There and Back Again ......

What a beautiful sail to Saint Martin on Ile de Re firstly because I kept the whole contents of my stomach down without the aid of my trusty relief band, (if you know me well then you know exactly what I’m talking about.) Secondly because David got to use his very expensive spinnaker pole purchase, and we ‘goose winged’ all the way back, hopefully you can see this in the photo.

To set the picture of what Saint Martin is like, imagine the prettiest of little harbours, with restaurants and cafes all the way around its horse shoe shape, packed with people watching the day pass by. Then we arrive, following the very helpful pilot straight into what I can only describe as chaos!!!!! Oh my god, boats everywhere jockeying for position and they show you where and then say ‘turn around’, on a sixpence I might add. Now fortunately David has become this super cool calm collected sailor due to his previous experiences and I’m still the nervous incompetent crew!
Anyway we rafted onto another boat, then another arrived and rafted and another………and so on. The tiny harbour was a jigsaw of boats, no water space left by the time the sea gates were shut. Two beers and a butty later we were ready to explore this lovely place. The cobbled winding streets are filled with boutiques and restaurants with flowers everywhere. We climbed to the top of the old church dating back to the 13th century and the views were magnificent. They have their own production of wine and very nice it is too. We enjoyed another wonderful evening of excellent cuisine, baby clams and sea bass, which was a relief because nothing was in English and nobody spoke it. I’m afraid I left my school girl French at the gates!
Finally why is the donkey wearing crotchless pyjamas? We don’t know do you? Answers on a postcard to Pierre the Weirdo.