'Puzzled'

Episode 35 – ‘Boreas’

Episode 35 – ‘Boreas’Saint-Tropez, France, 29 December

Mohammed parks his roadster at the car park by the port. Gently steering me towards the harbour, he suggests have a look at another ‘toy’ of his, a forty-meter yacht ‘Boreas’.

His polite insistence annoys me. Though, I’m not new to Saint-Tropez, I've never had a chance to fully immerse into the charms of this Provençal fishing village: stroll its narrow winding streets, examine the ruins of the Saracen fort, or sit in a cafe, watching the world go by.  Somehow, I always seemed to pass through it in a rush.

'All-right,' I agree reluctantly, 'but what a strange name to choose for a yacht.'

‘Why strange?’ he asks, surprised.

'Well, you come from a hot sunny country with no winters, and Boreas is the Greek God of the cold north wind and a bringer of winter ... '

'Yes, correct!' He exclaims, his eyes shining.

'I'm sorry, but I don't quite get it ... ' I say, perplexed.

'But it is simple, the very reason for calling it after the bringer of winter is because back home we don't have one!'

'Oh, I see,' I reply, 'it seems your yacht is an expression of you craving for what you can never have ... '

'Maybe so,’ he replies suddenly looking thoughtful.

We come to a huge three-level black yacht. On its lower deck the figure of a man in a bright wind-cheater appears. He sees us, waves and runs down the gangway.

'Bonjour, Monsieur Al Murshidi!' the man greets Mohammed, a wide smile on his tanned face.

'Bonjour, Gaspard,' Mohammed responds and, taking my hand, leads me up the gangway aboard.