Adios España, Bonjour la France
We left Barcelona just before daybreak on our first cruise of the season. We were hoping to make our way up the coast to France within the week. While in the US this past winter we had filed for a long-stay visa in France. In December we attended an interview at the French Consulate in Seattle and received our visa just a few days later. Our plan is to spend the summer in northern Europe, cruising in the North Sea and the Baltic. Rather than wait out the rough winter seas of the Atlantic, we’ve decided to transit through France on the rivers and canals to reach the English Channel early in the season.
Admittedly we both had some trepidation casting off after being away from the boat for 3.5 months. But, like most things, it all came flooding back. Everything went smoothly as we slipped out of the harbor and into the morning light. Nothing will ever diminish the sight of the sun magically appearing above the horizon across a vast sea.
We had chosen our departure-day well. The seas were calm and the day rolled by uneventfully. I watched the passing ships and the birds diving for fish. We arrived in Palamós, Spain just before dusk and watched the sunset and the moon rise on opposite sides of the marina. We disembarked and strolled around town as evening set in, enjoying the exercise and stopping for dessert and a complimentary “whiskey cream” before falling into bed.
Another long day of cruising lay ahead. We would be entering France today in the small village of Canet-en-Roussillon. As we approached we were followed into the harbor by a French Customs vessel. A few minutes later three customs officers arrived in an inflatable rib and boarded Meraki. One officer searched the boat - peeking into all the cabins, lockers and cabinets, as well as the engine room AND the bilge. Another scoured our transit log going back a full two years, while the third questioned us regarding his findings. “Where were you before here? And before that? And before that?”. In the end, they explained that they would provide us with paperwork showing that we had been inspected but that it was entirely possible we would be boarded again. The whole thing took over an hour, and they were quite chatty by the end, asking us about Alaska and the landscape and wildlife there. Thankfully they finished just before dark.
Mandatory first breakfast in France.
The wind kicked up during the night and the seas were quite choppy the next day. We headed out for a short hop further up the coast. Our French visa would begin in a few days and the closer we were to the mouth of the Rhone River the better. The wind was blowing off the shore and we decided to stay close to shore where the waves were a bit smaller. About an hour later we were hailed on the radio by the local coast guard. They asked how many people were onboard and if we were okay(?). We said we were fine and they wished us a good voyage. We thought it was very odd. Tom thinks they were just bored. Perhaps they called because we move so slowly and were the only boat out on a choppy winter day. Whatever the reason, it was comforting to know we had been noticed.
In any case, a couple of hours later we found ourselves in the village of Gruissan. We side tied at the Main Office and were given a charming welcome by the Harbormaster. I did some house cleaning, boat chores and a load of laundry and later that afternoon we walked into the old city.
Gruissan sits in the heart of the Regional Natural Park of Narbonne, a nature park that covers 80,000 hectares (197,000 acres) alongside beautiful sandy Mediterranean beaches. It encompasses a diverse landscape of lagoons, salt marshes, vineyards, and rocky escarpments.
The medieval village of Gruissan is flanked by two salty lakes with the ruins of the Barberousse Tower proudly standing at the center. Originally built in the 11th century, the castle and tower served to defend Narbonne from pirates. The village streets were built in concentric circles around its base. From the top of the tower hill you have a gorgeous view over Gruissan, its narrow streets and tile roofed fishermen’s houses. Between the sea and the mountains, off in the distance, you can see the expansive salt marches.
I loved Gruissan and can see why many cruisers winter there. It has a friendly, easy going, small town feel. The beaches, lakes, vineyards and rocky mountains are gorgeous and it is just over an hours drive to the big city of Montpellier.
Montpellier is where we were headed, just six hours further up the coast. We were hoping to stay a couple of weeks there. We needed to do some boat maintenance, find a couple more French Waterways guide books and we also hoped to find an accessible language school to learn a few basics of conversational French.
Finding a berth can be tricky this time of year. The marinas tend to be full to capacity with boats for winter-long moorage. It is still quite cold, in some places there is no water available on the docks during the winter, hence very few folks are actually living aboard their vessels. We did secure an affordable berth for one week with both water and electricity included.
La Grande Motte is a popular resort town near Montpellier built ~50 years ago. It is characterized by it’s white, pyramid shaped apartment complexes which are visible from miles offshore. The planned community is built around extensive natural beaches and includes the marina, a camping area, numerous large parks, and lots of sports and leisure services. It may not be the most spectacularly beautiful town, but I find it curiously captivating.
That’s it for this week. Time will tell where we end up next week.