36. Domestic affairs

CAMPING TY-COËT - SURZUR, FRANCE

I knew, quite early in the day, that the big challenge was to be my attempt to make this blog interesting - such was the day.

Audrey started the day constructing icing mice with the materials gathered during yesterdays shop.  I stayed clear but she had a willing band of helpers, my sage advice being follow the instructions.  I was roused from my search for tomorrows camp site by the wailing and gnashing that is uttered by any enraged chief it was too thick so I added some water and now you have to go to the shop and get more icing sugar!  Half a kilogram of icing sugar having been consumed at this point. I declined and toughed it out.  In time Audrey's Café  opened and all was relatively calm again.  I took little notice as my search for campsites was not going well and it had already consumed about two hours.

The chief, Audrey's Café

My campsite challenge is thus

1. I set the search for <€25/night so that thins things considerably
2. It is now October and most campsites have closed
3. Many campsites do not take tandem axle caravans and it would not be an easy argument to make, turning up with the Giantavan
4. Pitchup is good but the pickings are lean
5. ACSI is also good
6. I seek places of interest rather than rural solitude.

The exciting news is that Jennifer is joining us for a few days, tomorrow, flying into Nantes, her old stomping ground, her birthday also tomorrow.

Not from the Hobby catalogue

Cliental waiting for the café to open

The afternoon was filled with four loads of washing as the camp laundry is only ten metres away.  The tedious part of this is that all the beds have fixed walls on three sides and four of them are bunks.  As I write, I am sitting under masses of washing, the heater turned to thirty degrees and the skylight open.  This is possible as the Giantavan has sliding doors between the living room / kitchen and the bunk room so the heat is contained.  There is also a second sliding door between the monsters and the virtuous, whichever side you are on.

On late enquiry I discovered that the local café had only served, for lunch, a range of biscuits, cheeses and morsels, generously coated in white icing.  Note to self be suspicious when all seems to be going smoothly and quietly.  They did manage to consume all the icing which is impressive. Audrey accommodated her diabetes by not eating at all which is why she was the nominated chief.

Iris did not bring her calculator which she needs for Mathsbuddy so I was delighted to get a lime green issue of the venerable of the Fx-92.  It's a Spéciale Collége from the Intermarch while getting the provisions for dinner.  Keys in French!

35. Aft burner

CAMPING TY-COËT - SURZUR, FRANCE

After a particularly late start for the five remainers with, for the first time on this trip, me being last to rise. Fyfe was impressed that French Tooth Fairies pay two Euro per tooth which is impressive however by coincidence, I didn't have a one Euro coin either. Not even attempting to do much today as it is also looking to be wet.  Fyfe tackled the mountain of dishes which is certainly appreciated.  He is of the opinion that I am a shoddy workman and the only solution is for him to do it.  An attitude and opinion to be cultivated.

A big morning of homework ensued, with remarkably little fuss with three of them doing a good session of Mathsbuddy all morning and Audrey embarking on some original poetry.  Bit shocked actually - where did these kids come from?  I am completely out of integrity when I pontificate on the importance of school work. 

One giant leap for this man though
one infinitesimal step for mankind.

In the meanwhile I tackled our pathetic gas stove, the left rear burner having being out of operation since we adopted the Giantavan as it had the frustrating habit of internalising the flame.  Turned out to be a ten minute job finding blocked jets and now all three burners have a vigour that will require some recalibration on my part when cooking.

Mid afternoon we headed out to a large auto supplies shop in Vannes. The local garage had confirmed, by phone, that they had a range of microswitches suitable for arming the external lockers on the Giantavan.  Turns out that Mr Cleese was not original and must have visited a supply shop in Brittany himself for inspiration and exasperation.  Tonight I ordered the switches from Amazon, for delivery to sister Elizabeth, Holyport, UK.

Went for a bit of a drive around the Gulf of Morbihan and though I had my nose pressed to the glass, wipers flailing, recognising that these waters would be ideal for boating the kids tired of it though were enjoying the latter halves of Swallowdale audio book.  At ten and a half hours long it is giving us a good yarn though the Brexiteer will be annoyed to miss its second half.

Even the insects are different

34. Tax avoidance

CAMPING TY-COËT - SURZUR, FRANCE

Fyfe is pleased with his Towse lad cast off shirt

Another tooth to be cashed

After I staying up half the night doing battle with Air NZ, BA transfer flights from Nantes to LHR and accommodation Jac spent the day alternately packing and repacking while I watched the day slip away.  We departed for the airport employing our time old strategy of leaving at the last minute minus sufficient fuel to make the trip without stopping, our ETA only sixty five minutes before the flight departed.  

Turns out there were no services in the sixty five kilometre range that we had for the one hundred and five kilometre trip.  Not a problem except the first station which was only a three minute deviation off our route turned out to be a truck stop which only took some fuel card.  The second, now with six kilometres range left, involved crossing the motorway and reversing our track for a couple of kilometres.  The crossing back following fuelling was via a tiny tunnel which I doubt the Disco would have made sans the dinghy on the roof.  Much reversing up a winding lane and then driving the wrong compass course on country lanes to find a motorway crossing.  Fortunately the gods were smiling on us and the flight was delayed.  

Air bladder trampolines are always a hit

There was almost a riot amongst the crew when we screeched to a stop in the disabled parking next to the terminal, jettisoned Jacqueline and denying the children intimacy or farewells.  As the chorus of disapproval was just about to reach its crescendo I mentioned that maybe a visit to the golden arches was in order and, Mother forgotten, we made our five minute journey in peace and quiet then returned home contented listening to the Swallowdale talking book for the ninety minute journey.

Jacqueline arrives Saturday, junk arrives Monday. When customs clears Junk,  Jacqueline signs something showing she is in NZ thereby negating GST being charged on the value of our household goods (exported from NZ two years ago) and she can return to continue our European tour.  Crazy having to cross the world for such a reason.

33. More East than South

Camping Ty-Coët - 38 Rue du Bois, 56450 Surzur, France

Decamped to the next place of note as circled by Tim in our Atlas.  Even though we mostly packed last night we were slow away as the fog was slow to clear. Weather was fine, the fog was internal, something to do with being late to bed then clicking off the alarm before properly rising at seven.

Took Douglas' advice and wrapped the jigsaw puzzle that Jac moved forward considerably after the kids went to bed, in Glad Wrap (cling film).

Spent the evening battling Air NZ and Expedia sites in order to get Jac back to meet our clobber in NZ.  Not easy but done now.  She departs for London tomorrow from Nantes, Thursday, late, then for NZ, Thursday. Phew.... what a waste of resources all round, but there we are. 

32. Regroup

Manoir de Penn Ar Ster - La Forêt-Fouesnant, Finistère

Boat returns to its spot.

Lovely morning, spent some time chatting with fellow campers Jeff & Andrea.  Felt obliged as they lost a good chunk of yesterday dealing with this complete muppet staying at the campsite who self harmed yesterday. Least I could do, as they say.

Admin day, trying to sort how best to get our junk into NZ without being copped for GST.  Jacqueline is going to return later this week in order to sign.  What a silly world we live in, full of fish hooks.

Finally managed to get a round of tennis with Jacqueline on the camp court, the children discover the delights on old Giles cartoon books, the family is 100 pieces into a thousand piece jigsaw, Jacqueline poring over said jigsaw as I write, watched two more Darling Buds of May  episodes and smiled when I saw Roman averting his eyes when ever there was intimacy on the screen.

31. Shucking oysters

LA FORÊT-FOUESNANT, FINISTÈRE

High tide, four thirty, determined to sail, its been too long.  I'm going to walk down with the boat and go for a high tide two hour sail as the estuary totally empties at low tide.  Really excited though it does mean walking right through the middle of the village, with boat.

My planned walking route with the boat

Impressive range of food

Being Sunday, we stumble onto the market when heading to the patisserie, oneish. It's great and we shop like Seppies.

Concarneau beacons, it's in Tim's circle on Ed's 1970s road atlas - must be worth a look ......... turns out it was a second gear look, didn't need first gear, nothing looked that interesting so we headed back to our beach with all the beach paraphernalia.

Arrived beach, de-car-ed, chose a spot and it was chilly eighteen degrees.  Found ourselves back at the camp within an hour of leaving.  Never mind, all the more time to get set up for a sail, really excited (as previously mentioned).  

While mis-rigging I remember the half dozen rock oysters I had purchased at the market and sensibly get a bread and butter table knife as the last thing I want to do is slash myself like a foreigner on holiday and then spend the rest of the day at AnE!

I happily rig the boat, glad there are no onlookers as I am experienced enough to know that one should always pre-hoist sails so that, in the unlikely event of a miss-rig, things can be organised before hitting the water, better drowned than duffer as they say.  

1. Tried to hoist the jib with the spinnaker halyard
2. With rig tension applied discovered that the forestay was around the mast
3. After jib tensioned, discovered jib halyard was wrapped around forestay
4. Difficult to hoist main, discovered after capsizing boat that halyard had fallen off masthead pulley
5. Difficult to hoist main, discovered that halyard was wrapped around spinnaker pole base
6. Difficult to hoist main, discovered that luff lashing was around spinnaker pole mast clip

The great thing about doing it at camp is that nobody will ever know, apart from me, what a complete duffer I am and better drowned.

On my fifth oyster the knife slipped and, crikey, don't let the kids see, rinse it under the tap, ask for a sticking plaster, there is no bloody way I'm not sailing.  Jeff our neighbour wandered over to admire my Team NZ competence, and suggested I show my finger to Andrea, his wife, who is a nurse. She'll be right mate, I said with a rye smile, and carried on, smirking at his doubtful looks.  For some reason a couple of minutes later Andrea happened to come over for a look and at that point, while re-tensioning the main halyard for the third time, (bloody duffer), it is possible a little blood oozed out of the pathetic sticking plaster wrapped in three circuits of elastotape and smeared the mast and dripped a little - my goose was cooked! 

I don't think I uttered much when the Beterdine was applied, got a twenty minute ride in Andrea's cool Smart car, discovered that Nitrous Oxide is like having about four quick Chardonnays on top of each other and learned that I was not to get my finger wet for a week ! Bloody duffer, should have drowned!

30. Feels like summer

La Forêt-Fouesnant, Finistère

Campside 200m behind top of snap

Beside the estuary

Trente jours on the road today.  No mortal wounds inflicted (I missed), all present and accounted for.  Yesterday's delight was a email from our removals company stating that as we won't be living in NZ when our personal effects (junk) arrives back in NZ on the twenty third, said junk will be valued and we will be charged GST and any duties applicable on the total value. Wonderful, it never ends.  Seems the only solution is to export wife as well..... Stand by for updates on that one.  As I only read the email, Friday evening I will have to wait to evaluate options when Kiwi and Pommie offices open on Monday.

Single handers

High tide was at one thirty today so I popped down the road a couple of times prior to see if I could sail from the village, walking the boat from the camp.  Doable but limited sailing, two hours either side of high tide.  Also did some research on Wifi repeaters as the current system on having only one device at a time is driving me nuts.  Looks like this one is a good option.  Readers opinions and advice appreciated.

Family explore on bikes, having a look around the estuary.  Today felt like summer, twenty two degrees and that lovely summer smell in the air, warm trees, grass etc.  Lovely bike track skirting the edge of the estuary to stumble upon one of the biggest marinas I have ever seen, including, what I assume are Vendée Globe boats - very impressive.

We biked to the coast and were absolutely dumfounded - beautiful, with a gentle warm breeze.  After an hour we biked home, via the patesserie and returned with togs and beach paraphernalia, staying till six.  Certainly was a treat as we weren't expecting beach life till way further south.  Many boats sailing, keen to join them.  Watched a couple of 49ers making a hash of it but then they are dreadful boats. Helped drag them up the beach, couldn't believe the weight.

We have two more nights here then we might try the beachside camp.

Watched Darling Buds of May tonight, children totally charmed by Ma and Pa Larkin.