Back in the water july 13 to 18th

Back sailing again.
So last time you heard from us we were hanging from a crane and had just been saved by Uncle Anthony and Antoinette, with a two day refresher on land. It was so nice to catch up with them and introduce them to all of the girls, the girls in turn fell in love with Oscar the new Black Lab. Tallulah decided she liked it so much at A&A's that she wanted to abandon ship and stay there for the rest of her life. There is a saying you can take the girl out of St Tropez but you can take the spirit of St Tropez out of the girl which suites Tallulah very much.
We got back to the yard to find Windbelle afloat. Barney Amanda, Annouscha, and baby Jack (only 8 weeks old were due to join us that evening at about 7pm so it was a pretty close run thing.)
Anyway poor Barney and gang found themselves stuck on the motorway from the airport, with a forest fire raging near by, in the end the motorway was closed and all surrounding roads were closed. Barney and gang were forced to seek refugue in a hotel at 4am. Making a quick hop down from London into a longer journey than the Caribbean.
Next day it was blowing a full scale Mistral, ie very windy, we decided to go anyway as the wind was going to be behind us and we would soon be in the lee of the gulf of Hyers. We had a pretty exciting ride with all the kids on board, young Jack quite happily focused on food from Amanda and our girls were thrilled to have Annouscha to mother. As we sailed into the gulf between the isle of Porquerolles, we had 27knots of wind behind us, and suddenly we were in a dead calm, which was all quite strange. We found a great anchorage at Bormes, and got ready for a celebration.
On the 6th July it was Annouscha's second birthday and our first full birthday on board. We had balloons, a cake and presents gallor!
Annouscha got really messy with her cake. Barney and I tucked into the 5 litre boxof Rose to further add to the party.
Final story from a great visit, was when all the children were playing hush little bunnies on the trampoline, it was all going with alot of bouncing when it was noticed that Annouscha, had left a little something on the netting. Lesson learnt, don't let 2 year olds trampoline without a nappy. The trampoline was then renamed the poop deck.
We did a final sail to St Tropez where we said good bye to our newest cousin Jack and Annouscha, as sadly they had to go back to England.

That evening the wind began to build and we moved up the Bay of St Tropez to anchor just outside Port Grimaud. This brought back many fond memories from when we both stayed with the Clatworthy's. In retrospect the parents were extremely genourous and we were extremely spoilt.
Any way the wind continued to build into a full Mistral. Slowly other boats from outside St Tropez started to join us. Many went into one of the marinas but we stayed out. the wind built to a good 30 knots, in the gusts we got 40kts. the foame was wisked off the top of the waves. After one day clinging onto our anchor we all settled down for the blow, as usual kids were oblivious playing animal hospital, while I couldn't sleep. Anyway after three days of wind it stopped, thank god. The good thing was we now have much more confidence in our anchoring and our decision process ... until the nex time.
So we finally get to shore and what am I faced with but the port Grimaud market. Sophie looks at the market as ideal training ground for the three girls. I now understand what the Terrorist training camps are like. Sophie marches the three girls into the market, and then proceeds to train them in the art of shopping. At every hand bag, basket or shoe stall they all spend time looking at all the stuff, when it comes to a useful stall like fruit or veg or even soft cheese they all walk on by, leaving me to do the groceries.
Then James and George and the boys came to visit for the day, we had a great sail, and James managed to race a brand new 50 ft yacht whos owner was out to show his secretary how fast he was.Enough to say that James won the race and was acknoledged by the opposition.
Now we are sitting outside Cinq on cinq,(Club55) where my parents apparently came a courting, before it was trendy, the water is great colour that you only find in fun and expensive places. We are anchored next to a boat 200 feet long, so while we have been a big boat in various ports here we are a mear match stick on the ocean. The only good thing is despite all the moneyetc, we are on the the same bit of sea, in the same sun and we have built a better sand castle than our neighbours in th 200 foot boat.
Today is the 14 of July so lots of Fireworks are due. We managed to find a big space right outside St Tropez, only after a while does it dawn on me that the only boat near by is the Fireworks barge itself, no wonder we had the place all to ourselves. Without a second thought we move a little further away.
The St Tr0pez fireworks were great, we let the girls stay up until to watch them at 10.20pm, its a great feeling all of us sitting on the net at the front watching these fireworks go off in a beautiful barmy night, this is what we wanted when we set out and restores our faith in what we are doing after all the wind and engineeering problems, you just can't buy evenings like this. any way after St tropez Fireworks we have St Maxime across the bay one minute later, the girls say St Maxime were much more spectular, but all over rather quickly which reminds me that Olly has a house in St Maxime.
Imogen has become the biggest book worm on the planet, it takes her 2 days to read a famous five, and we are running out of books. Sophie is so woried that we are going to let imy read her store of Jilly Cooper books. I am not sure I am ready for the questions that are bound to follow yet. Well actually for at least another 10 years!
So Sunday we depart St Tropez and motor to Agay, when Karen and Philip MC kindly call to invite us to Karens ?0 birthday party at a chateau above Cannes, we drop everything and get on a train to Cannes and have a great time dancing to all Philips old vinal LPs. with all his media loveies, actually the setting was great and the mac's were most hospitipal, the girls had a greatime and Sienna started the dancing with the Dancing Queen by Abba. We satyed on the Macs floor which meant that they had 5 gooseberries sitting down stairs. There were not many other 14 ers there as Karen had crafterly arranged for her 50th Birthday to be on the Gallon weekend. How you do that with 50 years forsight is somehting only the water widows will understand. But it was bloody crafty,and I did catch Philip looking longingly out to sea once or twice.
Wednesday 18 July, Sienna's 3rd birthday, the boat was dressed over all in Kath Kitson Flags and ballooons(.In athe boat looks like an ad for CK, so kath if you are reading this I am ready to do a deal.) Being a boat birthday we had to have it somewhere special so we are off Cannes, Nestled between two islands, called Iles de Lerins, which is where the man with the iron mask was actually imprisoned for many years. The water is crystal clear and there are rocks and sand around. The Siennas brithday presents were great, with, all the usuals like a doctors set and a puzzels, but also a snorkle , flippers, lilo, with a fish viewing window, and a ringo. Everybody had a go in the ringo, only the boat was not fast enough for Daddy to get planing, the girls loved it and mom hates it and made more noise than than all three girls put together.
Being british we had to do the cake thing, so see photo. We had a great mermaid and all sang happy brithday.
In the evening we went to a little restuarant with a view ovr the water towards Cannes, we were one of only two tables and had a great time. See Photo. On the way back we sang happy birthday at the tops of our voices right through the anchorage.
thursday 19th.
Today was one of those magic moments Tallulah put on her mask and snorkle and for the first time saw fish in the sea, It a may be a little moment for you and me, but for her it has changed the meaning of swimming. I do have to say that at the same time she managed to drink quite allot of sea water so the challenge is to stop her talking with a snorkle in her mouth. For those of you that know her this is a big challenge.
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