Week 10

A nice relaxing week without drama.

Day 64 – Friday 11^th May 2018

Walked to Port Grimaud to buy a new hat, a boiling hot day and I was jiggered by the time we got back.

Spent the rest of the day in the shade by the van reading and chatting to our new neighbours. They have been retired for 18 years so it’s no wonder they can handle the lunchtime rosé.

Day 65 – Saturday 12^th May 2018

Beautiful morning so we headed into Saint-Tropez for the market and for a nose around.

After eating our lunch on the sea wall we headed off to find a good beach. The beaches around Saint-Tropez town itself are pretty awful, small and stoney, so you have to go a few miles south of the town to the Plage de Pampelonne which is about 3 miles long. The top end, Tahiti beach, is the most famous probably because it is nudist but it’s not so great; too much dried seaweed for me.

We ended up towards the middle just by Le Club 55 which is a very swanky open air restaurant.

If you only drink tap water you can probably have a nice lunch there for €100 each. This being France the only thing on the menu a vegetarian can eat is the Frites and they’ll set you back €13.

There are lots of other beach clubs on this section of the beach and you can relax on a sun lounger with a parasol if you’ve got €20 to spare.

I put in an hour or so on me tan.

Day 66 – Sunday 13^th May 2018

It rained during the night and the forecast is for more rain. A day for Netflix and the kindle.

Day 67 – Monday 14^th May 2018

Bit of a cold morning, went to the beach to look across the bay to Saint-Tropez. The church bell tower in Saint-Tropez is its stand out feature and I want to get some close up photos and video of it with my drone.

It’s about an 8km flight there and back across the bay so it should just be doable on a fully charged battery. The problem is there is helicopter traffic in and out of the town so probably best if I launch it from the citadel at the back of the town. I need to do a reccy.

To Grimaud for lunch at the restaurant that was closed a few Saturday nights ago.

I was starving so we went to Le Clems. Not much on the menu for a vegetarian. I settled on omelette and chips. It wasn’t great.

Julie had the gratin fruits de la mer which she loved.

I’m not eating out in France again. They may be very good at fancy French food but they are useless at anything else.

After lunch we walked up to the local windmill

and I hiked down a valley to see an ancient falling down bridge.

Day 68 – Tuesday 15^th May 2018

Bit of a chilly morning, we went to Saint-Tropez, me to reccy sites for launching my drone  and Julie to roam around the shops.

I found a great place to launch my drone. It’s a bit public so I’ll have to do it early one morning.

We had lunch at the harbour wall. What did I say about not eating out in France yesterday? Today I bought a sandwich and chips from a busy kiosk at the market square and they were so rank I ended up binning them.

Back at the van I set about programming the bell tower mission in to my drone.

Day 69 – Wednesday 16^th May 2018

Into Saint-Tropez for the start of the Fete Patronale et Traditionnelle de Saint-Tropez. The tourist office promised us a march and some gunfire!

As we were a little early we popped into Sénéquier, Julie had a coffee I had a small bottle of water, €20! But I have to say nine times out of ten this place is rammed.

While we were at Sénéquier two helicopters flew through the route I’d programmed into my drone for the bell tower filming. I think it’s about time I gave up on getting some close up photos of the bell tower, I wouldn’t want to injure anyone plus I don’t think my travel insurance will cover a bringing down a copter.

The march was a load of French blokes in period military dress playing pipes & drums and carrying muskets. They marched all round town.

Then to the square outside the Hotel d’Ville.

They marched around the square for a while and then proceeded to fire their muskets into the air, about 70 of them. It was bloody loud and the buildings shook. After about 5 rounds of this and with ringing in my ears I’d had enough.

Day 70 – Thursday 17^th May 2018

May 17th is Saint Tropes day so into Saint-Tropez for another parade.

Saint Tropes was beheaded in 68AD by Nero and his body was put in a boat along with a dog and a coq and set adrift in the Mediterranean. Eventually he was washed upon the shores of Heraclee (the ancient name of Saint-Tropez)

The parade seemed to include half the town dressed up in traditional costume. The locals who weren’t in the parade were dressed in red and white, the colours of the town’s flag. It was quite a sight. The parade itself must have been over half a mile long.

17th May isn’t only Saint Tropes day…