Date: Thursday 6th July 2017 Weather: Overcast am. Sunny pm. Mile: 8
We had decided last night on
an early departure this am. We had made a point of telling our Dutch neighbours
we were off in the morning, they too were leaving but at 1000hrs. Mike had thought
he had paid for last night after having the previous evening free due to the
bank card/ cash mc being OOO. What I didn’t realise was that I should pay at
the Port office and in my defence, there was no notice telling one to pay at
the office. It wasn’t until I saw a man with a clipboard, always a sign of
authority, assumed or otherwise, approaching, that I followed him and paid E10.
As stated, I thought for last night. I was wrong and so I thought if the bird
had flown the coup before he did his rounds, I might be E10 up on the deal. The
Stopporton’s were up and ready, a quick brew, reel in the electricity cable,
fire up and away. Departed Meschers at 0715hrs.
Do not laugh but thirty
minutes later we arrived at our next stop. Eight miles down the road at St
Georges de Didonne. This was another area suggested by Tom and Angie. The aire
was very near the old port and looked back across the bay towards ‘town’.
We
had been spoilt by our last two nights camping spot. This was a gravel car park
surrounded by trees with a path down onto the port. It had the advantage of
being close to the memorial for Operation Frankton. God Bless The Royal
Marines.
It was still somewhat overcast and so we took ourselves off in the direction of where we knew the lighthouse to be. Here Mike decided to set the camera up and switch on Jackie's mobil phone and it's app to control it. This took considerably longer than we had anticipated, we were in no rush but it was a learning curve. With your phone discretely hidden you can control the on/off function of the camera and take photos. This camera will also link to WiFi and send the photo you have just taken via your phones e mail system to an e address.
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Clever stuff these Panasonic cameras. |
The camera was balanced somewhat precariously on the harbour wall. Mike squinting through the sun to see the screen on the phone, my sunglasses are that good I cant see a pc/camera screen with them on, takes the shot but on looking up to his horror cannot see the camera on the wall. "Where is it?" he asks in desperation. "Oh, it fell off the wall when you remotely switched it on and the lens extended". Jackie replied deadpan. Of course she was joking. The glare had prevented me from seeing it.
We walked up a few steps to the lighthouse. A sign proclaimed that we could, for the sum of E1 climb the narrow and step steps to the top for the view. Fortunately we could not find the 'guardian' and so had to pass. Mike was relieved! The memorial to Operation Frankton was another few hundred metres along the coast path. High above the sea. We were now at the mouth of the Gironde and opposite we could just about make out the lighthouse at Le Pointe de Grave.
Operation Frankton was a commando raid on shipping in the German occupied French port of Bordeaux in southwest France during the Second World War on 7-12 December 1942. The raid was carried out by a small unit of Royal Marines known as the Royal Marines Boom Patrol Detachment (RMBPD), part of Combined Operations.
The plan was for six canoes to be taken to the area of the Gironde estuary by submarine. They would then paddle by night to Bordeaux. On arrival they would attack the docked cargo ships with limpet mines and then escape overland to Spain. Twelve men from no.1 section were selected for the raid; including the commanding officer, Herbert 'Blondie' Hasler, and with the reserve Marine Colley the total of the team numbered thirteen. One canoe was damaged while being deployed from the submarine and it and its crew therefore could not take part in the mission. Only two of the 10 men who launched from the submarine survived the raid: Hasler, and his no.2 in the canoe, Bill Sparks. Of the other eight, six were executed by the Germans while two died from hypothermia.
The British Prime Minister Winston Churchill believed the mission shortened the war by six months.The words of Lord Mountbatten, the commander of Combined Operations, are carved into a Purbeck stone at Royal Marines Poole (current headquarters of the SBS): "Of the many brave and dashing raids carried out by the men of Combined Operations Command none was more courageous or imaginative than Operation Frankton".
Paddy Ashdown, himself a Royal Marines Captain with the SBS, now retired, wrote a vey well researched and balanced book dealing with all aspects of this raid including the cock ups. Check out Amazon. Or ask if you can borrow my copy.
From the memorial which had quite a few visitors we walked along the promenade past the lighthouse and old fishing port onto the main esplanade of the town. This again is wide, cycle routes for bikes and pedestrians. Plenty of modern sculptured seats, flower beds and total cleanliness made for a pleasant walk.
We were now a tadge peckish. We walked off the esplanade and into the high street not far away. Here one could see the villages/town's origin. Small narrow streets old fishing cottages etc. We entered a small boulangerie. On sale were some mini pizzas and Mike had spotted some flan. That'll do. I ordered. All was going well until Mamselle asked me something. Obviously to do with the various types of pizza. Not understanding I grinned, pointed and said "Deux" This target indication was insufficient for Mamselle who then asks me in English, "Do you speak English?" I replied in English, "Yes do you speak French?" To which she replied "Bien sur". "Bon". said I then continued in my pantomime French to narrow down the choices of the six available flavours of pizza.
We returned to the esplanade and ate our scran sat on the seat overlooking the huge expanse of beach. This is a very large bay. After 'lunch' we walked along the seashore paddling our feet then spread the towels and chilled for the rest of the afternoon.
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"Like a young Brigit Bardot" |
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Everyone takes 'Selfies' these days. |
