cold welsh rain to warm basque rain

When chatting with new friends in a snug cabin , as cruisers do when they meet in some lonely anchorage, talk turned to that Holy Grail of yachting; a little known and un-crowded cruising ground with fabulous scenery and a fascinating culture. "Oh, it exists," they said,"it is called the Basque Country and it is tucked away in the South-east corner of the Bay of Biscay." We were immediately hooked. We set off to leave the cold rain of Wales for this quasi mythical place.

The Guggenhiem Museum Bilbao

San Sebastien Harbour

Basque Country

Bermeo Harbour

However, we were not going to make a dash to the destination and miss other interesting places along the way. First was the Cornish coast, that graveyard of sailing ships in the 17th and 18th centuries. Then the Jurassic Coast of Southern England where the science of palaeontology was born; and of course we had to visit our old haunts around the coast of Brittany and the French islands off the West coast that the French keep largely as their own holiday resorts. Finally, our destination would find us at the start of the Northern pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.

The full route can be seen by following this link to Google Earth, neyland_to_hondarribia_2011blog.kmz  make sure that you have the ‘temporary places’ box ticked when it is open. Clicking on the yellow push pins will open log entries. 

The 2011 Cruise

The plan was to take the boat out of winter storage at Neyland, Wales, work on it for a couple of weeks and then set out. Now the only sure thing about sailing is that things will not go as planned. When we got back to start work we found that mould had flourished over the damp winter and everything had to be cleaned and laundered. The second thing was that the man who had made custom stainless steel fittings for collection in the Spring had dropped dead and his workshop contents disposed of. Just to top things off,  health issues started to arise that reduced the work to a crawl. So our two week stay on a neighbouring sheep farm developed into a two month stay. However we learned a great deal about sheep along the way!

Working on the Topsides

The Welsh Sheep Farm

Some of the Sheep

Final Touches

 The Bristol Channel is like a large funnel with its open end pointing West to the predominant winds and storms so tidal ranges are great. The upper reaches become vast mud flats at low tide and when the tide comes in it can, quite literally, be like an advancing wall of water. This is the famous 'Bore' and Morecombe Bay is the site of the tragedy of the cockle pickers in 2004 who were cut off by the tide. Although there are many small harbours along the Somerset and Cornish coasts, they dry at low tide unless there is a lock gate, so our options were limited. We kept well to the Western end and crossed to Lundy Island then locked into Padstow before following the rocky and wild coast around Lands End to Newlyn.

The Route From Neyland to Falmouth

Passing close to the coast the derelict towers of the old tin, copper and lead mines are in view, very close to the cliff tops. Many of these mines went under the sea creating a need for high capacity pumps. It was this need that created the development of the first steam pumps whose successors went on to drain the polders of the Netherlands. A example still exists at Cruquius right next to the boatyard where we bought Enterprise.
The weather was fair so we could take the narrow passage inside the rocks called "the Longships' off Land's End. Like all such places timing is everything and it is not often that the  sea is calm enough to get this close to shore. It is easy to imagine what a terrible place it would be in stormy weather.
The evocative names that have been given to rocks and headlands over the centuries bear witness to this. As we turned the Lizard Point to run into Falmouth we passed the notorious Manacles Rocks, so called because in the days of sailing ships if you were driven into this area by a gale there was no escape, the rocks held you as in manacles until you drowned.

Longships Rocks

The Inside Passage Around Land's End

The Deadly Manacles Rocks

Safely past The Manacles we entered historic Falmouth Harbour. This is where long distance sailing ships would call to receive their orders before sailing up the Channel until the age of steam meant that they did not call any more. There were many famous events here; News of the victory at Trafalgar arrived here as did Charles Darwin returning on the Beagle from his famous voyage of discovery. In the Second World War the famous suicidal raid on St. Nazaire left from here.

The Beginning of the End for Napoleon

Where It All Began

Part of Monument to the St. Nazaire Raid, Falmouth

This Southern coast is an exercise in geology, progressing from the old igneous rocks of Cornwall in the West, through the red  Permian and Triassic  cliffs (where the first fossils and dinosaurs start to appear) to the Jurassic cliffs in the East. As you sail East along this coast the geology unfolds like a movie. This section of coast is the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site where the science of palaeontology started and where the 'Father of British Geology', William Smith found his inspiration.

Western End of the Formations - Triassic

Old Harry Rocks - Upper Jurassic

As the cliffs weather the fossils appear, making this a famous haunt for Victorian gentlemen searching for 'curiosities'. John Fowles set his novel 'the French Lieutenant's Woman' here in Lyme Regis in this era and when you sail into the harbour you may find her wrapped in a shawl standing on the end of the harbour wall (the Cobb) waiting for her lover to return. However, unfortunately it is not Meryl Streep but an employee of the Tourist Board!

The Cobb at Lyme Regis

The French Lieutenant's Woman

Further East we sail by Thomas Hardy country with green meadows sweeping down to the cliff tops and farms nestling in the rolling countryside. It is easy to Imagine that one of these is Bathsheba Everdene's farm in 'Far From the Madding Crowd' and the character walking among the sheep in the cliff-top meadow is Gabriel Oak.

Gabriel Oak ?

Bathsheba Everdene's Farm ?

Do not let the beauty of this coast lull you into a false sense of security; this is a dangerous coast if you do not do your homework and get it right because there are dangerous tidal races off all the headlands. At slack water (which may only be 20 minutes) you can pass close to them but if you arrive early or late do not even attempt it. We unexpectedly lost time in crossing Lyme Bay and arrived at Portland Bill an hour late. This meant that we had to pass 3 nautical miles off the point and even then it was pretty choppy. We finally completed our run up the Jurassic Coast in a crowded anchorage in Lulworth Cove. After three attempts to find adequate swinging room we anchored over a kelp bed and spent a sleepless night listening to strange noises from the kelp and worrying that the anchor would drag. In short, this is not the coast to explore at the height of the holiday season.

Lulworth Cove - Less Crowded Than When We Were There

Crossing the English Channel, or La Manche, is always an interesting experience since it involves crossing two very busy traffic lanes and arriving on a coast that has very strong tidal streams, so arrival times are critical. We have done it in rough weather, in fog and at night but this time the tides were such that we could leave early in the morning and arrive 14 hours later, crossing the traffic lanes in the daylight.
We arrived at the West entrance to Cherbourg Harbour, the second biggest artificial harbour in the world (1,500 hectares), after an uneventful crossing. It is always awe inspiring to enter the outer harbour which was designed for 80 warships to manoeuvre under sail. The outer walls alone are 6km long with forts along the way. It is a bit like a Russian doll with harbours within harbours, getting smaller and smaller. Unsurprisingly it was a key objective in the D-day landings of World War 2. Our destination was the third one in, where the Marina is located.

Cherbour Harbour from the East - Outer Walls and Forts

Chebourg Harbour Layout

Near us was a man who had just launched his boat that was going to participate in the race from Senegal, Africa to Guyana, South America. The twist was that this was a single handed rowing race that lasts about 40 days and takes place every 3 years. We had never heard of it, but it is part of the new wave of extreme sports.

He Must Be Mad

Pretty Small for a Transatlantic Crossing

His name was Remy Alnet and we later checked the results of the 2012 race but he was not mentioned so something happened to prevent his entry. 

After a break in Cherbourg it was time to start on the second leg of our cruise, travelling by way of the Channel Islands along the North coast of Brittany to Brest.

The Route from Cherbourg to Brest

Travelling West it is necessary to round the Northwest point of the Cotentin Peninsular a rocky headland called Cap de la Hague. This high headland is famous for having perhaps the biggest nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in the world. Spent fuel comes from all around the world to be reprocessed here and this is where much of the warhead material from nuclear disarmament ended up. So this headland is a hot spot in more ways than one.

Cap de La Hague Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Plant

However, we only saw glimpses of the plant; what concerned us most was down at sea level. Rounding this headland and heading South between the Mainland and the island of Alderney is very interesting and challenging because the tidal streams in the Alderney Race can reach 6 to 7 knots and when this reverses in each tidal cycle it creates extremely confused seas all around Cap de la Hague to Alderney. Timing and reasonable weather are essential.

The Cotentin Peninsular, Cap de La Hague and the Alderney Race

So the evening before the passage we sailed to the nearest anchorage to the headland, Omonville, and lay at a mooring to be in the best position to get the time right on the next day. The weather was marginal the next day but we thought it do-able and we set off. At the turning point off the headland the seas were big and confused, due to a strong wind against tide even though we had the timing right, but we thought that it would improve. 

The Little Russell Approach to St. Peter Port, Guernsey

It did not and continued rough all down to the Race to the Little Russell approach to St. Peter Port, Guernsey. We made slow progress such that the tide had turned and it was a battle, even on full throttle, to reach our destination. Even though the boat had been well battened down we had taken so much water over the boat that the bedding was damp. However, we were so tired that we hardly noticed it.

Two Bailiwicks

The Channel Islands, or more precisely the Îles Anglo-Normandes, are an anomaly. This archipelago of seven inhabited islands, totalling 198 square km, is neither part of France nor of the UK, but a dependency of the British Crown. They are not in the British Commonwealth or the European Union and have their own currency. Furthermore they have two separate jurisdictions, Bailiwicks, with their own legislatures and are quite independent of each other. They were famous as a tax haven and for other legal loop holes that encouraged business but much of that has now gone.
This odd arrangement came about through a quirk of history. Originally belonging to William the Conqueror they were never absorbed into his English lands but stayed with the Duchy of Normandy. In the following 500 years of wars between France and England they went back and forth, having a 200 year period of neutrality until the English Civil War, in which they backed the Royalists.

When the monarchy was restored (Charles II) the Bailiwick of Jersey  was rewarded with lands in the New World; hence New Jersey. We have visited most of the islands on previous cruises and this time just wanted to press on with our cruise to Spain.
We planned to make landfall in Brittany at the Lezardrieux River but the strong tidal currents were pushing us East and rather than fight it we decided to take the more adventurous route to the East of the Ile de Brehat. With the 10m tidal ranges in this area the landscape totally changes between high and low tide. When you look back at low tide you wonder how you ever did it!

Isle de Brehat to Treguier Challenge

Hard to Believe we Sailed Here

Agapanthes on Brehat

The islands here are known for their Mediterranean micro-climate and famous for the masses of agapanthes growing wild.
This coast is a cruiser's dream as long as you are prepared to be bold and do your homework. There are myriads of hidden inlets. Exchanging our plans to go up the Lezardieux River we opted for the next one, the Treguier, because of the challenge of getting there! It involves sailing precisely to a leading line through rocks and then through the shallow Passe de la Gaine before entering the Treguier River to arrive at the charming Town of Treguier.
This is rural France at its best and just to cap it all the circus had arrived in town and set up near the port. Many small itinerant circus are still around in France, like the markets that make a weekly circuit of small towns. To stroll the town, with its small shopkeepers and shoppers who still buy their bread daily and exchange gossip as they shop, is to enter a way of life that has largely disappeared from many countries. One can understand why the French so fiercely resist change; they know what they will lose.

Welcoming Committee at Treguier

Exploring Treguier

Travelling Circus

After a couple of days enjoying the town and stocking up at the markets when we came to leave we found that the rubber dinghy had acquired a puncture. This does not matter until you need to anchor and go ashore and then it is vital. We did not stop to fix it then but knew that it could be awkward later because we had to drop off a crew member at Roscoff, a harbour that dries at low tide. Thus we had to arrive while there was enough water to get up against the harbour wall to drop him off while leaving time for us to get out again. So suddenly we had a deadline imposed upon us.
We sailed West down the coast past Sept Iles, across Morlaix Bay and into the old harbour at Roscoff with about 5cm under our keel at the Harbour wall when the crew member jumped ashore. Backing off we just managed to get out of the harbour before the water was gone.

Roscoff Harbour High Tide

Roscoff Harbour Low Tide

The Bay of Morlaix has many small islands and rocks as it narrows to the estuary of the Morlaix River. This was an ideal pirate sanctuary before the days of buoys, markers and accurate charts, for only those with expert local knowledge could get in here. 'Pirates' is perhaps too strong a word, for these were entrepreneurs sailing under a 'Letter of Marque' from the King, known as Corsairs in France. This was permission to attack the King's enemies as long as the King got his percentage of the spoils. This was cheaper than having a large standing Navy. When navies were first established the Corsairs continued and King's ships still operated in a similar way by sharing the spoils. After a disastrous raid on Morlaix by the English a fort was built (Château du Taureau) on one if the islets to block access to the Morlaix Estuary. Many of the great houses in this area were built on the spoils of this trade.

Route from Roscoff to the Oyster Beds Anchorage

The plan was to go up the Morlaix River  to visit old acquaintances in the town of Morlaix but since the river dries out at low tide and the lock into the town's harbour only opens infrequently, it requires a little planning if you are not to end up laying on your side on the mud. Our plan was to anchor in a spot we knew among  the oyster beds and then go up on the rising tide to the first lock opening.

The Chateau du Taureau

The flaw was that we had to negotiate the perilous entry and find that spot in the dark as we were so late leaving Roscoff. The problem is that there are so many navigation lights and secondary channels that it is easy to get confused and find yourself going up the wrong channel.

Oyster Harvesting in the Estuary

The Morlaix River at Half Tide

Morlaix River at Low Tide

Morlaix River at High Tide

Morlaix - Worth the Effort to get Here

 The Western end of Brittany is another of those places with exposed, rocky shores and strong tidal currents that mean that you have to get it right. It is not called the Chenal du Four, the Channel of the Oven, for nothing. There are a string of lighthouses on the coast around here with some great videos of them.  , Phare La Jument,

Chenal du Four

There were multiple restraints to our next stage; lock out of Morlaix and get through the difficult passage to Roscoff in the daylight; pass through Roscoff Channel when there was sufficient water on an ebb tide so that the current would carry us to Aber W'rach, the last port before the Chenal du Four; leave Aber W'rach such that the tidal current would carry us down the channel, through the pinch point of St. Mathieu before it turned; then have a favourable current to get us through 'the Bottleneck', le Goulet, into Brest. All that with favourable winds and reasonable seas.

Morlaix River to Roscoff

The Roscoff Passage

Pinch Point and Le Goulet

It worked out that we would have to anchor in the the Roscoff Channel to get the tides right. The weather was not good enough the next day and we spent 2 days on the anchorage.
Aber W'rach presented an interesting situation for there is a short cut through the rocks that cuts off some distance. So should we take it? We had done it once before from the other direction but the passage is tricky and shallow so the tide must be right. We did not take it as the tidal state would be marginal, the entrance is difficult to find at the best of times and the sun would be in our eyes when we arrived. That is experience and what makes this type of navigation so interesting and rewarding.

The Short Cut to Aber W'rach

We were to pick up our son and granddaughter in Brest so we chose the old harbour rather than the new marina, which is some distance out of town. On arrival one crosses the military harbour with the U-boat pens in the background, and turns around massive harbour walls; it is all a bit intimidating but right in the centre of town.

Overview of Brest Looking West

The City Centre Marina

Our next leg was to pass out through Le Goulet then down to the extreme South West corner of Brittany and through the the notorious Raz de Sein  while we still had the ebb tide. It is always a thrill to pass this point for the trick is to position yourself at the right place at the right time and ride the current. We have done over 10 knots on several occasions and that feels very fast in a cruising sail boat.
The trick is to get well out in the centre of the channel to avoid being swept into the gap between the lighthouse and the headland. There is much folklore and videos of rescues off this point but the secret is to not let them freak you out.

Raz du Sein and the Veille Lighthouse

The Route from Brest to Ile de Re

The climate changes quite dramatically to a milder , more Mediterranean one, on the South side of Brittany which probably explains its popularity with British yachtsmen. Once through the Raz de Sein there is a convenient port, Audierne, before a long stretch of inhospitable coast that extends past the Point of Penmarc'h. Once round that and a whole string of delightful ports are in reach. We have never passed this point without porpoises appearing around the boat; we always take this as a good omen. On this occasion we pushed on to the walled town of Concarneau.

The Walled City of Concarneau

Moored under the Walls

We passed by many interesting ports and islands along this South Brittany coast calling only at L'Orient and Le Crouesty before turning South. This involves passing through the Quiberon Peninsular, an interesting exercise. It would be easy to while away a couple of months around here, and we knew what we were missing because we had been here before, but we still had a way to go and September was upon us.

In la Crouesty one of those occasional unpleasant events occurred that always leaves a bad taste. Four French customs officers descended on the boat at the dock and declared that they wanted to search the boat. It seems an invasion of privacy but that is the price you pay for being a free spirit in a boat. They even wanted to see in the water tank but when they discovered how much work it was they gave up! We were not unhappy to leave and head South to the  string off islands off the West coast of France; undiscovered gems that the French seem to keep for themselves.

The first island was Noirmoutier, a low sandy island where Mimosa blooms all the year round and whose main source of income has been from the salt pans. The best chefs in France will always have a supply of Sel de Noirmoutier on hand.
On leaving the port of L'Herbaudiere the engine overheated and we found that the pump belt was slipping. In trying to tighten it a stud broke off and we crept back to port with a wrench jammed in the bracket to keep the tension. Getting it welded was not cheap but only to be expected in such a remote place.

Salt Pans, Ile de Noirmoutier

Port Joinville, Ile de Yeu

The next island is the Ile de Yeu. Low lying and rocky it has been inhabited since megalithic times as witnessed by the standing stones. However, it was always an easy target for Viking raiders and later privateers. The fishing industry, for tuna, has withered away in recent years and the population has diminished as people cannot live on beauty alone.
Its most famous claim to fame is that it was where Petain, the leader of Vichy France in the Second World War was exiled and where he is buried. In 1973 an extreme right group stole the body and the coffin with the object of burying it at the site of the First World War Battle of Verdun. However, the plot was discovered and the body returned to the island.
On leaving the port the pump belt was slipping again and the engine overheated. To add to our problems the main sail had not been furled correctly and jammed; so just outside the harbour we were drifting onto the rocks. With short bursts of the engine we managed to get back into dock and fix the issues.

The next day we had a great sail to Les Sables d'Olonne without needing the engine until the harbour entrance. Then once again the pump belt slipped and the engine overheated. This was starting to become worrying but once again we got the belt tightened and it seemed to hold. The next day the wind was favourable for the run South to St. Martin on the Ile-de-Re.

Marina in the Moat at St. Martin

The Ile-de-Re is low and sandy, like Noirmoutier, with extensive salt pans. Salt and fishing were the main industries for many years. However, it was close to the naval port of La Rochelle and was therefore fortified. St. Martin is a fortified town surrounded by a moat which connects to the sea by a lock, thus yachts can lock in and tie up in what is virtually the old moat to the city.
Because of the swells that occur here the harbour entrance is protected by an unconnected sea wall around which one must pass to get to the waiting pontoon for the lock. Once again the pump belt slipped and the engine overheated so we were forced to make a tricky entrance under sail and could not enter the lock.

Determined to get to the bottom of the problem we sought out a marine engineer the next day. He solved the problem in 10 minutes and we have never had a problem since. The wrong vee belt was installed in Falmouth! The profile of the belt must exactly fit the profile of the pulley; if it does not excessive wear occurs and no matter how much it is tightened it will slip. When I think how the mechanic in Falmouth talked with such authority and kept us waiting while he ordered the correct belt, it just shows that talk is cheap. So we set off for the final stage with much more confidence and anticipation.

The Final Stage to Spain

The island of Oleron is the last in the chain of islands going South. We decided to go through the very shallow waters at the Eastern side of the Ile de Re, under the bridge, past the commercial port of La Pallice and so to the main port of St. Denis d'Oleron.

Through Shallow Waters Ile-de-Re

Now St. Denis d'Oleron is a harbour that maintains it's water at low tide by means of a sill, while outside the sill the sea bed dries out completely. To enter or leave the harbour there must be enough water to sail over the sill, meaning a window of 3 to 4 hours depending on the ship's draft. In October of 2005 we had the embarrassing  experience of being just too late at the sill. Whereupon we dried out and lay on our side until the tide came in! This time we had no desire to repeat the experience and moored off shore at a waiting buoy which enabled an early start in the morning.
Now the Bay of Biscay has a nasty reputation for rough seas but few people realize why. A look at the Google Earth view shows that the continental shelf goes across the Bay and at the southern end is quite close to the shore. So ocean currents coming from the West hit this enormous underwater cliff and rise up to create large swells that turn into surfing waves when they approach a shelving coast.

The Continental Shelf in Biscay

Pointe de Chassiron, Oleron

Rounding the Northern Point de Chassiron we met a particularly large swell which made the rocks off the point a maelstrom of breaking waves and flying spray. Although we were well off we changed course a little more, particularly when we saw a wrecked fishing boat perched on the rocks. After travelling South down this coast we came to the turning point to take the channel into the Gironde Estuary and our next port of call, Royan. I do not like this entrance for it is quite narrow and  has

The Gironde Estuary and the Route of Enterprise

sandbanks on both sides. The swells from the North West break on the sandbanks to the North and any sailor gets very nervous when sailing close to breaking waves. It is also an uncomfortable half hour of heavy rolling. However, once you are through it it is plain sailing to Royan.
We were picking up our son here for our final push to Spain so we had a little time to explore the town.
It is very much a resort town with  mild climate, abundant palm trees and boulevards with elegant side-walk cafes. We particularly enjoyed the enormous indoor market.

The Indoor Market at Royan

We Indulged at the Outdoor Cafes

The last steps were perhaps the most challenging for there is a long stretch of coast to the first port, Arcachon, 78 nautical miles away which means a 14 or 15 hour leg in Enterprise. But that was not the main concern; the swells on this coast are large and the entrance to Arcachon is shallow, convoluted and cannot be attempted in heavy swells or rough seas. If you cannot enter, the next port is another 70 miles and also cannot be entered in those conditions. So the challenge is to get the sea conditions right and arrive at the right time, in the daylight. We were at the end of September and the days were now getting shorter. The extra crew member would be helpful if we could not enter either port and had to go straight through to Spain. Furthermore, parts of this coast are active firing ranges and one must read the notices and keep out of those zones.

Arriving at the Outer Marker

We did not see another yacht all day; it seems that these waters are not greatly travelled. As if to emphasis this a fishing boat travelled on a parallel course, un-reeled a kilometre or so of fishing net and then did a u-turn in front of us to close the net. We assumed that the net had sunk sufficiently for we had no alternative but to sail over it. The incident seemed to be unnecessary and we could only assume that he was sending a message to keep out of his fishing grounds.

The Entrance to Arcachon with Our Route

La Dune du Pilat

From the aerial photograph, the mass of sandbanks at the entrance show why the tide has to be just right to enter and leave but it does not show the strong tidal currents and the breaking waves from a big swell that can make the entrance impossible. Immediately on entry, the biggest sand dune in Europe, La Dune du Pilat, appears. It has been used for many movie sets to simulate desert scenes. The entry, on a flood tide, takes over an hour even doing 9.5 knots past the lighthouse at Cap Frehal. Once inside, it opens up to a a large shallow inland sea which largely dries at low tide. A marvellous playground, with endless beaches.

Houses in the Bay at Low Tide

Endless Beaches - High Tide

This area of France from the Gironde River to the Pyrenees on the Spanish border, is called Les Landes, meaning moors and heath. It is low and was largely swampy until modern agriculture drained large areas and planted maritime pines over 10,000 square kilometres. The French Army trains here and there are naval firing ranges off shore. The naval ranges are seldom used but the firing ranges from the shore out to sea are frequently used and restricted times are posted in the Marinas.

The Endless Forest of Les Landes

Our Helicopter Experience

 We left at 06:15 in the dark, having done our calculations to arrive at the entrance bar at the ideal time to catch the tidal cycle and arrive in Cap Breton with enough water to enter. This entrance to Arcachon is not recommended at night so only a few of the markers are lit but it would be light when we arrived as it was over 2 hours at this state of tide to get there. As we left several fishing boats came awake and started for the entrance. It is always reassuring when you see that the professionals, who have done the same calculations, have arrived at the same answers! The swell was moderate at the entrance so we were reassured about being able to enter our next port as we turned South.
But we were a little too anxious to go South as it looked to the live fire range control that we were going to cross the restricted area and they dispatched a helicopter that quite aggressively buzzed us at just above mast-top height; quite an alarming experience. When we changed course they left us alone and that was our excitement over for the day.

The great underwater cliff that is the edge of the continental shelf is cut with canyons that reach out like fingers into the shelf. As the edge gets closer to the shore these canyons can reach right up to it and feed water surges to the shore that show up as swells. So it is at Cap Breton where the canyon comes right up to the harbour entrance.

The Deep Underwater Canyon Running Into Cap Breton

All went well, we approached swiftly on a small swell, dodged around the end of the harbour wall, and sailed sedately up beside the main street to a welcoming Marina at the end.

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Barbecuing Tuna in Cap Breton

This was a delightful place perhaps coloured by the feeling that our big challenges were all behind us and the next stop was Spain.
There was a surprise there. That underwater canyon meant that sea life was abundant and there was a fish market where each stall was the outlet for a fishing boat. You watched them unload and then bought the fish from the stall. We gorged on barbecued tuna and then swam in the sea.

Then it was off to Hondarribia and the Basque country the next day; sailing South on this last leg we had time to reflect on just what The Basque Country is. Rather than a physical area it is the place where the Basque language is spoken and the Basque cultural traditions are followed, so the boundaries are rather fluid. The Northern boundary is somewhere around Bayonne in France, the Western one west of Bilbao, the Eastern is a couple of pyrenean passes from the coast around  Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, where the French pilgrimage route to Saint- Jacques-de-Compostelle starts. Finally, the Southern border is roughly on a line South of Victoria-Gasteiz but the following map is more restrictive.

One Interpretation of Basque Country

Our excitement grew as the flat country of Les Landes gave way to the Pyrenees. Bayonne was to our East and the mountains stretched away into the distance. In front of us they continued across the horizon to disappear to the Western horizon. This was like a grand threshold to a different world; and so it was going to prove to be.
The border of France and Spain at this point is defined by a river, with the town of Hendaye on one side and Hondarribia on the other. The waters are administered by a joint committee of the two countries. We sailed in and turned to starboard to start our Spanish adventure, but that is for the next blog.

The French and Spanish Border at the Coast

Old Hondarribia Dripping in Atmosphere

For other Cruising blogs see the Archive links in the sidebar at the top of this page.
Other blogs of interest are The Retirement Dream and How to Live Your Dream

Technical Blogs are Nail Biting Experiences #1 Crossing the Bar , The Changing Nature of Sailing and Cruising and Yacht Docking Skills for Northern Europe