Day 28 - Rest Day

13 Sept

Today was a stay put day near Montpellier (Le Grad du Roi to be exact). We had a sleep in until 7am.

The winds were reasonably calm and this was our first chance of testing Minerva following her interface with the laptop for re-calibration. We tried to find a quiet time to have a fly, but all too soon, the morning walkers found us. A small crowd gathered with neither speaking either ones language. Our communication was with sign language and demonstration.
Nevertheless, they were impressed.

Morning walkers were fascinated.

Le Grad du Roi is a Southern France seaside resort and retirement town.

It was also our first chance to dip our toes in the Mediterranean Sea. We walked in the water, only about ankle deep and took in our surroundings. The beach is manicured making it easy to leave our footprints in the sand.

Our first paddle in the Mediterranean Sea

Must do a selfie.

Mediterranean paddling

After that we headed back to the unit to research the next part or our trip. We have accommodation booked for Toulouse. The Airbus Industries tour was recommended to us but when we found the important information, we had left it too late. For non-EU residents, we are required to book two business days in advance, with passport identification. Oh well, as we always say … there's reason to return.

The fort we had seen yesterday - actually Aigues-Mortes built by the Romans - was where we spent an hour or three wandering around the laneways and poking into shops. As always, it was worth checking to see if the item was locally made. There were some bargains to be had due it being the end of summer.

Like a fort from the outside

Like a town from the inside

Charming laneways

Very old buildings combine with modern shops and restaurants.

On the way back, we made a point of stopping to try to photograph the flamingos. Not easy with the limited camera equipment we are carrying.

Distant flamingos

Two fishing - one flying

All up, it’s been a restful day.