Vive la France
Scot Free III
Frank & Anne
Tue 29 Aug 2023 12:43
| Yesterday morning F went in search of a boulangerie and after a delicious French breakfast of croissants, pain aux raisins and bread, the cleaning started. Despite rain overnight, the boat and more importantly all the fittings needed a thorough hose down with fresh water to get rid of any residual salt. Even our life jackets and oilskins were rinsed. A warm windy day helped everything to dry quickly. F found the chandlers for various bits and earmarked a bar for an early evening beer.  Today was laundry day - everything takes so much longer than at home- not least the duration of the washing cycle. Started at 8:30, finished with everything just about dry by 1:30 Decided on a short ferry trip to L'Île-aux-Marins which we’d noticed on our way in - an abandoned settlement of colourful houses, originally settled in 1604 and once had a population approaching 700 at the height of the cod fishing at the end of the 18th century. The last of the population left for St Pierre in the 1960s but a few people live there in the summer and, of course, there are holiday lets. About 30 houses are left, one was a fisherman’’s house with a sail loft on the top floor, home to a very large Singer sewing machine.  On the ground floor was the workshop, stuffed with fishing paraphernalia and a couple of the local dories which they used for cod fishing. A hard life.  Each property had an area of pebbles and stones on which they dried the cod.  The school houses a significant museum, complete with classroom as it was when the last pupils left. A fascinating visit. Keeping an eye on the path of Hurricane Franklin, which, a few days ago, was forecast to bear down on St Pierre. Fortunately it has changed direction and heading south of Newfoundland. Looks as though Friday might be a chance to leave. |