Jackie's Birthday

Monday 30th May 20016

                                                         Jackie's Birthday

Up early today - oven on for a Victoria sponge - from a kit from Asda - easy ?
Add 2 fresh eggs from our own chickens and butter.
Mix it and divide the mix between two 7 inch cake tins - every yacht carries them don't they !
We do- Our 36 year old oven needed twice as long as the instructions said to bake the sponges and they turned out not too bad.
Butter cream and jam filling - a dusting of icing sugar - with fresh strawberries on top - WALLAH !!

We walked penny early after Jackie opened all the cards from family and friends that we had brought with us.
We walked Ille Grande beach - tide out - Penny full of energy.

Off to Ploumanache - to the beach front restaurant Le Cost Mor - a favourite of ours - for our 1 pm reservation.

We had white fish with a sauce - I had mashed potatoes - Jackie had frites.
We couldn't resist a desert  + coffee - lovely.

Back on board - Jackie walked Penny on the beach - she had been very good on her own for a couple of hours.

In the evening we chanced that the Indian restaurant would be open - NO - a wasted journey to Lannion - never mind.
Mussels and chips in our local restaurant went down well.

A nice birthday in sunshine.

Wash day tomorrow !

Mike - Jackie + Penny.

Walking Penny's legs off

Sunday 29th May 2016

A late start today - off to Ille Grande - walking the sand dune paths - lovely - freshly strimmed!

A group of six swimmers were powering across the bay in wet suits and fins - very fast swimming - we wondered if they were practising for a competition ?

Walking back along the beach - Penny was straight in the sea - Swimming !!

We drove further on to Ploumanache - a favourite of ours - booked a table for Monday lunch - (Jackie's birthday) and had coffee - very reasonable - 3.5 Euros.

Back on board  Jackie prepared a roast beef dinner - pot roast.
I worked on Blazer jobs while Jackie walked Penny all the way along the prom.

Dinner was great - lots of veg - lovely.
I walked Penny again after clearing up - she was tired - I was pulling her with the lead at one stage.
Back on board she fell fast asleep - snoring !!
A lovely hot sunny day - still sunny at 9 pm !!

Mike - Jackie and Penny.

Lovely clear morning

Saturday 28th May 2016

                                                           Point De Behit Trebeurden.

For a different direction this morning we went out on the Lannion road - there is a view point called Point de Bihit.  Lovely views over the Bay of Morlaix all the way to Rosscoff.

We made our way to the Lidl supermarket in Lannion for milk and bread plus a loaf and Camembert cheese for lunch time picnic.

We drove into Lannion centre parked alongside the river in the overspill car park used on market days.
We walked Penny along the riverside in hot sunshine.

                                                          Fish Market in Lannion.

We walked round Lannion centre - the fish market was still open at 12 o'clock.

We drove round to the Indian restaurant to try and see what time it is open in the evenings - no signs up !
We then made our way along the Morlaix road to another little supermarket called Dia - OK - cheap enough but not as much selection as Lidl.

On our way back to Trebeurden we stopped off at Beg Legur beach for a picnic.

Jackie walked Penny a long way on the beach.

Back on board - Jackie read and sunbathed until it became very misty - ( strange )
I started sorting stuff on Blazer ready for putting the sails up.

At 7 pm Jackie suggested having a meal at our local restaurant - ( 100 yds from Blazer ).
Jackie had steak - I had mussels - crepes for desert - lovely all with a very nice bottle of Muscadet.

Behind us were an elderly couple with a very old dog - they finished their meal and left - two minutes later they were back again - they forgot the second dog under the table !!

A lovely day - Mike - Jackie and Penny.

New Walks

Friday 27th May 2016

                                                 Ille Grande - looking towards Trebeurden

We looked for a new walk today on Ille Grande - starting at the port car park - taking the coast path.
Its only a small island - roughly 3 or 4 square miles - called an island because you access it over a little bridge !

Overcast morning but warm - Penny was into everything.

                                                         Sitting still for the photo !

                                                               Lots of wild flowers


Lots of hikers about today - we made our way to an old quarry ( disused ) now converted to a bird sanctuary with an RSPB style building.

                                                               Bird sanctuary

Back to the car park - we found a woman selling fish - direct from the fisherman.

                                                                         Fish stall

She said that she is there every weekday - in the mornings - she had spider crabs at 6 Euros per kilo - normal crabs at 8 - lots of lobsters - all about half a kilo in weight at 25 per kilo - and two boxes of big fish like haddock at 10 per kilo - from what we saw later at the supermarket she was selling at a couple of Euros less than supermarket prices - All the shellfish were live - very fresh.

                                                            Tregestrel port

                                                              It has a lovely beach.

                                                     Beach front restaurant - ( posh )

We stopped for coffee at the posh restaurant overlooking the beach - 7 Euros !!! - we must bring a flask  - lol.

The sun came out ( hot ) at lunch time - back on board we had a great lunch of pate with fresh bread and salad.

A couple of jobs for me in the afternoon -

Blazer has a light line ( halyard ) that is a continuous loop over a tiny pulley to the very top of the mast for flags - this had become tangled around the mast preventing me putting up the main sail.
To save me having to go up the mast I brought a pack of 7 foot garden canes and I lashed four together with tie wraps and fixed a wire coat hanger to the end.
No wind today - so ideal for me to stand on a wobbly deck fishing about with a twenty foot cane for a string that I can hardly see !!

First problem - the wire coat hanger got stuck on the radar and pulled free of the tie wraps  - stuck !
Next problem  - I managed to find some more wire and fashion another hook - fixed better.
I managed to hook the line several times and pulled it down to me - I put the bottom end of the cane over the side of Blazer into the water - all of it - the water is only 10 feet deep and 5 feet of the cane went down into black mud.
Concentrating on holding my balance while fishing about with the cane I didnt notice that I was covered in black mud from the cane - my new yellow tee shirt !!!

Jackie was not amused !!!
Anyway - I finally got the line unravelled and tied of securely - Phew!!
Next I retrieved the wire coat hanger !

I then put up the Brittany courtesy flag and uncovered our red ensign on the stern - shipshape.

After dinner we walked Penny on the prom in hot sunshine - one beach front bar was very busy - (Friday night) !

All for now - Mike - Jackie and Penny.  

Poor Forecast for Today.

Thursday 26th May 2016

We didn't actually look at the forecast until it rained in the afternoon - we just went out in sunshine as soon as we were ready.

We went to our little spot on the beach at Ille Grande - Jackie drove today - to refresh confidence for driving on the wrong side of the road. - No Problem - Easy Peasy.

We took chairs and I sat while Jackie and Penny walked right round the bay !!
A bit windy - cool - not cold.
Penny was in and out of the water but wouldn't do it for the camera !!

We had coffee at a regular stop on Ille Grande near the campsite - It has changed hands this year - looks the same - We have had lots of great mussels here.

Then shopping at the little supermarket in Trebeurden - we only needed bread - and ended up spending 30 Euros !!

Back on board it started raining - Great timing !

A fantastic dinner on board - starters ( various meats and olives) - then small prawns cooked with garlic and chilli - then Aldi  steak with garlic mushrooms and salad with fresh bread - WOW !!

The sun came out - hot - we walked the prom and ended up in Benji's again for a sundowner.

All for now - Mike and Jackie + Penny.

Settling In

Wednesday 25th May 201

                                                       Penny in her exclusive car space

A cold and overcast start - I was up early - 6 ish - took Penny for her early walk - then lit the coal stove - toastie !

We had a full breakfast - ( Bacon Grill ) - great - then ready to go out.

First to the Tourist Information Office to ask about access restrictions for dogs.
They said that restricted beaches will have a sign giving dates or all year restrictions - if there is no sign then no restriction - simple.

They also gave us maps for walks around the whole area - just the job.

                                                             Penny on Isle Grande

A favourite quiet beach is on Isle Grande - no signs - no problem - Penny loved it !!
We met a local guy and his toddler son and chatted in English for a while - Penny will have us chatting a lot more.

                                                            Super U at Tregestrel

Then shopping at Tregestrel - a huge - recently renovated supermarket - prices not too bad.

                                                    Trestrel beach with beach huts.

The sun came out and we walked all around this beach - had a nice coffee at Latitude restaurant and booked a table for our anniversary - 2nd of June - the view from there is fabulous - menu limited but good.

                                  Latitude restaurant dinning room - just visible extended onto the grass.

Back on board in hot sunshine - Jackie in her sun trap in the cockpit - I prepared dinner - Mussels and chips.

                                                       Jackie trying to sunbathe !!

Dinner was great - nice big mussels in two pots - both with challots - garlic and white wine - mernier style.
Jackie added cream - ala creme style.
Finished off with a fresh raspberry tart amazing !!

A walk on the local prom in sunshine - not much going on - two restaurants empty ! - what a view of the bay!!

During the night - Penny woke us at midnight barking !!
I took her for a walk - not what she wanted ! - so tried to settle her - no chance - she settle eventually sleeping between us - not enough quilt for that !!
I think she had a deep sleep early - shattered from a lot of walking - then woke up not knowing where she was.

A great day.

Mike and Jackie + Penny.

Back on board as a family.

                                                      Overlooking Plymouth inner Harbour

Monday 23rd May 2016

Off to spend 7 weeks on Blazer with Jackie and Penny this time.
We drove down in Jackie's car - the area behind the back seat was Penny's - loads of room - the back seat was chock a block full of stuff - how I managed to get it all in I don't know.
We took our time - stopping twice for Penny to have a toilet stop - lovely sunny day and arrived in Plymouth 3 hours early for the Brittany Ferries overnight trip to Rosscoff.

                                                   Back seat Jam packed full.

We had a pasty and a pint at an open air cafe overlooking the harbour and then walked around Plymouth Hoe gardens - lovely.

We joined the Que for the check in - a bit nervous about Penny's passport having not done this before.

                                                                  Ferry check in

It all went well - the microchip matched the passport - the passport was all in order and the staff very nice.
We didn't have a special - pets area on the boat - just on the normal vehicle deck - we made sure the sun roof was open a bit plus one window cracked open - alarm turned off - and we left Penny to it for 10 hours !!!

                                                            Our cosy two berth cabin

I asked at the information desk if I could visit Penny in the night - NO - ah well she should be OK.

We enjoyed the cosy little cabin and rejoined Penny at 7 am British time - she was fine !!
A fast run through the Rosscoff area and we were on board Blazer before 10 am French time.
Blazer was fine - no problems.
Penny jumped in and out of the cabin dead easy and on and off the boat fairly easy.
I wont be needing to build the ramps we thought we would need.

Penny did have one bit of trouble - she tore a hind leg nail and the were spots of blood all over.
We dressed it and gave her toe some spray on plaster which stopped the bleeding.
Next morning she was eager to go walkies and no limp - sorted.

Mike and Jackie.