Back on the boat we met with Alan and one of the head carpenters Christian, to make some decisions about space use. This was the upside of the delay as we were able add a few custom items like putting in a laundry bin and drying rail opposite the washer. The washer we had requested was a 7 kg capacity but it would not fit past the main bulk head so we ended up with a smaller 4kg washer, another little surprise.
There were a few other decision’s like shelving options or medicine cabinets in the heads, and our plan for a removable stainless bar in the guest shower so we could have a wet locker and extra drying space when not in use with guests.
In the meantime the galley stove had arrived and there was some discussion about the best way to connect the gas line as apparently the European fitting was not included in the package. The salon ceiling panels were down again to complete some wiring, (although not for the dimming interior lights we had requested),the plumber and electrician were aboard looking busy, and we were feeling a bit underfoot so we headed back to the hotel for a siesta. We soon learned that lunchtime was an hour and a half every day, and that Fridays were a half day so our future visits were planned around these times. Alan seemed to be on site 12 hrs a day and there was obviously a lot of overtime happening as the yard was full. Storage boats were getting splashed daily for the summer season, as well as new boat’s coming out of the factory.
After naps and showers we walked into town again and had a few beers with Ed at our usual haunts before walking 4 blocks or so off the square to a restaurant recommended for it’s pizza. Todd is a sucker for thin crust pizza and was excited to try the “French version” which ended up being a big hit. In spite of the weather being cool and windy with a few light showers around, the area was very walk-able which was good, given our dining and drinking schedule. The only caution needed was in avoiding the dog poop which was prevalent. Later in our stay we saw a bloke on a Vespa with the addition of a vacuum,who was sucking up dog poo from one of the main side walks, so I guess they were addressing the issue. Certainly we didn’t see anybody holding plastic bags as they walked their dogs (or cats!).
The natural progression of the evening was some people watching from a bar stool in the square before making our way onwards to a night club. Things don’t get going until later in the evening here so it was midnight before we got to the club which was just starting to fill. Luckily we found space at the bar and enjoyed a couple of hours of entertaining conversation with Ed, and general enjoyment amid a sea of mostly younger french vacationers and locals.The club had the classic dark interior with a disco ball and flashing coloured lights. Attire ranged from casual beach to skimpy- fancy. The stand out of the night was a suave elderly gentleman in tight jeans, cowboy boots and white stetson. He had a mane of silver hair, shirt open to the waist and gold jewlery. His jacket was flung casually over one shoulder as he grooved around the bar dancing among the other patron’s many decades his junior. I did manage to elbow my way in for one dance, providing a brief respite for the other ladies!
We had an invigorating walk back to Hotel Du Port and this time we had the door code with us as we realized we would be back after 10 pm. We entered the code, pulled on the door….and it didn’t budge. We tried it several times with the same result. So we hung around the entrance feeling foolish and hoping our saviors from the night before might show up before finally dialing up the manager. He arrived 5 short minutes later in his red flannel pajama’s, looking sleepily disheveled but surprisingly solicitous. It was simply a matter of not having pulled on the door vigorously enough, duh! (We didn’t have anymore trouble after this which was a great relief to all parties concerned.)