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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"
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We're now in Gibraltar feeling somewhat relieved that the journey past Tarifa is over. As it happened, we passed this notorious headland, where the world windsurfing championships are held, without incident. Actually, it was almost peaceful apart from the rather confused sea, which bucked and rolled Comino for a short while. Then, the ten mile sail up to "The Rock" was perfect in every way with the dramatic mountains of Morocco rising from the sea on our starboard side. As we entered the Bay of Gibraltar the wind shot up and we had a very bumpy ride up to the marina at La Linea, on the Spanish side of the border. The plan is to now settle down for a month or so enjoying the many fascinating attractions in Gibraltar, including Marks and Spencer, fish n' chips, English beer etc. etc. Only kidding, I hear the place is pretty interesting beyond the obvious Brit influence, especially the miles of tunnels inside the rock itself.
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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. Final prep has been completed for our morning departure to Barbate. Comino has been scrubbed and all things that might fly around in a bouncy sea have been nailed to the floor (metaphorically speaking). We'll slip our lines at 7.30am, with an ETA some six hours later. My next blog will feature something of a milestone, because on 26th Aug we'll celebrate 100 days aboard the boat. Here's a few pics for your interest. Yesterday's planned departure to Barbate didn't happen for two reasons. Firstly, the wind down there had shifted to an easterly, which means the sea state could have been unpleasant, even in quite light airs. And secondly, Nicki has got a trapped nerve in her back, causing serious pain when she sits down.
The easterly "Levante" is now set for about a week, as is the norm, after which time it will turn west again. My weather research this morning suggests next Friday or Saturday could be suitable windows for our getaway. Let's wait and see. So, time to put the laptop away for a few days and enjoy Rota some more. Nicki can relax and get well again with plenty of swimming to help sort out the problem. The temperature here is up in the high nineties, with very little wind. Good job we've found a bar that serves large cold beers for one euro a pop! Here we are on Thursday and still in Rota. We both woke up really early on Tuesday feeling a little ropey - too much sun the day before I think. Anyway, we decided that a six hour sail wasn't what we wanted, so we rolled over and went back to sleep. It means that the next weather widow appropriate for the Straights isn't until Sunday. Because we're not working to a timetable, it really doesn't matter........manyana and all that! Last week I yomped two miles to get a new camping gaz cylinder. A four mile round trip in 90 degrees was one hell of a workout I can tell you. To make sure I don't need to do this very often, I invested in an electric griddle. The idea is to cook more healthier and cut down on costs, given that electricity is free on the pontoon. Here are some of my recent gastronomic delights.... Just for the record, not all of the food above was one meal. My new galley toy is a real pleasure and will pay for itself in no time at all. Plus, I love going to the shops and markets each day to buy fresh local ingredients. All in all life in Rota for the past few weeks has been wonderful. The beach is top notch and the town is Spanish through and through. I'm going to put some pictures on the blog tomorrow of our last week here in Rota. However, today I'm doing the final bits of navigation and route planning in prep for our departure on Tuesday. Next stop is Barbate, but to get there we have to round Cabo Trafalgar, a rather fearsome headland surrounded by rocks and reefs. It's also the spot where Nelson met his end in 1805, hence the name. With the chartplotter still not working this will be quite a testing journey and will require the very best of my seamanship skills, using paper charts.
It's also worth mentioning that yesterday we hit 100 degrees for the first time. Much of the afternoon was spent standing up to our necks in the sea trying to stay cool. I kept my sunglasses on at all times, so I'm assuming I looked cool as well! Last night was clearly party night for the youngsters. At four in the morning, I sat in the cockpit with a cold beer watching the many hundreds of people in and around the marina nightclub giving it large. It was impossible to sleep with all that noise, so I felt I'd join them - albeit from a distance. At seven the music finally stopped and the crowds drifted away. We heard that the Spanish authorities allow this mayhem every weekend because youth unemployment is at 50%. If they tried to intervene, they'd have riots on their hands, so better to allow the kids to let off steam. Seems sensible to me - in England the police would rock up with truncheons in hand and wonder why people got stroppy! Our daughter Emily-Jane and her partner, Will, departed on Saturday after a week of good times in splendid sunshine. Rota certainly has plenty to offer as a holiday destination. Needles to say, we sampled many culinary treats of one kind or another. The fried choco (cuttlefish) was a firm favourite on more than one occasion. On Wednesday we all jumped on the ferry to visit the historical city of Cadiz. Talk about a WOW factor......what a place. This ancient city was on the receiving end of many a pounding by British cannons, including Sir Walter Raleigh and, of course, Lord Nelson. No wonder they built such strong ramparts with so many lookout towers. It was strange to peer across the water to see where these famous English seamen came from to raid the city in square rigged warships. Cadiz is a mighty fine city with so much of its old architecture intact. The narrow streets lead to many splendid parks and plazas where you can admire exotic plants and topiary. We walked for miles admiring the sights. Right in the middle of the city is a beach.....how great is that. Only problem is, it's not very big, so unsurprisingly towel space is in short supply. Below are a few more pics of the day, including a confrontation with a rather frightening croc who just happened to be lurking in a pool right in the heart of the city........only kidding.......he's made of concrete, but it took a few glances to be sure. For the last two nights in Rota we've been to the 2012 Festival Urta, just outside the marina. The purpose is to celebrate all things fish, but really it's an excuse to stay up till the early hours consuming local sherry varieties, with a bit of fried/boiled/grilled/ fish on the side. The stage performances have been.......mmm interesting. That said, the Spanish certainly know how to party. At one point, I wandered into a Salsa disco where a guy was leading the young crowd of trendies in a dance routine that was nothing short of pornagraphic, to say the least. To be honest, with all the excitement of the last couple of days, I think it's time for a holiday! |
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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