10 days ago we visited the adjacent bay - Bandol, and walked around said bay until we could see the lovely Sea Dream anchored in Sanary. This time it’s our time, and the bay is equally enchanting. It transpires (or is well organised) that Wednesday is Market Day, which ordinarily I would find plenty a disparaging things to write about, I despise markets. However I find this one quite acceptable, firstly its right in town, indeed about a mile of the main promenade has been closed for the event, it’s right up and into the harbour so we disgorge from our tender and within yards are engulfed by the atmosphere. And finally it’s so huge and diverse there are some really interesting stalls, like the olive stall, and the paella stall, to say nothing of the dozens of fish, vegetables, knickers, jewellery, herbes, CDs ... the list is endless, each stall just concentrates mostly on one thing.
After a 15 minute struggle though the busy market, including buying some shorts for Hubby, we are starting to emerge, guesstimating there are 200 to 300 (or possibly even more) stalls, it is HUGE. We continue our walk westwards along the bay, quickly leaving Sanary and entering Six-Four which is the most intriguing name for a French town I have come across in a long while. Is it related to the year of my birth, I wonder? Or just a Beetles song of some repute? Either way it is a lovely continuation of the bay, which we follow until the road heads inland, but we take the coastal park and follow it to the headland complete with C19 cannon and lookout post now converted to art gallery. Typically French, we didn’t spend much time perusing the art, although it’s always worth a few minutes, before we move on to the end of the headland and a photo opportunity as Sojourn was suddenly very close albeit entirely inaccessible. Elevenses also beckoned here!
We headed back around the bay and into Sanary this time taking the inland road to attempt to avoid the market visitors, with a degree of success, We found the local theatre, named after Galli, the former attorney for MGM studios, turned actor, turned priest who made the whole thing possible. We then walked up past town along pleasant streets, such a simple yet elegant lifestyle is obvious in this town, around the next cove, the Baie de Portissol, more rocky but with aqua seas. We then headed back towards the tender, taking the scenic route as much as possible.
As we returned we could see the marina being made ready for fun. No other marina day has fitted in with our schedule so being somewhat earlier we head down to five to sign up for a bit of watersports! Once we signed our lives to the company, we were sent down in the lift to two where the aft of the ship is just a few inches above the water, and we can get kitted out with life-jackets and anything else needed for the activity in question. For the pedalo thats enough, so we were tentatively loaded into the pedalo and then went out paddling for a while, always in the watchful eye of the security Zodiac, whose purpose is to ensure that idiot customers don’t stray to far.
Afterwards I decide to go for a doughnut! Nope not an edible one, but a sofa-like inflatable which in principle will seat three, however I do it alone, tied behind a powerful Zodiac I’m dragged, wrenched, bounced, slung, slalomed and spun around for what seems like an eternity but in reality was less than fifteen minutes, still my arms ached from having to hang on for life! Despite their very best efforts the highly amused officers failed to throw me off the doughnut, even though they succeeded with pretty much everyone else this afternoon. Communicating with divers sign-language I was able to keep them informed of my well-beeing, which of course probably encouraged their naughty behaviour! I think it will be a while before i do that again!!
After our last burger and fries at the poolside grill, we headed back to five aft to get a few rays and jacuzzi time before returning to 601 for Husband to start packing whilst I caught up on three days of photos - its been so busy I’ve not had time to do everything, before we head up to the Epicurean extravaganza that features highly on most Seabourn last days. A wonderful procession of staff is applauded buy the assembled guests, we catch up with a few cronies and also staff members, some of which we have known for a few years now, others just a few weeks but either way they are a delight.
Then it’s time for a last cocktail before dinner in Restaurant Two again. We will be really sorry when this place is gone, as is the case on Quest already and the other two soon enough. Hopefully the new Thomas Keller experience will be equally amazing but I’ve got a lot of doubts in my mind! Tonight’s signature dinner is simply fabulous so we leave in hight spirits!
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