Friday 4 October 2013

The Vendee

We left Vannes in the sunshine and headed across the Golfe de Morbihan to an anchorage in a quiet bay. Lilly enjoyed walks along the coastal paths whilst one of us kept up with boating chores. Its a dogs life, always was, and always will be. Right Lilly?
It was an early start with a full days sail ahead from the Golfe to the Ile d'Yeu. Unfortunately the wind was not as forecast, and progress a little slower than hoped. We were pointing towards Spain, not coastal France, however temptation didn't get the better. A pod of dolphins kindly put on quite a show and kept us entertained. If that wasn't enough, we were visited by a tired migrating green finch that hoped to cadge a lift. Lilly was thrilled at the prospect of company, especially in the form of a toy! Had to keep her eyes averted as the little bird headed off after a short snooze. Eventually we arrived at the shores of the Ile d'Yeu in the early hours and dropped anchor.
The Ile d'Yeu is a beautiful little island with a real Mediterranean look to it. We explored the island on our brilliant folding bicycles and had a fantastic day cycling in a warm breeze. Lilly ran alongside when the terrain looked of interest, retreating to her carriage and bed when she was feeling lazy. Later on we returned to the boat to find a filling marina as boats arrived for the famous tuna festival. Bagpipes and the occasional fanfare helped to build the excitement in readiness for tomorrow's festival.

Golfs de Morbihan












Leaving at dawn











Sunset enroute to Ile d'Yeu










Ile d'Yeu