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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
Yesterday (Friday) we left Marbella feeling as if we'd like to visit the place again. We had intended to untie our lines on Tuesday, but the wind has been blowing wildly for days, causing the sea to cut up quite rough. Thankfully, our journey on to Fuengirola was uneventful - no wind to speak of, so we had to motor all the way. We travelled just a few hundred metres offshore, allowing us to admire the scenery along the coast. Fuengirola is a true Costa del Sol tourist resort. In happy hour (which seems to be all day) you can get a pint of San Miguel for one euro. Lord knows how little fish n' chips will be? I can't wait to find out. Let me firstly do a bit of catching up and talk about our trip to Puerto Banus, over a week ago now. We decided to arrive in style, so we hopped on the shiny white ferry in Marbella to do the half hour journey across the bay. Approaching from the sea (pic taken with my phone camera hence the blur) it all looks pretty normal. But, as you enter the harbour and see the big yachts moored up and the Ferraris parked on the key-side, you know it's going to be slightly different. In truth, the harbour in Puerto Banus is just about all there is that's really posh. If you wander two streets back you could be absolutely anywhere. It's just another high rise holiday resort with a very fancy waterside bit. After a nice tapas lunch away from the harbour area, meaning we didn't need a second mortgage to afford it, we wandered around to see what we could see. Firstly, there's the shops.......all the world's major designer brands lined up alongside each other. Then there's the cars.......super. Then there's the people.........a mixture of eye candy, Brit blokes on stag do's, baffled tourists and people who've clearly been in the sun too long. And, of course, there are some people who look absolutely loaded. We also saw a party boat filling up with trendy youngsters who were revving up for a wild day of alcohol abuse and blatant strutting of their stuff in-front of the opposite sex. Had I been ten (OK thirty) years younger I would have joined them.....or as Nicki said "yea,in your dreams". I mused that if ever I wanted a second career, I could always apply to be a party boat captain. It was a day of admiring shiny baubles in the shops, gazing at lush supercars, drooling over flashy boats and discreetly watching interesting people. Puerto Banus is, in our opinion, a great day out, but once you've seen it.... that's it. Yes, if I had squilions in the bank I might hang out there now and then. To be fair, the waterside restaurants did look fantastic. In summary....... been there......couldn't afford the T-shirt. Here's a few images of our time in one of the world's most famous yacht havens.
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Just over a week ago we set off from Estepona for the three hour hop to Marbella. Within minutes of leaving the harbour dolphins were all around us, dancing alongside and diving under our bow. What a wonderful uplifting experience it was. Nicki sat on the front of the boat in total awe. I tried to take pics, but the little blighters just wouldn't keep still. Nicki was so excited, I was worried she might leap overboard to commune with them. The truth is, we didn't quite know what to expect of Marbella. Lots of kiss me quick hats maybe; expat gangsters looking menacing; a sprawling concrete jungle, or might it actually be an OK sort of place? What was it to be? Well, we're pleased to report that Marbella has made quite a positive impression on us. Yes, there are lots of high rise apartment blocks, some of them from the early days of development and some very recent additions that look extremely upmarket. There are also plenty of sumptuous villas surrounded by exotic gardens, barely visible through the dense shrubbery. Clearly, there's a lot of money here. All in all, the feel of the place is super relaxed and particularly well groomed. The never ending beachside boulevard takes you all the way to Puerto Banus with ornate marble paving and lush palm trees lining the route. The main marina area is, as you would expect, full of chill out bars, good restaurants and very beautiful people lounging around in rather revealing swimwear. What we didn't see were groups of drunk brits sporting sunburnt bodies, spouting foul language and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Sorry if I'm being a bit stereotypical here. As for Marbella old town - breathtaking hardly comes close. It's a labyrinth of cobbled streets and alleyways; gorgeous traditional architecture; amazing little bars and restaurants in truly stunning settings; posh boutiques; little courtyards; trailing flowers everywhere....I could go on, so let's stop raving about it and allow the pictures to do the talking. The area around the main beach is lush with greenery and again marble is in abundance. It gives the feel of somewhere just a little bit special and the fact that you can land a helicopter right in the centre of things rather says it all. The other day we did what everyone else does here at some point - made the short trip to the infamous Puerto Banus. I've been sat in a bar writing this blog for quite some time now, so the full story and pictures of the things we saw will continue later. But here's one photo to set the tone of what's to come..........catch up again soon.
The big question on our minds was whether the Med might be warm enough to swim in yet. A stroll down to the beach yesterday, on Gibraltar's East side, which is just about the Mediterranean, provided the answer. NO! Absolutely, definitely, NOT! Dipping our feet in the briny confirmed that the sea will be out of bounds until some serious scorchio weather has warmed it up. That won't be happening this week for sure. For once the forecasters got it right and the predicted strong winds arrived on cue in the middle of the night. Not much sleep was had by all as we bounced around in the sloshing marina. By five am, I was sat in the cockpit nervously watching as we made contact with the concrete wall of our pontoon every few minutes. Thank goodness for big fat fenders that's all I can say. I also observed the local fishermen departing in the pitch black into a sea that must have been pretty dam rough. What brave people they are. Obviously, we're going nowhere until it all settles down again. Until then there are still plenty of jobs to be done on board. Nicki is busy sewing mosquito nets ready for when the little blighters attack our sweet blood in the dead of night. I've got my own special way of dealing with them........simply chuck the net over your head...... but I haven't worked out yet how to sip my wine. Suggestions on a postcard please. On Saturday we set sail from La Linea at 08.30am and headed down the West side of Gibraltar towards Europa Point, the southernmost tip. At the bottom you turn to Port (left) which takes you almost immediately into the Med. What a monumental occasion this was - entering the Mediterranean at last. It all started quite well, but as we approached Europa Point thick fog began to pile over the cliffs as if someone was ladling it out of a bucket in huge dollops. It was a terrifying sight. Had we not been sailing in company, alongside another boat with radar and AIS, I would not have continued into a busy shipping area in such conditions. But, with a deep breath, we motored on as the visibility deteriorated further. Within minutes we were completely engulfed in the thickest fog I've ever seen. My strategy was quite simple; stick my bow under Cygnus III's stern and don't stray an inch all the way to Estepona. I spoke to Mark regularly on the radio and he briefed me on the whereabouts of any ships and buoys around us. On one occasion we both had to veer very suddenly as a small fishing boat loomed out of the fog just yards in front of us. After a few hours the fog eased a little and so did the tension. Unbelievably, the fog lifted in a matter of minutes, just as we approached Estepona harbour. The journey took just over six hours and boy were we relieved to tie up (stern to) in Estepona Marina. Nicki was superb out at sea, despite the frightening lack of visibility. She must be getting well and truly used to life on the ocean waves. Estepona has turned out to be an absolute delight. It's a tourist town with a difference. The narrow streets in the old area are festooned with flowers and the houses are all freshly whitewashed. Beautiful. I think these two pictures speak for themselves. On Sunday, whilst wandering around the town, we bumped into a traditional Spanish procession with lots of dressing up and very well groomed horses. It was great fun following the noisy troupe, admiring the flamenco dancing senoritas in all their finery. The caravans were a bit weird - but pretty. So, what next - now we're in the Med? Well, the weather is set to get very windy over the coming days. That seems like a good excuse to sit tight in Estepona and enjoy more of the delights in this wonderful little gem of a place. Our onward journey, when we decide to move, will take us to Puerto Banus and Marbella, where we'll join the beautiful people for day or two. We're now back in the water.......Comino looks brand new again, especially her bottom, which for the record you could eat your dinner off ! Staying in a hotel for a few days was such a treat and the bath at the end of a hard days work was very special. Even more so with a cold beer - see red can on the right. In the morning we set sail for Estepona. We'll be travelling with two other boats to give us a bit of comfort on our first sail in seven months. The journey should be around five hours with light Westerly winds to help us along. Leaving La Linea will be a bit sad but thankfully the good friends we've made are the one's in our little flotilla. Mark and Angie, Telfer and Denise are great fun and I expect there'll be a bit of a party when we tie up in Estepona......maybe even a first swim in the Med. Now there's a thought.
On Monday morning at 9.00am precisely we were craned out of the water and rested on dry land for the first time in over twelve months. It was a bit of a shock to see Comino's bottom looking like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. What with all the plant life, plus an assortment of sea creatures all treating our hull as if it were a marine sanctuary, it was clear that the antifoul type I was using was not good enough for the warmer waters down here. However, when the man with the pressure hose rocked up, it was only a matter of minutes before all the debris was blasted off revealing a smooth and tidy bottom again. In rather warm conditions, we both set about the pre-painting prep work which involved a lot of vigorous scrubbing, sanding and polishing. The star prize has to go to Nicki for the work she did on the prop. In a couple of hours it was transformed from what looked like a lump of the Great Barrier Reef into the most shiny piece of bronze wizardry you've ever seen. For those in the know, this is a Brunton Autoprop, which alternates it's pitch as you accelerate and decelerate by rotating the blades to create maximum drive with optimum fuel efficiency. For those not in the know, it's an arm and a leg job but it performs like no other - thus justifying the eye watering price tag !!! As I write, we're about to set off to the boat again for another day of hard graft in the sunshine. We'll polish the topsides till Comino shines like a mirror. Yesterday I completed the two coats of antifoul using an altogether better product, but the cost means we'll now be eating beans on toast for a while. Talking of which, we did actually have beans for breakfast for the last two days. Why.......because we're staying in a rather luxurious four star hotel opposite the marina and the breakfast buffet includes a full english if you like......which of course we both do!!! This is our little bit of self indulgence to soften the pain of working on the boat for ten hours a day. When we get back in the evening the long hot bath makes it all seem worthwhile.
Comino goes back in the water tomorrow so I'll take some pics showing her looking like brand new again. It will also mark the beginning of our onward journey to the Med. The charts are ready......we're rearing to go......the weather is glorious.......Costa del Sol here we come. The past couple of weeks have been spent doing very little other than enjoying life in the slow lane. The weather has been rather changeable with short spells of blustery wind and even occasional rain showers, but sunshine has never really been absent for more than a few hours. Needless to say, both of us are brown as berries already.
Some aspects of domestic life have been ever so slightly frustrating of late - the mens showers have been cold for nearly two weeks whilst a vital plumbing part makes it way at a snails pace form Barcelona. As the marina manager said "it would be quicker to get it from Australia". Apparently this is typical of how things work in Spain! It got interesting when the men started using the womens showers (me included) much to their initial annoyance, until they realised the alternative was very smelly partners living in close quarters in the confined space of a boat. Common sense prevailed - both sexes remain squeaky clean with most peoples modesty still intact. In Gibraltar, the supermarket Morrisons have enjoyed a monopoly on providing British foodstuffs for many years. Spanish people flock over the border in their thousands every day to buy brands and products that we take for granted. Obviously, the local Gibraltarians shop there too so the tills are ringing non stop. However, free market competition has arrived in the shape of Eroski, a new Spanish chain with a twist. They supply products from Waitrose, but even more interesting is the location. The shop is situated less than a hundred yards inside Gibraltar, literally a stones throw away from the border. This makes it perfect for us as we sit a stones throw away from the border on the Spanish side. Door to door takes us about ten minutes, even taking into account we have to go through passport control. And what happens when fierce competion like this takes place - yes you've guessed it - the prices come down. In order to stop us, and the Spanish masses, travelling another mile down the road to Morrisons, some products are ludicrously cheap. Now what do you think they have made their top challenger item. RIOJA !!! It's an unbelivable bargain at just £1 a bottle. My mate Ray (a lifetime fan of this red liquid nectar) will be apoplectic at the injustice of it all. Next week is going to be a busy one. We get lifted out of the water on Monday to do the anti foul painting, which, with all the other jobs required, means we'll be parked in the boatyard until Thursday. We've booked into a local hotel for three nights and although the days will be tough going, they've got a swimming pool to relax in come the evenings. So, all of this means that the following week we'll slip our lines from La Linea to sail round the bottom of Gibraltar and cross the line into the Med. Estapona will be the first port of call, although we are toying with the idea of heading over to Morocco first for a few weeks instead. Watch this space!!! |
A FEW PICS OF COMINO Click 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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