecast yesterday, there was a window of opportunity today before another arrives tomorrow!  We're glad now that we didn't continue further south as we would've been well and truly stuck there for, probably, another week.  So here's a round up of the last few days:

Friday 23 August - Grussain
Whilst we enjoyed last night's reggae band we thought a week of that type of gig would be too much as we were metres from it so we managed to move to the other side of the marina where we could listen from afar.  However, the nearby restaurant had nightly entertainment of the Eurotrash type.  The entertainers were on a rota and by the end of the week, First Mate was caught singing the 'Monsieur President' song - time to move on!  We also managed a quick visit to a nearby 'caveau' - a wine cellar where you can taste and buy wine direct from the producers.  This is the type of quantity Skipper & First Mate would be interested in!

Cave de St Martin, Grussain - now that's what I call bulk delivery!

Saturday 24 August - Grussain
The tremontane arrived in all its glory.  Our wind speed registered 35-40mph with occasional 42+mph gusts.  The winds were so bad overnight that we moved to the saloon and slept there on the double bed.  The sound of the water around the aft cabin was more than the usual gentle lapping and we were moving around despite Skipper's doubling-up of stern lines on our Med mooring (nose on pontoon and aft tied on to an anchored buoy).  The sound, too, is awful - like howling banshees.  As mentioned before this wind has been said to send people mad!

Skipper lassooing a second stern line onto the buoy from our boarding ladder

Sunday 25 August - Narbonne
With the tremontane in full swing we decided to head inland.  We took public transport, passing numerous vineyards (growing Corbieres, Fitou and Muscat) and olive groves en route to the ancient town of  Narbonne, home to the Roman road 'Via Domitia' built in 120BC to carry goods from Italy to Roman Spain. 

Skipper at the remains of the Via Domitia, Narbonne

The town is also home to the fabulous 13/14th Century Cathedral de Saint-Just et Saint-Pasteur.  In the grounds of the Cathedral is the beautiful Palais des Archeveques (Archbishops Palace), who were real powermongers and had feudal rights over coastal navigation.  The Canal du Robine runs through the centre of Narbonne and connects with the Canal du Midi as well as the Mediterranean and Bay of Biscay which is how it became so prosperous.  Believe it or not, we became quite nostalgic when we saw a lock on the canal - clearly 219 was not enough!

Canal du Robine, Pont de Liberte and Cathedral

The beautiful Canal du Robine

Tuesday 27 August - horseriding

We'd arranged another horse ride at a nearby centre but on arrival we were told that there was no booking in the diary - despite Skipper having a 10 minute chat with someone at the stables on their mobile.  We showed the receptionist our mobile phone log and, sure as eggs, their number was there but was not on their mobile phone.  Not a problem necessarily but we were told we wouldn't be going around the etang as discussed.  What is it with the French horse set??!!  We will try one more time in Le Grau Roi further up the coast before calling it quits. 

We also heard from Alan & Jackie on "Splodge" that they'd arrived safely at Valence for their winter mooring.  We do miss our friends and Frontignan is not the same without them. 

Wednesday 28 August - Spa treat @ Grussain Balneoludique
First Mate was feeling decidedly under par: a combination of being stuck in Grussain marina and its nightly Eurotrash entertainment plus the howling tremontane so she booked a half day treat at a nearby spa - the lovely Balneoludique.  It was just what was needed: a series of warm baths (saline, a bath with the anti-ageing element of wine - hiccough! - and a music pool) plus jaccuzis, steamroom, sauna and hammam and an outdoor pool with water jets that move you around the pool - fantastic fun!  Plus a sunny, outdoor garden and, to top it all, an hour's relaxing massage - fabulous!  Being an ex-massage therapist it was interesting to see the different techniques used and I came out of there feeling revived.  Check the link: http://www.gruissan-mediterranee.com/univers-balneo/balneo-hd

Thursday 29 August - Grussain to Frontignan
Taking full advantage of the lull in the tremontane we got off to an early start (casting off at 0730) for a 6 hour cruise up the coast to Frontignan to get us around the Cap d'Agde headland and into a sheltered bay.  Remember - we still get Mistral here but nowhere near as regularly as the tremontane further south.  We had a fabulous sail (both sails up) in the run up to the headland, after which the wind died down but that was fine after the last week's gales.  We were welcomed back into the marina by Pascale in his trusty reception boat and the Capitainerie were pleased to see us back.  We've yet to see France's most animated barman, Fabienne, but maybe tomorrow.  So, we're pleased to be back and are looking forward to a couple of weeks' sailing further east along the French Mediterranean.

Miles: 33 (952)

So pop pickers, until the next post - over!