Tour de France
Marseille to Argelés-sur-Mer
July 2019
The terrain makes a dramatic and immediate change west of Marseille… the mountains give way to the Rhone River delta. Flat and wide…
Saites Maries de la Mer sits on the edge of the sea between the Petite Rhone and the main channel.
We called the marina on to alert them of our arrival; then entered the small man made harbor… we circled several times looking for the dock hands. No obvious suspects in site. Frustrated we gave a shout to a couple of guys who were less than ‘conspicuous’, their arms crossed and chatting. They acknowledged us and gave a quick wave, pointing us to an impossibly small inlet…
We should have known better than try the turn. It was like putting a square peg in a round hole… we didn’t have enough room to turn, at least not our old school long keel ship with no bow thrusters. A french kiss; anchor to anchor, aghhh, we retreated. Kathy was ready to pack it in and find another port but Jim was confident that they would find an appropriate berth. And they did. With sufficient turn space, we slipped in to the new spot and secured the bow… the aft would be another matter. Because of the space constraints of the harbor and the multiple passenger ferries, the marina doesn’t use laid mooring. They have posts to tie off to at the stern… Coming from the US, we had a small advantage with this method… It took a couple of ‘practice’ tosses before Kathy roped the post, securing one of the aft ends, followed by applause from Mark and Nicole! They spoke English, so of course had to invite them over. 
Our planned one day stop turned into multiple days due to the friendship we established with the crew of Eos, Mark (Belgium) and Nicole (South African). They were instrumental in providing directions, translating and camaraderie.
Sainte Maries has a lot to offer.
The Sanctuarie des Saintes Cathedral is home to the 3 Mary’s… Mary Magdalene, Mary Salome, and Mary Jacobe the Black Mary. Each spring a festival is held in their honor, founded in part by the local Gypsy community. The Mary’s (statues) are escorted to the sea to commemorate their purported arrival on these shores via boat.
The church has a shine dedicated to the Black Mary… whom they have dubbed a Saint.
A few gypsies can be found around town throughout the year. Looking much like an american hippy; a bit of a bohemian look, many have dreadlocks and tattoos.
We spent an afternoon on the beach, something we NEVER do, enjoying the sound of the surf crashing and a dip in the sea.We
We rode the bus to Arle’s, the closest big town. We weren’t able to explore too many of the old builds, many of the public spaces were being used for an international photo exhibit with a hefty entrance fee.
Fortunately, there was plenty of street art; posters made from exhibit photos and sculptures around town.
Vincent Van Gogh spent a considerable amount of time in this area. Reproductions of his work can be seen everywhere.
We returned home via bus, 1euro each…
Exploring the nearby Parc Natural Regional de Camargue required transportation to and from. Options were safari tour ($$$$), scooter rental ($$$), electric bike rental($$), pedal bikes($)… or foot(free)…
We splurged a bit and choose electric bikes. A quick lesson of how the bikes worked and we were off for the days challenge. A few clouds overhead were quite welcome, the temps in the upper 80’s. It didn’t take long for us to get lost, so we altered our route and meandered along the country side locating the proper trail still early in the day.
The Parc and area is part of the Rhone River delta, 360 square miles. We kept the bikes in ‘eco’ mode providing just a bit of assistance while saving on the battery anticipating needing them for the return trip. The trail was hard packed sand and salt, though the safari vans chew it up a bit, enhancing the biking experience. Imagine sitting on a small, hard seat for a few hours while atop an out of balance washing machine…
We rode passed salt flats and mashes,
pink flamingos and
wild’ish Camargue white horses named after the Camargue region.
Quite a few a the black Camargue bulls can be spotted along the trail as well, thankfully contained behind large reinforce fencing. We were quite surprised to learn that this part of France participates in bull fights, to the death. The town of Saintes-Maries even has its own fight ring…
We stopped for a snack near Méjanes…and inadvertently discovered that the next day there would be a free horse show followed by a ticketed ($$) bull fight…
We returned, following the designated trail… bikes in Turbo mode. The road was noticeably rougher on the return trip, our tender ‘undercarriage’ feeling every bump, rock and divot. With the battery assisting us, we reached speeds of 15-18 kph on the rough gravel and easily did 25 kph on the paved road.
We stopped for lunch and a grocery run before returning the bikes.
FYI, battery assisted bikes are really heavy… and they go surprisingly fast … and if you hit the break while in turbo mode while turning, it might catch you off guard. But, if you are going to crash, why not do it with spectators… right? I believe the judges gave Kathy a solid 7 for crashing (no blood) in front of an SUV; and a 8.5 for spectator participation…. conveniently, it was right in front of the rental agency and better yet, the owner missed it all! whew!
We clocked 6 hours and 36 miles on the odometer.
Mark and Nicole were totally up for an adventure to Domaine Paul Richard and the horse show… none of us wanted to experience the ‘jeux taurins’ French bull fight (to the death) however…
Mark figured out an ingenious way for get to the show… We first caught the bus, rode for 20 minutes to the bus stop nearest to the show area. We then needed to walk the rest of the way… hopefully only 3-4 kilometers… But, the ‘girls’ thought maybe some kind soul would pick us up if we hitchhiked… after only a few steps, a young gal picked us up… and, she was going to Domaine Paul Richard where she worked!… woohoo! we piled in the car and thanked her profusely… the distance on the long side of 4 kilometers… 
The first show was just getting started when we arrived, so we quickly found seats in the arena. Lorenzo was practicing for the featured show that was the main attraction of the day for us.
Lorenzo is known world wide for his horsemanship skills and highly trained Camargue Horses.
We watched multiple events featuring men, women, and youth events. Showmanship. Riders side saddle. Free style riding, Traditional herding… a french wild west show
Lorenzo’s show began at noon near the adjacent lake. The arena began emptying, heading to ‘sea’ … Thousands of spectators filled in around the field for the show. The first part was a demonstration of traditional herding. . As the time neared, a cloud of dust began rising from the stables… dozens of la vachères (cowboys) herded a small band the white horses along the shore and through the creek near the crowd then back to the stables.
Another group brought in the ‘wild’ bulls, stopping short of the crowd, then herded them back to their holding pen.
Another cloud of dust rose off in the distance. Lorenzo and his team of 12 were entering the show …
They cantered along the shore, through the creek and into the arena, Lorenzo standing on the backs of two from the team. 12 abreast, the horses circled, jumped and wove in and around the obstacle course. Lorenzo continuing to stand, alternating horses for differing stunts. Lorenzo need only to whistle or gesture, the horses clearly understanding their task.
A fantastic show and completely free! We did leave a few euros at the bodega… cold beer on a hot, hot day is quite refreshing.
We next needed to acquire a ride back to the bus stop. It took considerably more effort to convince someone to give a lift to our sweaty crew of 4…. too many for most autos that already have 2+ passengers in a 5 passenger car. Manuel, having an empty van was quite happy to give us a lift. He deposited us at the bus stop / hotel / restaurant and he joined us for beverages. He told us he is from Portugal and attending the show because he breeds horses… the ones used for bull fighting. We returned to Saints Marie followed by a late dinner with Nicole and Mark.
We had such a fantastic and unexpected stay in Saints Marie… Mostly because of Nicole and Mark. Without them, we would not have known about the bus to Arles (it’s not posted on google maps) and we certainly wouldn’t have been able to find a ‘short cut’ to the horse show…
And, of course, they were fantastic company!
But, we had to depart sometime… so the morning of the 21st, we set off again heading west, moving closer to Gibraltar, the Atlantic and beyond…
We spent a very roll’y night at anchor off Étang de Pierre Blanche. A nude beach. Jim swears there was no ulterior motive for choosing the bay….
While there we received one of those calls…. the kind you’d rather not but need to know about. Kathy’s mom Helen, broke her hip and fell. In that order…She had ‘Life Alert’ and was able to request help. She was transported via ambulance to the hospital and later received a new hip… a companion to her other new hip from two years ago… she’s pretty darn tough and doing well, now in a rehab center until she’s able to be on her own again…
Anxiety coupled with the dreadful rolling of the boat motivated us to get an early start … The days journey was short but soon after setting our course, fog surrounded us… Jim activated the fog horn, a blast every 2 minutes per coast guard requirements. All 4 eyes scanning the sea which had melded into the sky, looking for hazards through the mist. 2.5 hours later the coastline finally reappeared with the sun beaming overhead.
Agdé sits approximately in the center of this area along the Mediterranean coast which is in the Provence region and the Gulf of Lyon. It is a flat, wind blown parcel of land dozens of miles…
There is a very small conspicuous fortress at the harbor entrance, and a relatively large hill backdropping the village. Agdé, was very clean, as is all of France. Very little litter, few dogs and no cats… We spent a couple days here, waiting for another weather window. We enjoyed dinner out before leaving… both opting for Margret de Canard … Duck breast. Absolutely one of the best things France has to offer…
Port Lucate was 2 days into the 4 day festival celebrating Saint Jauques… Imagine our surprise when the harbor tender approached us while sitting in the cockpit with a bottle of fortified wine, offering us each a sample… get the glasses!
We checked out the shopping area and the chandleries the next day. Returning home completely soaked because the EU is dealing with another heat wave…. Showers followed by take out rotisserie chicken and veggies, and a nice glass of local wine… then, Fireworks! Happy Saint Jaques day….
A quirky note about this stop… the north east harbor has a dedicated marina and housing complex for naturists (nudist)…. 20,000 inhabitants!
They probably don’t have too many clothing boutiques in their shopping district….
Another weather system was due in two days… so we moved a few miles west to Port Argelès.
The Pyrénées mountains end their journey here, slipping into the sea. The coast is quite dramatic; the flat delta butts up to the steep granite slopes… Part of the drama includes micro bursts of winds known locally as Tramontane….
July 26
Our first Tramontane occurred soon after arriving. 50 knot winds, rain and hail; large enough to break through a small ridged plastic window in our bimini and it put pock marks in all of our solar panels and broke several pieces off out wind vane at the top of the mast...
We will try to replace /repair while in Barcelona where we will take a long break to enjoy the city and welcome friends aboard…
We will try to replace /repair while in Barcelona where we will take a long break to enjoy the city and welcome friends aboard…
A second rainy and windy day in Port Argeles… between rain showers we explored the port area. The night hours brought another stretch of winds and lots of noise. Fenders squeaking, line screeching and halyards slapping…
We hiked along the shore to the nearby village of Collioure. As the ‘gull flies’ only 1k… but with a craggy shoreline and a half dozen bays it was closer to 5k. A healthy hour of climbing and stumbling…
We lunched along the harbor canal at one of the numerous cafes… The heat of the day was setting in and the bus ride back at 1 euro sealed the deal for the return journey.
29th
We rented a scooter (125CC) the next day explore a few villages up the coast. We stopped a dozen times or more for photos at lookout perches, then again in the villages.
We crossed into Spain passing the defunct boarder station.
30
The winds were back as predicted so we stayed at home… reading and relaxing. Dinner out = canard…
Our final full day in France… We took the local bus (1 euro each) to Perpignan, inland about 30 kilometers… A very pleasant day; sunny but not sweltering.
Another Notré Dame (Our Lady) … Street art and sculptures, gardens and cafes…
A cafe lunch under canopies surrounded by olive trees. Seared tuna steak and filet mignon…
In France, a filet mignon is pork tenderloin… Apparently American chefs apprenticing in France returned to the US and dubbed tender cuts of beef as filet mignon… The French chefs must have been aghast…
Returning home, we made the boat shipshape for her departure tomorrow… As cocktail hour approached, another boat took the berth next to ours. Brits. We were soon chatting it up and sipping G&T’s on their boat. Much to discuss (commiserate) between Brexit, Trump and Johnson…
Next edition… Spain
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