What's going on with the boat?

After ten years living on Tarquilla we have moved to land. I'm often asked if we love the house or miss the boat and the real answer is - both. We still have Tarquilla and we are open to all options at the moment as far as her future is concerned. We will carry on working on her, it would be great to be able to sail her again. The Scilly Isles, Portishead marina, Bristol harbour and Falmouth are all places we have talked about as well as many others further afield. But, on the other hand, if a family was looking for a boat, ready to do the preparation she needs and wanted to take her on then we would sell her. She is not ready to sail off into the sunset but has a lot of life left in her. If you or someone you know would be interested then please contact us. She is 3 ply cold moulded, 42 foot long, one off design built in the 1960's. She has 2 double cabins and 2 single berths, a good size saloon, a decent size galley, head and a covered cockpit. She has two engines and a full suit of sails. We have lots more photos and can provide more details or answer questions. In the meantime, this blog has come to a natural pause for now as we take on new adventures.

A traditional Breton fest-noz.

This weekend our neighbours invited us to a fest-noz organised by the local school committee. We had heard of this Breton festival but had not been to one before so we jumped at the chance. With the time to meet up that evening organised the next problem was digging out some ‘decent’ clothing for all of us, we even got the iron out – that is a very rare occurrence!

 The fest-noz or night festival is a traditional Breton dancing and live music event. It has apparently been included on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. No, we’ve never heard of that list either!

 The evening started with the children from the school demonstrating the dance they had been practising. After that the first of the three bands came on and the dancing proper began.

 No-one was in charge or calling out instructions, everyone just seemed to know what to do. Strings of people followed each other in a feverish dance across the floor making intricate patterns of humanity. Some were very serious with pointed kicks and flicks. Others were obviously just enjoying the music, the movement and being part of such an effervescent group. People were glowing with the effort.

 The room filled with the heat of so many bodies pressed together. Lines of dancers were pulsing in time to the music. The children ran amongst the dancers, chasing, giggling and just playing with a joyfulness that a language barrier was not going to stop. The noise of the music and the people combined to make the room throb with happiness and conversation.

We watched the dancing, joined in one dance, watched the making of krampouezh (buck wheat pancakes with savoury fillings) and then enjoyed eating them. We also learnt new bits of the Breton language. We chatted and laughed mainly in English, sometimes in a little French and all these things combined to make a really special evening. Being invited to join in this local festival was a privilege and made for a fantastic night out.

 

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