Le Depart

After a couple of ‘false starts’ we finally had a ‘weather window’ where the winds were relatively favourable for at least 3 days, the seas not too high and the skies clear!  We were set to leave La Rochelle on Wednesday 11^th June, one day short of 5 weeks since our arrival.

While the time has flown by, I wonder how we managed to take quite so long getting the boat ready.  We had been warned repeatedly in cruisers’ forums, by other yachties, and people in general that we would probably be in La Rochelle for at least 4 weeks after the official handover.  Although Tad brought many of his tools, as well as various supplies for the work he needed to get done on the boat, inevitably there were items that he required.  The nearest large hardware store (similar to Bunnings/Masters) was a 15 minute drive away or a 20 minute bus ride (the bus station was a 15 minute bicycle ride away); this meant that the trip required planning but also meant that while Tad was at the shops, no work was being done on the boat!  Of course there were also multiple daily visits to one or another of the chandlers, marine electrician supplies, etc. as well.

We were glad that we had had three prior visits in which to visit La Rochelle and that we had already done the ‘sightseeing’ part.  My almost daily visits to the markets meant that the vendors I frequented were starting to recognize me and making suggestions.  One of the vendors, a wine merchant named Louis, was wonderful about recommending local red wines for us to try.  In the end he was kind enough to deliver a 6-pack of each of our two favourite wines to the boat before we departed!

Another ‘favourite’ vendor was the supplier of ‘chichis’ (an extruded donut-type snack served coated with sugar or nutella) – this lady, seeing that I had a bunch of rhubarb in my bicycle basket one day, asked me what I was planning to do with it.  I explained to her my rhubarb-apple crumble dessert and she said it sounded delicious!  I made the crumble a couple of days later and took her a small portion to try.  On subsequent visits she told me how much she had enjoyed the crumble and even gave us some extra ‘chichis’ as a gift.

Patrick  (Tad’s youngest son)left us to head home via Paris and Madrid on Wednesday 4^th June – he had come to stay for 3 weeks in between the end of his Uni semester and the start of summer school.  We had organized for him to fly home from Madrid as we were certain that we would have left La Rochelle and be on our way to Bilbao or further along the North coast of Spain.  As the time drew close for his trip home, and having seen nothing of Europe, we encouraged him to have  a couple of days in Paris and then a couple of days in Madrid prior to flying back to Kansas City, Missouri.  We missed his cheerful face and of course his invaluable assistance one he was gone, but it was fun having our first visitor on board Bisou.

Tuesday prior to our departure was spent running around doing last-minute things – for me that included getting a hair cut and colour ‘refresh’, legs waxed and stocking up on foods for the passage to La Coruña.  For Tad it was last-minute preparations for the boat and  saying goodbye to the chandlers as well as Aussie friends we’d met while in La Rochelle.  We had one last pizza dinner on Tuesday night and headed to bed for a timely wakening on Wednesday.

Wednesday dawned clear and sunny with a slight breeze.  After fuelling up Bisou (EUR 450 later!!!) we headed out of the marina and to the passage between Ile de Re and Ile d’Orleans.  Even at 10am there were plenty of boats about – no doubt taking advantage of the lovely day.

We were finally on our way!

A beautiful morning to depart La Rochelle

                                                            Leaving La Rochelle

                                                              Out of the harbour

Heading out of the marina