Tuesday 1 October

It is my birthday, but perhaps least said the better. As previously discussed, no presents, but not even a proper birthday card-just a postcard bought locally, yesterday no doubt.  We have really terrible internet connection here, even with the Domino, so I can’t even tell if anyone has sent me an e-mail in the morning.  Later in the day I did get e-mails, skype messagea and texts from the boys, my sister, Wednesday and some friends. So maybe somebody out there thinks of me.

The weather is nice, if not spectacular.  We could have taken the boat out and anchored near a beach, but I wasn’t in the mood, so we took a walk to the other side of the Island instead.  It was an easy walk, but about 4 miles and I am not sure it did my knee any good at all.  So back to the boat for a light lunch using up food we have.  We must get rid of it all or throw it out within 4 days!

Spent the afternoon on the boat and even had a little sleep.  By the time we came to, the harbour office had closed so we can’t pay until tomorrow.  One thing I have forgotten to mention in this log is the unusual aircraft we have been seeing.  The other day as we left le Ciotat, we saw a bright yellow thing flying very low, so low it looks like it could hit another boat’s mast.  Then we see what it is doing.  It is an emergency fire fighting plane practicing picking up water from the sea and spraying it over a fire.  It does this 4-5 times just as we are leaving the port.  Another sight was when we were coming back from Porquerolles the first time.  Then we saw 7 fighter jets flying in close formation.  As they approached Toulon the let off ‘bleu blanc rouge’ smoke.  Then on the way here we were buzzed a number or times by what looked like an old WW11 plane.  Finally today as we were in the cockpit no less than 4 fire fighting plans started practicing picking up water just in the bay outside the marina.  All very interesting.

As we are going to a posh restaurant for dinner we decide to shower in the toilet block not on the boat even though we have to pay for the showers.  It isn’t much, but after paying about 30 euros for the night you would not have thought it necessary to charge another 1.5 euro for a shower.

I get back to the boat first and start to dress for dinner.  I just get into my posh jump suit when another boat starts to come in.  The wind is blowing a bit- it is a four- though nothing like what it was doing when we came in yesterday.  The boat starts to make an approach and gets it wrong so pulls out and tries again.  As I am in going out clothes there isn’t much I can do.  Anyway there are two Frenchmen on the pontoon to help and the boat seems to have a crew of 4 men and two women.  But just to make sure everything is alright I go out on deck.  Richard is still not back from the shower, so I am on my own.  The boat is a 40ft Beneteau.  It seems to be coming in very nicely and well away from us when suddenly the bow blows around right in the direction of our bow.  Dressed or not I run forward to fend off and manage to grab its pushpit and try to push them off.  However, the boat is very heavy and It has a huge anchor protruding out the front.  So while I am able to keep the boat from ramming us I can’t keep it far enough away, and the anchor smashes out starboard navigation light.  Well, it could have been a lot worse, but it figures we would have a breakage on my birthday.  The skipper is terribly apologetic and immediately says he will go to the chandlery in the morning to buy us a replacement and pay for its installation.  When Richard finally comes back he sees the damage and is content with what has been offered.

Off we go to the harbour office where we will be picked up to be taken to the Langoustier restaurant.  It seems that is the only way to get there and back and the hotel and restaurant provides this chauffeur service.  The restaurant is modern and overlooks the sea.  In fact it overlooks the bay where we anchored last time.  I choose the middle priced menu because I don’t see me eating 7 courses plus two amuse bouches.  We start with a glass of champagne.  Then come the tasters.  Very nice especially a foie gras mousse served in a little cup to look like a cappuccino!  The food was very nice, though I thought the fish was slightly overcooked.  The best part was the dessert.  I have been disappointed by the desserts so far.  Too small, too precious and not rich enough.  But this was great fun.  It was a modern take on Black Forest Gateau.  A large rectangular plate had three little cakes on in all made in the shape of a cherry.  There were a number of marinated cherries and two little round red things which turned out to be chocolates filled with cherry liqueur, scrummy.  Oh, there was also a small scoop of black cherry sorbet.  As cherries are just about my favourite fruit, it was great for me.

So we are driven back to the port.  On the way back to the boat we stop outside the chandlery that has free WIFI.  The signal is much better and I finally get my messages and am able to load the last two days’ Times.