Thursday, November 19, 2009

IAN'S VISIT

On Sep 4, our son Ian arrived in Paris and took a train to Narbonne, where we picked him up. He was to spend a short week with us, so we wanted to make the most of it. Our first few days with Ian we spent cruising from Le Somail to Poilhes under beautiful blue skies. Every meal was an event for Ian. Being a bachelor, for him a home cooked meal is something very special. Every morning he wanted to know what we were having for dinner, so he could look forward to it. I did my best to cook everything he likes, which is not difficult, since he eats everything!

Our cruising was leisurely and relaxed. The weather was perfect, and we stopped in some beautiful spots along the canal. Upon our return from Poilhes, we got something caught around our propeller. The boat could not reverse, and would barely advance. We decided to stay at the spot where it happened, about 7 Km from Le Somail, and for the last three days of Ian's visit, we did not cruise at all. We toured around the region by car, took Ian to some of our favorite towns and thoroughly enjoyed our son's company. For his birthday, he wanted me to make him a paella, so we chilled a bottle of champagne, cooked the paella outside and had a wonderful celebration on the boat.

Our friends Claudine and Michel from Carcassonne invited us for lunch at their house before Ian left. Claudine had an unbelievable spread on their patio, as she usually does, so we all had a wonderful time. The boy was happy. On September 12 we took Ian back to Narbonne where he took the train back to Paris. There he spent the night at his cousin Sylvia's and left for Los Angeles the following day. Our visit with our boy was short but sweet. Knowing that we would soon see him again for Thanksgiving, lessened the pain of his departure.

The day after Ian left, we limped back to Le Somail, where one of the young men from the Nicols base dove under the boat and after 45 minutes of work, was able to free from our propeller an enormous umbrella from the rival rental boat company. What a relief!





Sunrise on the Canal du Midi



My two boys at Fonserannes



Moules frites at Le Grau D'Agde



Cruising past Capestang



Our handsome boy



Aperitif time on deck



Wines and tapas in Narbonne



Ian's train to Paris

"There is something huge there!"

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