"Mmmagg"ic!

The "agglomeration" includes the city and out towards the seaside resorts. A nine-day stay in beautiful weather cemented Greyrocks' affection for the place, and even sent us on some property-related research! Ruth made some more attempts with the bicycle but made little progress, so Bob did the daily ride to city or sea alone. At the campsite the outdoor unheated pool remained filled and in use for several days. and we were told we were lucky to have the luxury mobile home as the accommodation was full. Ruth did some long walks, and - of course - we used the trams! Early on we took the local line to its terminus in Perols and walked into Carnon on the coast, where we had a light lunch by the marina, and then found a bus back to the tram-stop, and we went twice to our favourite - Palavas. 

Hanging around in Palavas!

Once was on a glorious Sunday afternoon, when it was heaving, and once later in the week when we managed to catch the tail-end of lunch at the fish-stall and enjoy a small selection of seafood with Picpoul. The beach in town has been "tarted up" somewhat and is in superb condition. There have been changes in the shops and eateries on the two river banks and some of the sillier water activities have arrived, but essentially this is a modest resort. However, last year on French TV we saw a "reality" programme about policing it in high summer, and know well that for us it is an off-peak treat!

Bob almost walks on water

We went several times into Montpellier itself, of course! Once for an evening music gig, once for the cinema, and once just to wander around! There are so many parks, historic features and new striking buildings and installations that we never tire of this. We came upon a plaza with twenty or so busts on plinths representing victims and heroes of the Revolution; we walked round the Jardin des Plantes; and we viewed the developments at Port Marianne. We had hoped to repeat an evening last year when we visited Pleine Lune to see a great band, and preceded this with a Moroccan meal nearby. The same 10-piece band played and was great fun, but the restaurant we had liked so much was inexplicably closed, so we ended up in a brasserie so full of atmosphere we didn't mind too much!

By the second weekend the weather was turning a little so it was time for M's other great attraction:- films in VO (in our case English!) This year the most attractive proposition was "Victoria and Abdul" - given an odd title in French of  Confident Royal. We went to an afternoon showing and noticed that the restaurant opposite where we have often had the "menu with cinema discount" deal has closed and is now railway-themed and the discount virtually phased out, so another "end of an era" for Greyrocks! 

A nice surprise 

But never mind - after the film we went up "Charles de Gaulle" and discovered it was en fete! There were numerous stalls selling and celebrating local (largely "eco") food and drink. Soon we were sitting in a marquee with a plate of beautiful oysters from Bouzigues, black bread and some Picpoul! Further on we found a series of display pens with goats, chickens and pigs. Next day was our last and we marked it with a very meaty meal at La Boucherie! 

Foodie heaven must be something like the South of France!

Exodus

.. same old basic route home: - a new set of glitches!

Ancona to Lattes again!

We have recently left Lattes Camping Le Parc, enjoying ten days of most unseasonable weather and treatment as valued clients!
The journey there took us five days:- going at our Greyrocks slow pace.

We left Paleo on a dull but dry day but as we came "over the top" on our northerly drive the rain started and we spent the afternoon on the Nea Hora in Chania not sunbathing and swimming but looking out from the window of Akrogiali over a seafood salad and wine. (So 28th September was the last sea-swim of the season for us!). Bored, and worried about the security of fully laden Yvette we moved on to Souda Bay and sat in a bar until allowed to board. We were given a good cabin and largely lurked there as it was chilly outside with little to see in the dark. It felt like it was time to head for sunnier climes. But we did do the "gyros and beer" thing on the pool deck, and in the morning we were off in an efficient manner and facing the long day till the next voyage.

Not for the faint-hearted at 7am!

We've cracked it! At last we have managed to get out of Piraeus and onto the Corinth road without mishap! In fact we were on said road and metaphorically patting ourselves on the back by sunrise. Phew! With a break at a service station, the wonderful new toll road, a further break by the sea and a small section of roadworks at the entrance to Patras it was going well. We just had to kill the day! So we went to see if the delightful (and generous) Yacht Club Bar might have re-opened. It hadn't!  So we spent a while in one of the trendy places nearby and then decided it was worth going to the new ferry port where we knew a mellow bad within the fortified precinct. Unfortunately that has now turned into a dull branch of Everest, and looked most uninviting! So the time was killed and lunch consumed in the terminal building, which was OK! We also went in search of products containing mastic from the island of Chios. The reason will be revealed later  - and anyway we failed!

Our vessel for the voyage back to Ancona was the same as going over, so we knew its strengths and weaknesses! We somehow managed to jump the boarding queue when they saw the bikes and we were required - as before - to remove them and go down two decks to the bowels (and indeed the stern-most position with its implications for next day)l but with a ridiculously small number of car travellers we got a free upgrade in cabin to consolidate us, and the evening sailing was like being on the Marie Celeste! We ate in the a la carte and chose the wrong dish, slept through the embarkation of many more cars and passengers in Igoumenitsia and treated ourselves next day to some internet time to get some jobs done! The weather was a bit grim! We were only a little late docking and on the way downstairs we crossed paths with two young stowaways of Asian heritage racing up from the vehicle decks. They may well have been the ones we had seen in Patras frantically trying to find an accessible truck - such desperation, and such grim prospects!

In contrast we had two nights ahead in rather nice Italian hotels doing remarkable deals for Autumn midweek stays. But first we had to get going! As anticipated it was a very long wait until our turn to drive up the ramps, re-load the bikes and leave the ship, but was still light, but by the time we had crawled to the autostrada it wasn't! And then it started to rain so it was as well that our target in Imola was easy to find.It was a comfortable stay and an interesting meal that merited a Booking.com entry! (we are Robert from Spain!)

Then it was back onto the autostrada and round Bologna, one of those ghastly Italian service stations with good panine, improving weather, a few roadworks causing confusion near Piacenza and gliding into the Grand Hotel Arenzano in its prime seaside location and with its grand history. We had stayed in a motel a few years ago and so know this is a charming resort with good eating. We gained early entry to a sea-view room, but saw the 1-Michelin-star restaurant and also knew we wouldn't be eating there! We did a serious promenade walk in the sun and by the time we had been given generous titbits in two different bars, we decided to people-watch instead and took back a bottle to the room. Next day we had an experience that also led to a Booking.com review, but hey!

The next stage started with poor visibility, but when we emerged from the last Italian tunnel near Ventimiglia the bright sun shone and so it did for almost the rest of our time in France. We made an overnight stop in Aix-en-Provence at the largest Campanile we have seen. It was surrounded by large schools and colleges and was heavily fortified so we decided not to attempt exploration of the area and instead rested in the bar with a half of Prosecco! This - as our first day back in France  - mirrored our first on entry back in June when we celebrated the near-defeat of the Tories in UK! This time we were marking - perhaps - their continued chaos and humiliation. We had a decent Campanile meal finishing with the leftover patisserie we had been given with the fizz.

The final stage of the exodus should have been easy. We trundled on down the autoroute expecting to get to the campsite before the staff lunch break and with a chance to buy cheap supermarket diesel. We know exactly which exit is best for Lattes, but we had forgotten about the diversion of the A9 around Montpellier that has been in construction for many years. Way before any familiar junctions the yellow signs started to tell us us about the A709. With hindsight it is perfectly clear that we needed it, but we ignored it and stayed on the A9. We also now know that would mean a length of 23km on the new bit and no chance to change your mind! Ideas of early arrival were replaced by anxiety about fuel and annoyance with ViaMichelin which did not seem  (unlike Google Map) to have updated. The new section had opened on May 30/31st - not long after our last stay, and we had not been near on the UK-Crete run as we went East for Switzerland! There are some great pictures  here of the grand projet.
Greyrocks just had to carry on almost to Sete and then return on the N road via a petrol station. Back in Montpellier we got swift puncture repair to Bob's bike at Decathlon, had a nice lunch, did the shopping and went to the campsite when they re-opened. Karma returned eventually!

"You win some...."

Late September is a lottery! Here are some ways in which Greyrocks has been lucky or otherwise this time:
1. Weather
Of late there have been incidents of heavy rain around the middle of the month. This year there was none - even when threatened in the meteo - and there were heavy black clouds over the mountains. In fact until this week the main climatic features have been three day long heatwaves and then very strong winds and rough sea. There were many days that were a delight on the beach, even if it got chilly late in the afternoon. But we have learnt over the years that in late September:

You never know when you are having your last swim of the season in the sea!"

It looks as if it will turn out to have been on Thursday 28th! Ruth only enjoyed the latter half of the afternoon, but it was bliss :- with a "millpond" sea. Bob had been there all day and had several swimming interludes. Then - as well-presaged - came Friday and Saturday, which saw winds up to Force 6 Beaufort  and very cloudy skies, The beaches remained deserted. (Greyrocks collected and deposited for storage their sunbeds yesterday from a deserted beach!) As it happened we had enough end-of-season tasks to take our minds off it!

The plan had been to have a sunset leaving supper for ten at the cantina on the Friday, but it slowly became clear that this wasn't going to be a good idea! (Cold, damp, a rocky beach to be negotiated in the dark and the sea lashing well past the normal extent!) So we changed venue and booked a table at the Porto Fino, cautiously requesting to be inside. That was lucky:- the evening was foul and half the village was after an inside place to eat!

Today we start the exodus and  may - just - get some beach time in Chania before the evening ferry, Watch this space!

2. Last Suppers and so on
We leave on a high in terms of food! After the final teetotal dinner at home we worked our way through favourites: like succulent steaks at the Crocodile or soup and pork at Tassos, and then abandoned the normal Thursday abstemiousness 
 in favour of lamb on the spit at "The Brothers". We were there early and on arrival Adonis told us we were lucky as every portion had been pre-booked by the previous evening! It was perfect  and we were pleased we had taken our own Tesco Mint Jelly as an accompaniment. We do this discreetly as this is frowned upon by the family ("Why are you putting jam on our beautiful meat?") We had just finished when Nick and Claire approached with friends ready for their lamb, so we offered them the jar rather than binning it. This caused peals of laughter; but we think they felt lucky too!

Wednesday was our last chance for music at Monica's, and as it will be closed from next month it was important to us, but it with inclement weather, smoking and noisy Austrians we weren't sure it would be a good experience. It was World Tourism Day and there was video of Cretan dancing outside the Town Hall along with folk queuing for the free food, so when we got to Monica's we found that Mats ans Yianni were playing inside, where it was warm, devoid of gabblers and (in theory) smoke-free. We had a great time and amongst the numbers were two from Loudon Wainwright III!

Yes-  they are all in our dictionary!

3. A winning streak

Ruth ha been playing Scrabble and cards every week trough the season, and until late September had never won a game! Olga is Scrabble genius and usually wipes the floor with the rest of us, but somehow Ruth won one of the two games in two consecutive weeks. In part this was owing to Olga's "Irritable Vowel Syndrome" bad luck, but hey!
This Thursday in the final game of the season Ruth had the lousy luck, trying to make the first play with: AAAUJZV, and it went down hill from there!
In the penultimate game of predictive whist she also had her only victory and has the score sheet to prove it!

Well, that's Summer 2017 gone! Enjoy the song!