About this site

Piers and Lin du Pré bought their new Fleming 55 / 129, Play d'eau, in 2003.

She was berthed in Beaucette Marina, Guernsey in the Channel Islands at N49° 30’.197 W002° 30’.350 until she was sold in October 2021.

This site charts the thrilling adventures they had in her.

You can contact us here.

Where’s Play d’eau?

If the new owners have the AIS on, you can find where Play d'eau is right now.

Click here.

Zoom in and our position will be shown on a map.

Recent Posts

Rosendal

Rosendal Winery and Wellness Centre

A Rosendal Merlot
click to enlarge

We drove the three hour journey across mountains, through gorges and along tightly circuitous passes in our Avis hire car to the gorgeous Rosendal Winery, a tiny eight room ‘boutique’ hotel in the middle of nowhere between Roberston and Ashton.

Blue skies

Although it’s Autumn, we’ve had the most wonderful weather since we arrived. It’s been in the mid-thirties centigrade with cloudless blue skies and gentle breezes to keep us cool.

Chef David

Dinner that evening was completely unexpected. Not that we were given dinner, but that its quality was simply outstanding.

I began asking questions to our waitress who told us the chef was her husband, and that he’d worked in many top restaurants in the UK and Europe.

Rosendal Winery and Wellness Centre
click to enlarge

‘Where in the UK?’ I asked. ‘The Vineyard at Stockcross,’ came the reply. ‘But that was our local restaurant,’ I replied. ‘When was he there?’

It transpired that Chef David was there from the very start of the Vinyard having come from the Savoy Grill and other one and two Michelin Star kitchens before that. No wonder the food was delectable.

Two nights

With two nights at Rosendal, we tasted (and drank) their wines, ate sumptuously, and subjected ourselves to various Spa treatments. Various ‘pink’ treatments for Lin and ‘muscle bashing’ massages for Piers. He ached the next day.

The evenings were spent watching vivid, shot silk sunsets whilst toads croaked, crickets chirruped, and birds sang their lullabies.

The Last Supper

Rosendal’s infinity swimming pool

Chef David came to see us to discuss our last supper at Rosendal. We chose the tasting menu, menu Dégustation, but he insisted on making some changes given various courses we’d had previously.

It was divine. Eating on the veranda of a small boutique hotel in the middle of nowhere mountains, watching another sunset.

Bliss.

Piers and Lin
Rosendal Winery and Wellness Centre
…on temporary leave of absence from
Play d’eau
Fleming 55
Beaucette Marina

You can get in touch with us any time by using our Contact Form.

The drive across the mountains was
simply breathtaking
click to enlarge

Gorges and passes
never ending
click to enalrge

So majestic, mile after mile
click to enlarge

One hundred miles of stunning scenery
click to enlarge

One of Rosendal white wines
click to enlarge

You can eat in Rosendal’s cellars
click to enlarge

A weaver bird builds his nest
(taken from 150m away)
click to enlarge

Sunset at Rosendal
click to enlarge

1 comment to Rosendal

  • Hil

    How did you find Rosendal-? another heaven. It sounds glorious. How I envy you seeing those incredible sunsets, -and the birds? What kind of birdsong coming from what kind of birds? The quiet and peace must be wonderful there. How extraordinary about chef Dave! What fun. Again, your photos are fantastic. Thank you and thank you for all your blogs, but don’t let the writing of them take precious time from your holiday. We can wait until you return (with difficulty!).

    Lots of love, Hil x x

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