Summer holiday 2004
le Cap D´Agde − France


Tuesday, 6th July

This morning we sleep late again and our day begins with a family nine-thirty wake-up call. How are we doing and how is the weather out here? Well, thank you for asking. All’s fine and so is the weather, be it that is slightly cooler then last year. Mind you, last year was extremely warm! During our walk to the resort’s shop for some fresh bread, we notice that the morning sky is densely packed with clouds. Apparently a rainstorm is travelling north right over our heads. Having returned with the bread, rain gradually starts coming down. A few drops at first, slowly increasing to mild refreshing summer rain. Hardly the storm mentioned before. We have breakfast indoors with the garden doors wide open, enjoying the cool morning air. Around eleven the weather improves and the rain stops. It is around twelve when the clouds finely break and the sun appears again.

I decide that I have been indoors long enough for today and I leave for the old city of Agde. This turns out to be an interesting place with quite a history. Even Napoleon Bonaparte has once visited the small town of Agde according to the memorial that has been raised to commemorate this occasion. The old centre consists out of buildings that have been there for a long, long time. They seem to have been constructed out of large square blocks of rock, forming narrow shady streets with tall three story buildings. Although the attention is drawn on eye level mostly, it pays of to look upwards every now and then. Balconies are decorated with beautiful iron works, most of them corroded and worn down by the elements. So are the shutters and front doors with their blistered paint. I could fill a photo album with photographs of the many different, beautifully worn down front doors alone. This is the “Couleur Locale” of Agde, all of these facades, each one with its own character.

The streets all seem to lead to the waterfront at the river l’Herault where once boats used to moor and cargo was handled. These days the former narrow docks have been elongated with wooden plateaus that are hanging over the water. On top of these wooden plateaus restaurants have created their sitting areas overlooking the wide river l’Herault. Here one can have a meal whilst overlooking the river, enjoying the quiet, and the cool wind coming from across the river.

Having finished my walk-about through Agde I return to the car and follow directions to le Grau Agde. It is here where the river l’Herault ends and disappears into the vastness of the Mediterranean. It is quite a different place compared to the old city of Agde. There are no very old buildings here. Everything looks kind of new. Like it was build only fifty to sixty years ago. Everything is focust on the tourist industry. Lots of restaurants, souvenir shops, rooms to let, boats to rent, etc.. I park the car and continue my walk parallel to the river and towards the beach.

Here, the river l’Herault flows into the Mediterranean with on both its banks a long pier stretching out into the sea. On both the pier ends, a large light beacon has been constructed. Alongside the eastern pier lots of people are fishing. I follow the river to the far end of the pier. Out here there is a strong wind blowing and waves are breaking on the pear’s head with full force. Every now and then a large fishing trawler steams upstream the river. The piers themselves have been constructed from large square blocks of rock, which have eroded considerably over the years and due to the many gaps in between them, are a true challenge to your ankles.

Having enjoyed the fears wind at the piers end enough, I now turn around and walk back to the car. I have had enough culture for one day, and I decide to return to the apartment for drinks and some leisure.