It is here, in this at own once famed for its shipyards, we have put Amante to be for winter. The testimony of cranes, some derelict, some, like the one built by Eiffel, are kept for nostalgia and as one local put it, decoration.

Worth noting, the lines running from the masts down, attach to an old rail track as a precaution for the Mistral wind, to keep the masts from flexing. Sheesh!

We spent about two weeks in La Ciotat, working on the boat and traveling Provence by car. The town is still a bit depressed from the loss of the shipyards as a major employer years ago, but still has charm and, according to Rudy who lived there once, a criminal element that he warned us about. We stuck to the waterfront at night, but never felt uneasy. Maybe memories die slowly. We enjoyed great food, runs along the waterfront and easy access to Cassis, Aix en Provence and more if we had had more time to play.