OUR BLOG
"There's always a plan, but unexpected things happen and we just go with the flow. Though I do believe that fate and destiny often play their part"
sailing blog
We finally made it to Barbate on Saturday, so technically we're now in the Straights of Gibraltar. Despite very little wind, the sea was lumpy and once out of the Bay of Cadiz a rolling swell came from behind us, which meant Comino did a lot of surfing.
Barbate used to be a centre for the Tuna industry. The processing factories are empty now, but they still put huge nets from the harbour entrance to almost 20 miles out at sea, using an ancient method called Almadraba to harvest the catch. Basically, they raise the net inch by inch until hundreds of huge Tuna come to the surface. Fishermen then hook them with giant gaffs and pull them into small boats for slaughter. It's a very bloody affair - I've seen it on telly and you need a strong stomach to watch it. I'm afraid the town itself is rather shabby, with very little of interest for visiting yotties. It's a bit of a hike from the marina too. However, the beach is lovely, with plenty of eateries along the seafront. Out of season, I imagine it's pretty dead around here. The really fascinating thing about Barbate is the view across to North Africa.....just amazing. Yesterday, we celebrated our first 100 days aboard Comino in style. We dined at a really good Chinese restaurant, then slept it off on the beach. I brought out the G&T in the evening (the first time in 100 days) and we watched the sun go down with a couple of "large ones", reflecting on how fantastic our odyssey has been so far. Tomorrow is the big finale to part-one of our journey. We set set sail for Gibraltar, which means going round Tarifa, one of the windiest places on earth. A deep breath is required, together with a steady nerve.
1 Comment
Em
27/8/2012 10:34:43 am
Wow can't believe you're nearly in Gibraltar! What an amazing journey you've been on so far, and what amazing places yet to be discovered. We're all very proud of you both. xxx
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A FEW PICS OF COMINOClick a photo to enlarge and use side arrows to scroll through.
COMINO IS CURRENTLY HEREDID SOMEONE SAY SEAFOODOn our journey from Portugal to Greece we enjoyed amazing seafood almost everywhere we stopped. Finding the local fish market was always a priority because seafood was so plentiful and so reasonably priced. And, the displays were a feast for your eyes.
Locating a market sometimes meant pounding the pavements in searing heat, but if you kept your eyes peeled, you often came across a little clue. The pic below was a rather less than subtle advert for a fish market - it was eight feet tall.
Freshly cooked onboard, a plateful of giant prawns, baked in wine and garlic, washed down with a few glasses of local vino, was like heaven. Watching the sunset on the boat eating a meal like that was the epitome of "living the dream".
Now we're in Greece we've another favourite to savour. I'm talking about fried Calamari. It's usually good, but every now and then it's off-the-scale fantastic. At Natalie's Taverna on Kontokali Beach in Corfu, it was nothing short of epic.
We're based in Lefkas now and It's been a bit of a mission to find somewhere just as good. And we have. Rakias is a mere ten minute walk from the marina and this little fish market, with its very own taverna attached, is quite sensational.
Oh...and it's also worth mentioning that, on occasions, a bit of barbequed Octopus is on the menu at some of the tavernas we frequent. Can I resist....no. SUNSETS AND DRAMATIC SKIESNo filters, or any other monkey business, have been used to enhance these images.
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