Reader's Digest
Ok, so here is the reader's digest version of the time since my last entry: I haven't had reliable wifi or reliable down time - actually have been a bit off the radar.
The Rallye du Canal de Midi is a big part of my life - the friends I have made through the event, and the time that I have spent in France as a result of it have influenced me a great deal.
An amazing group of women rowed the Canal du Midi with me in 2005 for the first time (thanks Karen Troon), and I think I may have only missed three or four years since then. The race is 206 kms over five days down the canals, portaging the boats on a 'chariot' between the ecluse. As a rower, I think it is the ultimate challenge - and I have rowed it 5 or 6 times. (Ann?).
After the first year rowing the event, Andre, the President of the event, took me aside and told me that I should organise a similar event in NZ. I very nicely ignored him, and he mentioned it again the following year. In 2010 he contacted me (via google translate) to say that he had obtained funding to bring me back to France to learn the machinations of the running of the event so that I could then do as he had instructed and set up a randonee in NZ. I came, and put on the proverbial powerful 'green shirt'.
The other side of the deal was that I then needed to apply for funding to get the French organisers back to NZ for a rowing event. You can see that I had no choice. Andre can only be ignored for so long. The rest is history - Hoea Kaha was born and has run on alternative years since 2013. Andre hasn't been to Hoea Kaha yet, but we have had a full compliment of French entries in the event over the years. Since then I have donned the 'green shirt of omniscience/ omnipresence just about every year in France. I'm in Henri's Security Team and we are like 'wackamoles'. We are everywhere, back and forth along the canal, stopping traffic when the boats need to be portaged across roads, making sure that the eclusiers are warned that the event is coming through, making sure that barriers are open so that we can pass; and it's important to find a cafe in between. for a quick coffee!
This year we had a record number of falls, twisted ankles and sprains, sunstroke. The thing about being on the green team is that you are a voyeur - we know that the first day is difficult as teams come to grips with lifting the boat in and out of the canal, putting it on to the chariot - fatigue sets in and we sit back and watch the fall out. Tempers flair, dominate personalities raise their heads. My pep talk to the teams is that the deal is to get to the end of the race and still like the people in your boat. It's particularly interesting watching the personality traits which seem to dominate in people from various countries. Case in point, the wonderful German woman who came to me to say that she had left her bike helmet in her room. I looked at her struggling with telling me this, and asked whether she was concerned about her safety (it's only a recommendation that a helmet is worn) but she said no, she 'was just respecting the regulations'. I found her another helmet.
This year we had 21 crews, plenty of Germans French crews, two NZ crews, a large Australian crew, a wonderful crew from Boston - and my job is to translate and to anticipate the needs of the English speakers. (Apart from the cycling). To my amusement, I discovered that we are in fact completely interchangeable (apart from Henri) - I responded in like when one of the German rowers said 'guten morgen' and she asked me why I spoke German so well - I, of course, replied that I didn't speak it at all, but she was insistent - 'you spoke to me yesterday in fluent German'. No, that was Veronique. Then after that confusion cleared (she still wasn't convinced) her friend came up and asked where my daughter was - no, that's Magali. Green shirt, dark hair, female - interchangeable.
We are four nights in the castle at Carcarsonne (in the auberge de jeunesse). A huge school camp in a castle. We eat breakfast at 6, on the bus by 7 to get to the boats, get back to the castle between 7 and 8, dinner at 8:30 and then it starts again - hardly a moment to think (which given the level of bruises, aches and the fatigue, is probably a good thing).
The other thing worth mentioning is the food - its traditional French food, three courses including lovely cheeses and fruits - with morning and afternoon tea in between. I eat what is presented to me for the first couple of days and then start feeling like a duck being prepared for fois gras! I, who rarely eat chocolate, hoover up Bounty Bars and drink coke! There were some blank faces when i remarked that the Bounty Bars are my favourite - the pronunciation is 'Boonty. Who knew.
Last few details - it is a race, boats are timed as they leave and clocked out at the end of each piece (exception is Tuesday /Wednesday afternoons which are not timed because the paths with the boats one by one are a bit treacherous). At each lock the boats are lifted out of the canal, placed on a trolley (you will see it in the photos on the back of the boat when it is in the water) walked or run to the other side of the lock, and relaunched. Crews get carefully in and out carefully - some can move more agilely than others and it may have been a record year for people falling in and boats flipping. The boats are heavy but not as heavy as the first years we rowed, when the boats were wooden!
So, here is a gallery of photos from the week. All crews got to the end very nicely, the fastest boat nearly three hours ahead of the last boat, but who's counting!
Andre, the President, in the middle at the first evening meal - too cold and windy to eat outside. Lovely temperature for rowing though.
Portage across the canal at Ecluse de L'Aiguille
Wednesday afternoon - not timed because of the tricky portage and entry into the water
Beautiful canal boat in Le Somail which also doubles as a cafe / pain au chocolat stop
This is the amazing church in Bezier, also on the St Jacques de Compostelle trail.
The Rallye du Canal de Midi is a big part of my life - the friends I have made through the event, and the time that I have spent in France as a result of it have influenced me a great deal.
An amazing group of women rowed the Canal du Midi with me in 2005 for the first time (thanks Karen Troon), and I think I may have only missed three or four years since then. The race is 206 kms over five days down the canals, portaging the boats on a 'chariot' between the ecluse. As a rower, I think it is the ultimate challenge - and I have rowed it 5 or 6 times. (Ann?).
After the first year rowing the event, Andre, the President of the event, took me aside and told me that I should organise a similar event in NZ. I very nicely ignored him, and he mentioned it again the following year. In 2010 he contacted me (via google translate) to say that he had obtained funding to bring me back to France to learn the machinations of the running of the event so that I could then do as he had instructed and set up a randonee in NZ. I came, and put on the proverbial powerful 'green shirt'.
The other side of the deal was that I then needed to apply for funding to get the French organisers back to NZ for a rowing event. You can see that I had no choice. Andre can only be ignored for so long. The rest is history - Hoea Kaha was born and has run on alternative years since 2013. Andre hasn't been to Hoea Kaha yet, but we have had a full compliment of French entries in the event over the years. Since then I have donned the 'green shirt of omniscience/ omnipresence just about every year in France. I'm in Henri's Security Team and we are like 'wackamoles'. We are everywhere, back and forth along the canal, stopping traffic when the boats need to be portaged across roads, making sure that the eclusiers are warned that the event is coming through, making sure that barriers are open so that we can pass; and it's important to find a cafe in between. for a quick coffee!
This year we had a record number of falls, twisted ankles and sprains, sunstroke. The thing about being on the green team is that you are a voyeur - we know that the first day is difficult as teams come to grips with lifting the boat in and out of the canal, putting it on to the chariot - fatigue sets in and we sit back and watch the fall out. Tempers flair, dominate personalities raise their heads. My pep talk to the teams is that the deal is to get to the end of the race and still like the people in your boat. It's particularly interesting watching the personality traits which seem to dominate in people from various countries. Case in point, the wonderful German woman who came to me to say that she had left her bike helmet in her room. I looked at her struggling with telling me this, and asked whether she was concerned about her safety (it's only a recommendation that a helmet is worn) but she said no, she 'was just respecting the regulations'. I found her another helmet.
This year we had 21 crews, plenty of Germans French crews, two NZ crews, a large Australian crew, a wonderful crew from Boston - and my job is to translate and to anticipate the needs of the English speakers. (Apart from the cycling). To my amusement, I discovered that we are in fact completely interchangeable (apart from Henri) - I responded in like when one of the German rowers said 'guten morgen' and she asked me why I spoke German so well - I, of course, replied that I didn't speak it at all, but she was insistent - 'you spoke to me yesterday in fluent German'. No, that was Veronique. Then after that confusion cleared (she still wasn't convinced) her friend came up and asked where my daughter was - no, that's Magali. Green shirt, dark hair, female - interchangeable.
We are four nights in the castle at Carcarsonne (in the auberge de jeunesse). A huge school camp in a castle. We eat breakfast at 6, on the bus by 7 to get to the boats, get back to the castle between 7 and 8, dinner at 8:30 and then it starts again - hardly a moment to think (which given the level of bruises, aches and the fatigue, is probably a good thing).
The other thing worth mentioning is the food - its traditional French food, three courses including lovely cheeses and fruits - with morning and afternoon tea in between. I eat what is presented to me for the first couple of days and then start feeling like a duck being prepared for fois gras! I, who rarely eat chocolate, hoover up Bounty Bars and drink coke! There were some blank faces when i remarked that the Bounty Bars are my favourite - the pronunciation is 'Boonty. Who knew.
Last few details - it is a race, boats are timed as they leave and clocked out at the end of each piece (exception is Tuesday /Wednesday afternoons which are not timed because the paths with the boats one by one are a bit treacherous). At each lock the boats are lifted out of the canal, placed on a trolley (you will see it in the photos on the back of the boat when it is in the water) walked or run to the other side of the lock, and relaunched. Crews get carefully in and out carefully - some can move more agilely than others and it may have been a record year for people falling in and boats flipping. The boats are heavy but not as heavy as the first years we rowed, when the boats were wooden!
So, here is a gallery of photos from the week. All crews got to the end very nicely, the fastest boat nearly three hours ahead of the last boat, but who's counting!
Hawkes Bay contingent
Oops, sharp corner for the Australians.
Beautiful morning light on the canal before the boats arrive
Chariot on the back of the boat
Guitot and Magali - Guitot cycles at the back, and when we see him we know the last boat has arrived. He's always smiling, and has a large selection of bits and pieces to fix anything including flat bike tyres.
Tried to put this into my pocket, sadly it didn't fit
Wednesday afternoon - not timed because of the tricky portage and entry into the water
Lunch in Carcassone
Did I mention there is a tunnel? Logistics for the security team (aka the dream team) on that one with canal boats wanting to come through..
This is the amazing church in Bezier, also on the St Jacques de Compostelle trail.
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