What we will miss most: Our seven months in Cartagena Spain has been one of those experiences you never, ever want to forget.
Just to prove we finally left, below is a video of Feijao heading out of YPC on 25 May 2012. Plans - summer in the Balearics, through Gibraltar in September 'ish, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands and then with lots of our friends from Cartagena and our favourite crew from Australia, it's across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. Oh and of course there won't be any updates for a while. Choosing crystal clear waters of the Balearics over an Internet Cafe (naturally).
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Alhambra, Granada Spain Just back from a road trip visiting some of Spain's beautiful Islamic architecture (my favourite). Lenny enjoyed himself napping or making cheese and biscuit snacks while I wrestled with the right hand gear stick and a gutless hire car that dropped to 60kph whenever we climbed a slight incline on the 120klm highways. There were only a few scary moments when I had to change down gears in a hurry. Funny how the brain says 'clutch left; gear change left'. Not so! My language got more colourful as the days went by, but Lenny merrily went on snoozing and eating. I've got to admire his confidence. We visited Alhambra's Moorish Palaces in Granada, beautiful Seville and the world-heritage listed Cordoba Mosque. See photo tab for some more pics. Seville's world-largest Cathedral The world's largest Cathedral in Seville should also rate a mention, but for us it was all about the Islamic architecture. In Seville we stayed on our friends' yacht in the Guadalquivir River. We'd last seen Bill & Nancy in Turkey two years ago so it was one hell of a get together. We borrowed their bikes and cycled everywhere. The world could learn some lessons from Seville's bike paths - speed limits, pedestrian crossings and even overtaking lanes - there is simply no better way to get around. Gina has perfected a new Yoga position. We are so lucky to be in Cartagena Spain for the winter. The weather has been perfect (touch wood) with beautiful blue skies for the past three months and daytime temperatures often warm enough to wear tee-shirts. On top of that the town is beautiful and the people so friendly that the time is passing all too quickly. Our marina community is small and very social. On Christmas day ten of us celebrated with a delicious pig-on-a-spit. Here in Spain they've managed to retain some of the original meaning of the celebration. It's not all about the shopping. Christmas eve and day are family affairs and presents aren't exchanged until January 6th when 'the three kings' parade takes to the streets. Here in Cartagena thousands of people lined the streets as the most amazing procession of decorated floats worked it way through the town for hours. The floats were filled with every imaginable fairytale character and the 'kings' threw lollies and teddy-bears to the crowds. Some of the kids didn't stand a chance with all the young-at-heart (read 'Lenny') eating the spoils. Most important things first. Georgia graduated from uni last week - Bachelor of Psychological Science with Honours. So proud of her. She also got herself a great job and starts making her own way in the world on 30 January. Beejay finished her third year. She did so well and is soon off for some snowboarding in the U.S.A. Then back to uni for her fourth and final year. We’ve been here in Spain three months and what have we got to show for it? I’ve mastered varnishing (cough, cough) and Lenny has..? well, I consulted him about what I could write here because he always seems busy, but... He sits on the pontoon and tinkers with bits of the boat and chats to everyone who passes by. After our first month here I’d meet fellow-yachties and they’d say “oh yes, your husband is the hard-working one”. Hard-working my #@*!. I’m below sanding my fingerprints off, varnishing and re-varnishing and he’s up top chatting. I should have been suspicious when he chose our berth - right on the main marina thoroughfare. We just returned from a trip through a bit of NE Spain. Oh Barcelona.... How is it that I managed to get to this ripe old age and never live in Barcelona? And how the hell did we ever have the willpower to leave? From El Born to Gaudi, it’s my latest most loved city. We spent three weeks alternating between doing ‘touristy’ things and just hanging around. Spain never ceases to amaze me. It was never on my ‘must-see’ list and that was a mistake. Without doubt my favourite sites in Barcelona were Gaudi's buildings. I could have visited his masterpieces time and time again. Sagrada Familiar is the most amazing Cathedral I’ve ever seen, and the colours change as the sun moves through the sky. 100 years in the making so far. Then we spent a week with yachtie friends Mike and Irene in their flat further up the Costa Brava coast. They took us to Dali’s Museum. I haven’t seen his work since my art college days in the early ‘70s. That man is alarmingly weird! The wine here in Spain is exceptional and cheap compared to Australia. A really quaffable Red is about €3.50 (A$4.90) a bottle and good Cava (champagne) generally under €4. I have developed a dangerous taste for Tisana. It can be made in various ways, but my particular favourite is Cava, cointreau, brandy and fruit and juice. Oh it’s good. We’ve settled into our wintering marina in Cartagena on the SE coast of Spain between Barcelona and Gibraltar where we will stay until April 2012. We weren't intending to winter here in Cartagena. We have seen over 1,800 nautical miles pass under the keel this year and when you average 5 knh, that’s enough. We were headed for the Guadalquivir River to Seville when we had yet another problem with our Fuel Pump - we have been paying the piper this year for 10 years of trouble-free cruising. Cartagena is beautiful, centrally located for exploring Spain and has a nice small live-aboard community of real cruisers (as opposed to marina-dwellers). The marina is right on the town's doorstep and, except when the cruise ships come in, there are hardly any tourists. I’ve signed up for Spanish lessons with our fellow yachties - I have no head for languages so my aspirations are humble (like not being bottom of the class; and ordering tapas at the bar). I love the spanish sense of individuality and style. The architecture is just breathtaking and the fashion is enough to drag Lenny into the streets for an evening promenade (as long as it comes with a beer). Already made great friends and we figure they are a bad influence - 2pm to midnight ‘lunches’ have been all too common. Well, better get amongst it. Found a great tapas bar with wine glasses the size of fish bowls and siesta is now officially over! |
AuthorLenny & Gina Archives
February 2015
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