Woke up this morning to the same hauling winds that blew when we went to bed. The Mistral continues to blow unabated. Wonder where Neptune takes all the energy from. We probably have to stay for another day in the port. Eh bien. We are now on Plan C and have to figure out what to do today. Most of the island is still off limits. Porquerolles' fire fighters are pre-stationed everywhere with their fire trucks. At this point they play video games on their iPhones. Let's hope it stays this way.
The Renaud Beach was remarkably empty today - many visitors cancelled their trip
The beauty of Porquerolles and its proximity to the main land lure every year one million visitors to the island. During Covid, when French people could not travel abroad, there were 12'000 visitors a day. People had to wait for 3 hours for a ferry ride, there were not enough bikes to rent, all restaurants were full, the island got polluted beyond imagination. The French Government thus imposed quota. As of this year, only 5'000 visitors are allowed per day. The restriction for Port-Cros, where we were 2 days ago, is 1'500 visitors.
Wonderful Sunrise at 7 am despite Winds of 28 knots
It would be a slow day. We noticed in the morning when going fruit shopping. Far fewer tourists arrived. There must have been lots of stories of visitors throwing up on the ferry yesterday. These are not small boats. They danced on the waves like professionals in an Olympic dance competition - water splashes abound. With the island mostly to ourselves w decided to explore it a bit further.
Vineyard one the way to Mas de Langoustier in the west of the Island
There are 40 hectares of wines on the island, all managed by Domaine de l'Île. The company was sold in 2019 to Chanel, the French luxury brand who already owns wine estates in Bordeaux. Domaine de l'Île currently produces 20'000 bottles of white and 120'000 bottles of rosé. Chanel acquired the estate since global demand for rosé is rising whilst production capacity in France is limited. Chanel plans to increase the production to 200'000 bottles a year.
The Grapes are already well advanced and soon ready for harvest
The rosé is a blend of 32% Grenache, 31% Syrah, 20% Consult, 12% Mourvèdre and 5% Tibouren and is one of my favourites. The white is made from 100% Rolle - a hidden gem. It is a lively, fresh white that goes well with fish and sea food.
We had lunch at the Square in Porquerolles Village - and some white Domaine de l'Île
Our hope that the wind would calm down this afternoon was not justified. Two days ago, the weather forecast predicted winds for only 36 hours. Checking with the Captain though made clear that there was no relief for today. The winds would only calm down in the early morning hours. The high swell though would continue for another day. There is some more planning to do for our sailing towards Marseille.
Wind Chart for 11 am today - we are still at the center
With plenty of time at hand in the afternoon, we went walking, swimming and reading. The only creatures not impressed by the high winds were the cycads or crickets. It seems the Mistral inspires them to make even more noise. The sound in the forest was overwhelming.
The cycads are difficult the spot - the Captain took this photo
Whilst some of us went for the hike to the Renaud beach with its crystal clear water, others preferred to visit the Carmignac Foundation which exhibits modern art since 2016. The foundation, founded in 2000, focuses on Pop Art and German Expressionists.
The Carmignac Foundation is just 5 minutes walking Distance for Porquerolles' main Village
By 5.30 pm, it was time to return. The waiting line for the ferry was remarkably short. We had seen much longer lines in previous years. The people were boarded in a few minutes.
The thin and short waiting line today at 5.30 pm at the Port of Porquerolles
Our Manatea, well tied in for another windy night. But winds should calm down by 3 am
Back on the boat I was looking into my notes from January, what business the Merchants and Bankers from Genoa pursued here. They rebuilt Saint-Tropez in the 15th century by sending 20 families. Genoa knew the area well. Already in the 13th century, they converted the waters between the two tombolo into salines. Their main customers were Marseille and Southern Italy. In the late 19th century, the Salines of Hyères produced 30'000 tons of salt and were one of the major French salines on the Mediterranean coast.
The Waters between the two Tombolo were converted into Salines in the 15th Centurty
The Salines closed in 1995 and became a natural reserve in 2001. The protected area covers 365 hectares. Labelled "humid zone o national importance", it now has an amazing range of wild bird life.
The Sunset indicates better Weather for tomorrow - notice the smaller waves?