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"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
Comino arrived in Chipiona on Thursday after a five hour sail in light winds (on the nose) and a slight swell. I say sail....actually we motored all the way. My chart plotter has packed in, so navigation was done the old fashioned way with paper charts, dividers and plenty of maths. Seeing a shipwreck on the rocks as we approached Chipiona was a bit disconcerting, but we managed to negotiate the reefs successfully. This is a place with three distinct parts. Beach, seafront promenade and old Moorish town. The picture below shows just a bit of the beach and boy do the Spanish pack themselves in like Sardines. The old part of the town is quite spectacular. Pretty squares in amongst a network of small lanes, where you have many authentic tapas bars to choose from. In the morning it's very quiet. At lunchtime it's very busy. At night it goes nuts. Thousands of people mill around, enjoying the buzzing atmosphere. The bars and restaurants are packed to the rafters with Spanish diners enjoying food that is out of this world. Seafood of every type is favourite, which is hardly surprising given that the main industry here is fishing. Chipiona is world famous for it's light sherry called Moscatel. There are traditional Bodegas in the old town where you can drink many different types, from bone dry to sweet cream. I'm in the queue in the pic below and I have to admit, it wasn't my first time! The atmosphere is similar to wine tasting in French vineyards. They take this stuff very seriously and best of all, you can order small tapas delicacies to help wash it down. The Spanish are so civilised. Mind you, some of the locals did look like they'd been on the sherry for a very long time. The ancient fish traps here are really fascinating. Originally built by people back in the dark ages, they were further developed to perfection by the Romans. The principle is so simple. You build walls in the sea so that the fish swim above them whilst the tide is in, but when the tide goes out, they become stuck in giant rock pools created by a maze of inner walls. All my attempts at fishing from the boat have so far proved hopeless, so I might just go on an early morning raid on the beach tomorrow. That said, getting your grilled fish served up in a Spanish Bodega is a hec of a lot simpler. I mentioned a while back that we'd invested in a washing machine for Comino. Here you can see our marvellous device fully plumbed in and working brilliantly. People who know me well will see that my OCD side is fully exposed......the machine and the hose are colour coordinated !!!
We'll be staying here in Chipiona until Monday or Tuesday next week to sample more of it's delights. Then we need to round the peninsular into the Bay of Cadiz to find Rota marina. There are rocks and reefs everywhere which means a slightly stressful voyage is on the cards.
1 Comment
Sue and Roger
1/8/2012 02:52:22 am
Not only your hose and bucket colour co-ordinated but your washing also!
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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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