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After having observed the weather forecasts during the
whole week it is clear that Friday will be the perfect day to cross the
Etang de Thau, a salt water basin about 20km long and 5 km wide.
The Tramontange wind has finally calmed down so we start
around 7:30 am and drive towards the sunrise.
Thanks to Photoshop we even get rid of the ugly
electrical tower disturbing the view! |
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Sunrise! |
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The last stretch of the Canal du Midi, just separated by
two dirt walls from the basin. |
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A flock of flamingos. |
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A picture perfect exit from our four and a half month
residence on the Canal du Midi. |
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Another 100 meters ... |
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and we are on the basin. In
the far distance on the right side Mount Saint-Clair in Sete. |
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The crossing will take a little over 2 hours. |
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The navigation channel passes close to the oyster fields.
The oyster and mussel farming in the Etang is right now a big discussion topic in Southern France,
as the government has downgraded the water quality requiring the
Oyster farmers to put the harvested shellfish into clean water for three
days before they are allowed to sell them! |
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What navigation channel? I have fished here all my life! |
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Quite a navigation system: GPS, Ueli with Binoculars,
maps and unlimited visibility! |
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JUPS (-P) enjoying the crossing and some fall sun. Don't
think yet of the gray cold Swiss winter! |
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The entrance to the Canal du Rhône a Sète, 97 km to
Beaucaire! |
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I'm sure you immediately recognized another group of
flamingos. |
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We wait for the drawbridge in Frontignan to open.
It only opens three times a day during the week and twice
over week-ends. |
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But when it opens it is quite a show! Boats from left,
right, sideways, .... Best is to wait and see! |
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Our mooring in Frontignan. A nice pier, but no services,
not even water and a very noisy train bridge!
Ueli, Jacqueline and Sebastian leave for Switzerland, we will stay here for
a few days and then head slowly through the Camargue back to our winter
quarters. |
