It was a whirlwind, whistle stop tour of Yorkshire and Derbyshire before we headed back to sunny (and extremely hot Gozo). We had really enjoyed some family time and a stunning celebration of the wedding of our lovely friends Marcus and Heather. It was an amazing day in a wonderful location in Driffield – they even managed to hold their wedding ceremony outside which was certainly something we hadn’t been expecting.

Now, I won’t say it all ran smoothly, especially since we had over four hours delay on our flight back from Manchester, which extended to a six hour delay by the time we had waited overnight for our ferry back to Gozo as they don’t run quite so frequently in the early hours of the morning! We had joked with Andrew our driver on the way over about sometimes having to wait overnight for ferries and then it happened to us on the way back ! Clearly we should be more careful what we talk about in future 😉 In the end I was amazed and stunned that we were lucky enough to be on the sunrise ferry and although we were absolutely exhausted nothing could dampen the spirits of seeing the sun rise whilst on the water.

We were absolutely shattered when we got back to our apartment but once again, we were lifted, this time by the discovery of letters inviting us to collect our Maltese residency cards. An exciting day indeed, although we decided that it might be better to wait til we were a little more “with it” so we postponed collecting them until the next day. The government offices in Gozo are in a converted hospital – and had been opened by the late Queen (when she was princess Elizabeth and the duchess of Edinburgh) in 1951 – we found ourselves standing right where she and the Duke of Edinburgh would have stood to unveil 2 commemoration plaques. The process of collecting the cards was extremely easy and there wasn’t even a queue, we were lucky enough to find a parking space right outside too so we felt we had had a very successful mission.

Along with the excitement of being offical residents was the collection of our car, which had been officially registered in our absence. After the hustle and bustle of that morning we were glad to get back to the apartment and rest, and rest and rest. The journey had taken it out of us so it was a couple of days before we ventured out and started snorkelling in the bay by the apartment.

Soon after we arrived back the morning bangs started – and it wasn’t the ever present building works but fireworks ….. and then afternoon fireworks and then evening fireworks. Gozitans love their fireworks and because it is such a small island they can be heard almost everywhere ! This was a bit different – they were really, really loud. It was the festa (village feast) for Kerċem which is  the next village over the hill and just a few kilometres away – the first friday we were back we were able to watch a full display from our terrace – a truly amazing experience. It was a treat to be able to see more or less the whole thing without leaving home. The following morning we awoke to more morning fireworks – which continued sporadically throughout the day – and then another display in the evening. This week it is the turn of Victoria the capital city of Gozo to have their feast celebrating St. George – and more very loud bangs to wake up to although this time we can’t actually see the display as it’s behind the hill.

The photos above are mine – but here’s what it would have looked like if I was a professional and standing in just the right spot ….. so for now we say bring on the rest of summer and everything that it offers here in Gozo, snorkelling and swimming, village feasts, plenty of relaxing and probably a whole lot more fireworks.

Next time, all about swimming here in Gozo and perhaps the odd walk or two too …….

We had two very early starts – 5am each day in order to present ourselves at the Maltese office for identity checks and then to travel. The first day was almost the final part of our application for residency – now just the wait for our residents cards. We left the apartment at 5am and had a trip on the busiest Gozo to Malta ferry we have so far been on – the 5:30am departure. This is clearly the “commuter” ferry and the queue for coffees was longer than we’ve ever seen it – there were also hot pasties, sausage rolls and pastries should one need breakfast on the way to work. There was standing room only when we got to the cafeteria deck – and it was almost silent, everyone on their phones or reading books – none of the usual holidaymaker chatter. We finally felt more like locals as I got our coffees and of course a sausage roll for skipper Nigel 🙂 Once we disembarked we had a drive through traffic to get to the office and find a parking space – our appointment wasn’t til 8:30 but we weren’t going to miss it so we got there very, very early. I was almost elated to see a Sicilian coffee shop next to the office so a huge croissant and cafe con leche came my way before we went to not queue up at the office (very different from our Spanish experiences). The office was a pretty unassuming modern glass block – but even from the outside it looked modern and efficient. We were straight through and waited less than quarter of an hour for a ten minute appointment – then we were headed straight back to Gozo to pack our bags. The next day would be another early start – this time heading to Spain in style – with a chauffer driven taxi to the airport.

We were on the 6am ferry the next day with our driver Andrew who took us to the aiport in style, he was very friendly and we were very lucky with the traffic so we got the airport in plenty of time. It was a lovely relaxing start to our trip to Valencia where we would pick up our car and drive to our house. Without a boring story of the journey – it went like clockwork and before we knew it we were back at our house, spraying the minor ant invasion and settling in for the night.

The following day we relaxed after the journey before heading to Gemini J the day after for another load of checks how things were in our absence. All good was the verdict and we were so happy to find some of our friends still aboard their boats in the marina. We were very quickly planning our escape and we headed out sailing and then to spend a couple of nights on anchor.

We went out to one of our favourite anchorages Azhoia – we found our friends aboard Katarina and had a great couple of days swimming, snorkelling and paddle boarding. We also found time to socialise too which was great.

All too soon the weather meant we had to come back into port, we also had a few boat jobs to do (in reality there are always “boat jobs” to do) so we started with a good old wash and brush up for her. We were already planning a second trip as soon as we could get out again, as always depending on the weather. In the meantime we enjoyed being back in Cartagena and I particularly enjoyed walking my old wandering grounds.

Our second anchor trip was a little more lively as there was a bit of a chop – so no paddle boarding or kayaking which I was hoping to do – but we really enjoyed another night on anchor and were hoping our friends on Katarina might join us again. As it turned out the weather was just too good to miss for their onward journey so we watched them on full sail flying along towards Aguilas (they had a fabulous sail). In the morning I got up early and saw a magnificent Ray fish gliding past the boat, I was so amazed and excited, I don’t think we have seen one in the med before. I tried to take a photo – but to be honest if I didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t know what it was 😉 We were very lucky that our friends had given us ice creams – which we managed to fit into our teeny tiny “freezer” compartment in our fridge – that was a delicious treat – thank you Katarina 🙂

So now we are busy preparing the boat for a longer sailing trip as we plan to come back and sail her to Malta during September, we are most excited about that…….meanwhile we will go to our lovely friends wedding in Yorkshire and then head back to Gozo for a summer of fun in the sun.

It seems like a while since we published the blog about us moving here and who knew we would be so busy on such a small island – and there remain an awful lot of places we still haven’t explored.

First on our list (after we found the best places for breakfasts) was car shopping. We have spent enough time here to know that big cars are a pain to park ….. and that we don’t need a big car since we really won’t be going very far ….. so after a lot of browsing we went off small car shopping …..

We found various cars that might be good for us (and lot’s that weren’t) before we fell upon a couple of Citroen C1s – they are the tiny cars that you get when you go on holiday – but actually, for this island they are just perfect. We just had to choose between a lower or higher price vs lower or higher mileage for identical cars – a relatively easy choice and before we knew it I was heading back to Malta to drop off our final hire car and coming back to Gozo on the bus to collect our car! It was a very exciting day out and I found the buses to be really cheap and easy too. I had a good trip round Malta, although it was a fast bus of course it still stops along the way, including at “Mater Dei” which is the islands hospital. I have to say it is the biggest hospital complex I have ever seen with lots of different buildings (and plenty of bus stops), everyone going in and coming out was wearing masks so obviously that’s still a requirement in medical facilities here. It was my first time as a foot passenger on the Gozo ferry too so that was another interesting experience, with much more walking than I would have thought beforehand! I managed to get on the “wrong” bus to Victoria (the capital of Gozo where I was collecting the car) so instead of hopping off right outside the car showroom I had to walk from the bus station (all of 10 minutes) – and on the plus side I saw more of the back streets of the town 😉

After a minor hiccup with the car collection (the number plates were on the wrong car and we had to swap cars the next day!) we went off driving around the island in our new motor before it had a quick checkover by skipper Nigel and then took pride of place outside our apartment block.

Early May sees my annual charity supporting walk called Darkness into Light – and this year was a little different since I couldn’t join the walkers back in Spain. Nigel agreed to get up very, very early with me and we went to the other side of the island where we would be able to see the sunrise over the sea. It was pitch black when I made us take-out coffees and we jumped into the car ready for my walk into the sunrise. As we headed down to a place called Hondoq bay it started to get a little lighter and we realised that perhaps there wouldn’t be a sunrise as such because it was cloudy. The walk was still a great one and we enjoyed a coffee together afterwards looking out across the Gozo channel to the island of Comino. The sun came up of sorts albeit behind clouds and I decided to take the first dip since we came here …… it was refreshing to say the least ! We were also desparate to try out the paddle board so we set it up and I had a quick paddle around before we decided there were just too many little boats around. Although it was way too early for tourist boating, the guys getting them organised were making quite a swell and a few waves so I aborted the paddle and we enjoyed some time sitting watching the activity.

We are settling in well to our apartment, we have even started to get some extra home comforts, including a new friend for Skipper Nigel in the shape of a robot (well, a robot vacuum at least). We have been trying to find a name for the little machine that does our floors for us but up to now have drawn a blank so it has become known as “no-name”. When we are off out Nigel sets off “no-name” and when we get back we have lovely clean floors. What a great little thing and certainly something that has kept Nigel busy 😉 We also went to Malta for a day out and ordered some furniture for our terrace – all the big shops deliver to Gozo at least once every couple of weeks so it was a case of waiting for deliveries, our barbecue arrived first followed by a very exciting day when a big van finally arrived with furniture. We had been a bit worried about the size of the boxes but with a bit of push and shove they fitted into the lift – one of them is literally big enough for me to get into. The assembly of the furniture went reasonably well (we didn’t come to blows, despite having to work together on it) and before we knew it we were ready to barbie – how exciting !!! Other friends for Skipper Nigel include the sparrow (now called “blackbeard”) who visits us daily – there may be the odd breadcrumb or two that they find discarded on our terrace, I think they might even become tame if we’re not careful 😉

As the weather has been getting warmer and warmer, and once that first dip of the season was done we were keen to get swimming and boarding in our own bay here at Xlendi. The next week I popped down a couple of times for a swim and Skipper Nigel came to watch on, chatting to the villagers who tend to sit and watch the activities before (or possibly after) breakfast. We also got the paddle board out as well, it is so easy just going down in the lift from the apartment and being in the water in two minutes – such fun.

As for other ways of life here – we are just about adjusting back to buying fresh milk instead of the long life we have got accustomed to after such a long time in Spain. At the beginning it seemed to go off before I even realised but now I am back in the habit of checking the date before I buy – and the great thing is we have a local shop 1 minute away so when I get caught out because we run out I can pop down there for a pint ! It’s so much tastier too – cafe lattes every morning for us. As for the coffee at the bars and restaurants it tends to be ordered as per the Italian so Nigel’s spanish “cortado” is an “espresso macchiato” and “cafe con leche” is “cappucino” and then of course you can get cafe latte (which can be anything from extremely weak coffee to more like flavoured milk) and recently I have found iced coffee too – perfect after a swim 🙂 (or in the case of the photo below – after buying a car!) We are loving this little island and are excited to continue our explorations …… watch this space for more updates on life here.

Almost before we knew it our bags were packed and we were ready to go. Our journey involved a couple of hours drive to Valencia airport in order to catch a direct flight over to Malta. It was an afternoon flight but with so much at stake (and so many bags) we arrived very early to the airport. After a few laps driving round an industrial estate by the airport we found our long term car parking and were driven, luggage and all across to the terminal building. We had two trolleys and headed straight to the bag drop off …… only to find it was not possible until two hours before the flight!!! So we had an hour and half to spend with our trollies and luggage, dragging out a cup of coffee, taking over the whole cafe space and thinking about the enormity of our new adventure.

Eventually the time came to drop off the bags and head through to the lounge before our flight, this included the “sporting equipment” i.e. my new paddle board going to a special loading area where it would be taken care of. This involved heading through a security “side door” with a Ryanair rep – and after she had opened the door we were basically in a warehouse with a cage lift – it seemed very suspicous until we spotted the pushchairs, bike and child seats – the paddle board would be in good company. Only when we came to return to the airport side did we find she couldn’t get the door open !! We were trapped until she called and got someone to open it from the other side – wow – that’s security !! Once we had navigated the next security check and with a kind of happy acceptance (we were a bit frazzled by this time) we found the flight was delayed by over an hour. This gave us a bit more time to eat and relax so it wasn’t the disaster a flight delay would usually be, especially since we had no-one expecting us at the other end.

Once we arrived in Malta and got the bus over to the terminal building our bags, including my paddleboard were all circulating on the carousel and we grabbed them and this time we only needed one trolley as they were bigger – quite handy as I had to head off to collect the hire car whilst Nigel walked the trolley across to the pick up point. It all ran very smoothly and we even managed to fit all our bags into a Peugeot 107 – quite an achievement – handy to have played Tetris!

We drove to the north of Malta and waited a short while for the ferry that would take us to our new life in Gozo – to be honest we were a bit tired by this point in the evening and actually quite hungry so we decided to get a take-away from the food truck by the port. I had been reading reviews and it got excellent ones so what a great opportunity to try it, a pork wrap for Skipper Nigel and a burger and chips for me. What we hadn’t appreciated was the size (we should have known from our previous time in Gozo really) – they were huge! and delicious ! What a great end to a long and exciting day.

The next morning we looked out on our view and got ourselves unpacked, including the new paddleboard that we had hauled over here with us and what a stunner it will be. Can’t wait to get out on it, although the sea was just a bit choppy for me to get straight down there.

The following day we headed out for coffee and found an American car show – what a surprise and what stunning vehicles …. especially this one – do you recognise it ?? (We certainly did ;-))

So now we are settling into our new way of life, and of course for me that is lots of walking and the occasional run ahead of the full time swimming and paddle boarding season. Here are some photos of walks from our apartment, the more time we spend here the more we love it.

For now our time is spent exploring the island and finding out where to do our shopping, go to the dentist (yes, that was an unfortunate experience shortly after we arrived but the dentist was fabulous and recommended I only eat ice cream for a couple of days after my extraction, that advice I liked a lot!!!) We are also looking for a car (probably not quite as large or shiny as the General Lee) and working out where we will bring Gemini J when we can go back and sail her over here. All in all, exciting times.

It was with great anticipation and excitement that we clamboured aboard the ferry back to Gozo after our stay in Malta had ended. We had found ourselves a fabulous AirBnB right on the harbour and our window overlooked the boatyard and marina. We were greeted by Ray the owner who is a local and extremely friendly, like all the locals here seem to be. We enjoyed a coffee overlooking the boats and watching the ferries coming in and out before we started to explore the island properly.

My afternoon walk took me along the stunning coastal path that overlooks the channel between Gozo, Comino and Malta. It was a lovely walk, the weather here in March was still quite windy but beautiful blue skies really give a taste of what the island is like. It looked very tempting at places to climb down the rocks for a swim but the water temperature would still be quite cold I think (well, that’s my excuse anyway – there were swimmers, but they were wearing wetsuits)

One thing I haven’t mentioned so far, and that we are still finding strange to adjust to is the early starts. It gets light before 6am so everyone is up and about. The harbour is used to exercise horses and we watched them having early morning swims and also in the evening they would stand in the salt water and walk about with their handlers. It was fascinating to watch and something that we imagine has probably happened for many years. Every day whilst we were there at least two horse boxes came with the horses to exercise them.

The next morning we headed off exploring the southern end of the island. This took us to the stunning Ramla Bay which is famous for it’s sandy beach. We stopped for a coffee at a kiosk (food truck) on the way and Skipper Nigel enjoyed a chicken wrap for breakfast, just a cappucino for me 😉 At around 25 square miles /67 square kilometres it doesn’t take long to get around the island, but even now that we have been here a couple of months it feels like there is a lot more to explore.

We had a great two days driving around and decided again to extend our stay. Ray was very helpful and we stayed on at our lovely little harbourside apartment whilst we enjoyed exploring more of Gozo.

In the town of Ghajnsielem (pronounced ainselm) which is right above the harbour at Mgarr (pronounced “M” jar ) we found a couple of lovely places for coffee and also the interesting statue in the photo – representing old vs new with a depicition of an older couple chatting on a bench, next to a young girl on her mobile phone with headphones on. It is very well made and from a distance the scene looks like it could almost be real.

We were feeling very, very happy here in Gozo and decided to take the next step and start looking to see if we could rent a place and come here to live. We found a lovely estate agent called Ritienne and we spent a fantastic day with her exploring the types of places available to live here. We looked at farmhouses, city houses and apartments, rural apartments and ones with sea views.

Now, some might say we are implusive but I couldn’t possibly comment – we fell in love with one of the first apartments we saw, overlooking the sea in the small town of Xlendi (remember we came here on our first day visiting the island). We looked at lots of places and amazingly we both fell for the same one, so, without further ado we decided to take a leap of faith and go for it! One thing about rental here in Gozo and Malta is that the market moves fast so before we knew it we were extending our stay and moving in ! (yes – literally within a few days). It was a Saturday morning when we packed our suitcases and said goodbye to Ray at the AirBnB – and wheeled up to say hello to our new apartment in Xlendi. It is fully furnished so no need to dash out and buy a bed or anything, all we had to do was sit down, look at the view and do a double take on how lucky we were to find it so quickly and to have this bolthole for our next adventures in life. The first evening of our time in Xlendi presented us with a fabulous sunset – a great sight to excite us for the times ahead.

A couple of days later and all too soon it was time for us to head back to sunny Spain and gather our belongings, sort out a house-sitter and pack our cases. It was a very exciting time (if a little stressful to be honest) and we were lucky that a few of our friends were around in Cartagena to celebrate and say adios (for now, or rather hasta luego). It happens every sailing season that bonds are formed during the “off” season, the winter months with lots of walking, coffee and cake and sundowners aboard each others boats. Every March, April time boats start moving off to enjoy more of the mediterranean or to head out across the Atlantic and there are goodbyes galore. It is quite likely that you’ll cross paths (or rather seas and ports) with other boats again as the mediterranean is quite a sailing circuit but it always seems that there are big goodbyes at this time of year as for sure, some of the familiar faces you won’t see again. In our case we have made lots of friends in Cartagena and when we come back to sail Gemini J over to Malta and Gozo most of them will be underway sailing elsewhere for the summer months. We will definitely see our friends again mind you, we are lucky that these friendships extend beyond boat life.

We walked up to the park that overlooks Cartagena on one of our last walks of the winter and saw the fabulous peacocks that we can hear from the marina. It is a strange thing in the marina that we not only hear seagulls all the time but also the very loud cawing of the peacocks. We didn’t know what was making the sounds for a while but once we learned they always make me smile (although I have to admit they are very loud!). When we were welcomed to our apartment in Xlendi we opened the patio doors to step out onto the terrace and lo and behold – the cawing of peacocks !! What are the chances of moving from Spain to Malta and finding more peacocks to wake you up 🙂

After our last few days shutting down Gemini J and getting her ready to await our return it was back home to pack and organise for everything to be looked after at our house before our adventure proper begins……the next time we’re back aboard the boat we hope to be setting sail for Gozo and that will be another story 😉

After our initial couple of days exploring Malta we headed towards the north of the island where we had been reliably informed it would be more relaxed and quieter. We had booked acommodation in a place called Xemxija. The place names here are really difficult to pronounce, so far we can tell you that the X is pronounced as the sound “sh” but there will be a lot more learning before we can ask where we are going without showing someone a map. Xemxija is just north of a place called St. Paul’s Bay (much easier to remember and pronounce) which is quite the holiday destination, it was busy when we were there at the end of March so goodness knows how it gets in summer.

We had booked an apartment with a view over the bay and we weren’t disappointed. There were very few boats on all the mooring buoys as it is really out of season and still very windy here. It was a peaceful place to spend a few days with a nice cafe just below the apartments. We are starting to adjust to the fact that most places offer the Full English Breakfast – alongside Italian coffee menus, so Skipper Nigel’s spanish “cortado” is an “espresso macciato” here and I am working my way through the various cappucino and latte options which are generally delicious.

After a relaxing evening enjoying the views it was time for us to start exploring the north of Malta, which is beautiful. We headed out for coffee and found a beautiful bay with a single yacht moored up, it was very picturesque but really made us miss Gemini J. We were thinking how amazing it would be to bring her over here and have some more adventures. At the same cafe we also found a furry friend, which made us miss Bandit too – but as we see cats everywhere here I think we will make more friends along the way. There are street cat shelters all over and people feed them, we haven’t seen any unhealthy looking cats, or any unfriendly ones so far. We drove over to the headland at the far north of Malta with views over the islands of Comino and Gozo – it was really windy on the top of the cliffs.

As we looked out over the Gozo channel we decided that the next day (although the weather forecast wasn’t great) we would head over the water to the smaller island of Gozo. There is also another uninhabited island between the two called Comino – where the famous blue lagoon is, as we are out of season there is very little boat traffic to see but we can imagine it would get busier as the summer arrives.

That afternoon I wandered out for a walk, it turns out that right behind out apartment block is a heritage trail which took me up onto the hillside and along a roman road. The romans had quite a history here on Malta and I saw a roman age apiary which was really well preserved, there are also bath houses here and of course the road itself cutting a straight path through the farmland. I also came across an incredibly old carob tree which was spectacularly beautiful, it was wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

The next morning we worked our way through the roadworks which there seem to be everywhere here and made our way down to the ferry port at another tricky to pronounce place – Cirkewwa (we haven’t learnt the pronunciation yet). We were really excited to get aboard the car ferry and take the 20 minute journey between the islands. It was a little confusing as there was no need to buy a ticket, we just got in a queue and about 3 minutes later drove onto the ferry (it turns out the tickets are paid for only on the Gozo side on your way back to Malta). The weather was really quite windy and there were a few white topped waves about as we went out into the channel.

We were both really excited to be on the water again, even if it was on a roll on roll off ferry. As soon as we arrived in Gozo we headed for the marina of course and had a coffee overlooking the harbour entrance, it was still very windy and it was good to see how the boats were moored and what the conditions were like inside the marina in such weather. We headed off and started to explore the island and almost immediately said it seemed like somewhere we might like to live. Nearly everywhere you go you can see the sea barring the very central “capital” of Victoria (also known as Rabat). All roads lead through and out of the town, since the island only has 38,000 inhabitants it seems that this is also where people come to do their shopping (there are 2 multi-story shopping centres), have a coffee and go about business like banking etc. We had a great day exploring the island and decided that we would extend our trip and come back to stay here when our accomodation booking in Xemxija finished. We visited a beautiful little place called Xlendi bay (not knowing at the time that this would be where we would be living a few weeks later). We had a lovely coffee and sat by the water chatting about our options and if we could live in a place like this.

All too soon it was time to head back to Malta – once again we were ridiculously excited to be back on the water. We vowed we would come back and stay on the island and do more exploring so when we got back to our apartment that night out came AirBnB and a new booking for more adventures ……but they are for another blog.

Those of you who are fans of the blog may have noticed that last year was a bit sparse on the blogging front. We didn’t do as much sailing as planned because we were looking after our beloved Mojito who sadly is no longer with us. He left a huge hole in our life at home, and one very lonely Bandida (or Bandit as she is also known). I am extremely happy to say that after a lot of soul searching, Bandit has found a new home with one of our lovely friends and is living a great life with her new doggy pal Ziggy. This left us with an extremely quiet house and led to us thinking that we might just have another adventure in us.

As you may know, we don’t tend to do things by halves so we decided to take on a new challenge and are moving to the beautiful island of Gozo, just off Malta. We went for a visit and fell in love with the place. Our original week long trip got extended twice as we explored the idea of living a new lifestyle by the sea.

It didn’t start brilliantly mind you when we landed at 1am in the middle of a storm, rain lashing down sideways and no covered walkway to the car park where we picked up the hire car (drowned rats springs to mind). The discovery that we have to drive on the left hand side of the road, a car that was steaming up and a lot more traffic than expected led to a less than ideal arrival in Malta. We were almost shellshocked – but we made it and we got to our hotel exhausted. The next morning we went up to the top floor for breakfast and were amazed by how built up the area was. The views were stunning and we couldn’t wait to start exploring (and admittedly get out of the busy bit ;-))

As the days went on we started to explore Malta and found everyone to be so friendly, we headed to the south of the island and found a gorgeous bay where we enjoyed lunch. We explored the outskirts of Valetta and looked at some marinas with a view to bringing Gemini J. We started to think what a great adventure it might be to bring her here and sail different waters after such a long time in more or less the same place. We had really enjoyed our trip to Corsica and Sardinia and our route to Malta would bring us back via Sardinia which we loved and also Sicily – how exciting.

So – this is the brief start and very much shortened version of our new adventure ….. there will be more blogs to follow, including our visit to the north of the island and our first visit to Gozo.

For now, we have a few suitcases to unpack, an apartment to set up and a paddle board to inflate, but first we will head down to one of our local bars for breakfast, sending you all lots of love

…… watch this space …….

It was hot, hot, hot when we woke up in Santa Pola with warm gusty winds. It seemed our decision to head with the wind back in the direction we had come from was a good one.

Before we could depart the business of the day had to be done and I did two trips to the fuel pump which is a short walk from the pontoons. Once we were loaded with fuel we checked the weather once again (still quite choppy) and enjoyed a coffee aboard before following a group of beginner jet skiers slowly out of the harbour. By the time I had gathered all the ropes and lifted the fenders I felt as hot as if I had done a Joe Wicks workout – wow – we needed breeze !!!!!

It was a little choppy and there was a warm wind as we headed south – and amazingly we were able to roll out our Genoa sail ….. it kept us moving and cooler thanks to the flowing fresh air. We had a wonderful day, sat on deck watching the scenery and the sea. It was rocking and rolling at times but we were very happy to be moving.

We decided that as the conditions were good we would go to the Mar Menor and we were aiming for the 6pm opening of the bridge into the marina (it only opens once every 2 hours). The timing is pretty important since you can’t easily “park up” to wait, or should I say anchor 😉

We were having a great day motor sailing along and we were hitting really good speed – finally – thanks to the wind direction. When we got Isla Grosa in sight it was twenty to four …. so not enough time to make the four o’clock bridge but plenty of time for us to slow down and sail at last. We had a wonderful hour sailing before it was rudely interrupted by a fishing trawler heading straight for us (not another boat in sight and lots and lots of space around) Unfortunately we had to take evasive action and turn out of his path, losing the wind in our sails and a bit of enthusiasm at the same time !! No harm done (other than an angry Skipper Nigel since the motor boat should have given way to us as we were under sail) and we got back on track – motor sailing to get the 6pm bridge.

The skies cleared as we circled around waiting for the bridge and before we knew it (with perfect timing from Skipper Nigel) we were in the channel heading for the opening bridge.

As we made our way we saw lots of jelly fish ….. they keep the inland sea of the Mar Menor clean so I understand – so although we don’t like the look of them they do an important job and I was certainly fascinated to see them.

As we headed under the bridge we radioed the marina and were told to take the second channel on the starboard followed by second channel on the port side (it’s a big marina) – and rather brilliantly we got it right and headed onto a berth where the marinero helped secure us then said – “you might want to get rid of that wood”. I looked over the side and amazingly we had picked up a plank on the fin keel of the boat !!!! It was really long and we must have dragged it from somewhere in the marina or the channel ….. we were very lucky no damage was done and it was just a scramble to get it out of the water without it sinking. If the plank had slipped off the keel and gone on to the prop it would have stopped the engine – which would have been a big problem – thank goodness for our keel 🙂

That evening we enjoyed pizza from the restaurant right opposite the boat and I went for a wander along the shore of the Mar Menor. We debated staying in port another night but with temperatures still in the mid 30’s and forecast to increase, a day aboard was not appealing – but a day at sea, yes please.

It was a hot, humid cloudy day again when we woke up. We were aiming for the 10am opening of the bridge so just enough time for us to have a coffee aboard and get set before we departed our berth. We joined another boat already circling in the outer marina and before long there were a few of us all waiting for the bridge to open. It was a case of going round in circles while we waited – it took a lot of concentration from Skipper Nigel focusing on what the other boats were doing and keeping out of their way in a relatively small space.

We headed back out through the channel and then out into the sea – heading for Cabo de Palos and as soon as we were out of the channel we put the sails up. It was finally sailing time 🙂 We made great speed to Cabo de Palos – with a very warm breeze in our hair. As per usual with this route as we rounded the lighthouse we had to drop the Genoa sail and we lost the wind. We kept the mainsail up and motor sailed along the coast back to Cartagena. Skipper Nigel took to pouring cold(ish) water over himself to try to keep cool.

We were enjoying our final day – and chatting about how it was a good decision to head home with the temperatures rising when I had a brilliant brainwave …….The two ice creams we had left in the small freezer compartment aboard!!! If there was ever a time for ice cream this was it and we really, really enjoyed them.

This was obviously the highlight of our journey back 😉 – we arrived into Yacht Port Cartagena with no issues and moored on our new mooring space (near the car this time). When we had the boat secured and sat down for a drink we realised it was eerily quiet. I mean, like nothing we have seen before – no people…..no people walking, no people on the benches – literally no-one was out. The city was under a heat alert and clearly everyone was paying great heed to the warnings.

We came home the following morning and found it was cooler at the house – but only just and with temperatures of over 40 degrees in the following days we flaked out and kept as cool as possible. We won’t be rushing to sail in those conditions again but as soon as the heatwave passes we will be back for more adventures.

It was the middle of the morning on a mid-July Monday as Gemini J set out in hazy, gusty conditions from Cartagena.  The forecast was for winds around 10-12 knots which we hoped we might take advantage of as we headed towards Cabo de Palos and the Mar Menor.

We quickly realised that the first part of the journey would be a bit of a slog – against the conditions in a metre swell …… we knew it would be until Cabo de Palos lighthouse since that is where we change direction and head north east.  We decided (after various discussions and whole heap of disappointment that there was no sailing to be had) to continue the journey and hope for a change in wind direction.

As we rounded Cabo de Palos our hopes were high for a bit of sailing but the swell put paid to that ….. we did try a bit of motor sailing as we headed towards Isla Grosa.  We decided at that point to head for our old home port of Marina Salinas and at half past eight in the evening we finally pulled in.  We were opposite the fishing boats and enjoyed watching them prepare for their night’s work as we recovered after our long day.

A word at this point about the weather, you’ll see from the photos that there is a distinct lack of blue skies.  I can’t express how hot and humid it was …. when we woke up in San Pedro humidity was registered at 89% and the temperature was already 30 degrees so we wanted to get moving and try to get a breeze over us as soon as possible.  We decided to continue our journey northwards and headed out of the marina.

The skies were hazy once again and there wasn’t much wind but plenty of swell once again.  It wasn’t uncomfortable on the boat but it certainly wasn’t the loveliest day for a sail.  We decided to anchor at Torrevieja with the hope that we might get a swim ……

We anchored just inside the harbour wall where there were a few other yachts and once Skipper Nigel was happy that the anchor was set he prepared for a bit of a swim and snorkel.  Unfortunately it didn’t last too long as he spotted a jellyfish nearby and the water was not very clear at all.  However, he was refreshed at least and we both used the boat shower to cool off – phew !

We enjoyed watching boats and jet skis coming into and out of the very busy port – we were sitting nicely on anchor but the conditions meant we kept spinning round as the sea and wind changed.  Nice for a different view.  Considering we were on anchor we slept reasonably well and woke up to more heat, hazy skies and a little bit of a swell.

The following day we decided to aim for Isla Tarbarca which is just off Santa Pola and is considered one of the most beautiful places along this coastline (how we haven’t been there before is a bit of a mystery).  As we lifted the anchor I quickly realised there was a bit of a problem – somehow the chain had wrapped itself around the anchor and was really tangled up – this meant the anchor couldn’t come up the rollers and into position for sailing.  Skipper Nigel and I had to switch places quickly and as I motored the boat he used his super-strength and managed to untangle it.  There were a few hairy moments but before long we were bouncing along towards Tabarca.  The sun was out amongst the haze and it was hot, hot, hot so we got out the umbrella to try for some shade  before it got too bouncy.  It wasn’t a particularly long journey but long enough for us to realise that it was too much of a swell (with the odd white tops too) for us to anchor.  We switched to our plan B which was a night in Marina Miramar in Santa Pola.

When we arrived it was once again ridiculously hot ….. Skipper Nigel wore the bag of melted ice as a hat and I dashed out for ice creams.  We always have a fun time in Santa Pola and this was no exception – as I went into the office Carmen was really happy to see us – and immediately gave me the walking stick we had lost there 18 months earlier !!!! We couldn’t believe they had kept it so long having found it after we had departed on our long trip last year! That’s customer service.

The night in Santa Pola was to mark  a turning point on our trip – we were both struggling with the heat and on looking at the forecast it was not going to improve (in fact a full-on heatwave was due with temperatures well into the 40’s).  We decided to re-consider our options and look at how to make the best of the weather whilst looking after each other and the boat in the extreme temperatures we were having.   We finally decided to go with the wind but that story is for next time 🙂

(if you haven’t read part 1 – it’s below part 2 so page down to the previous blog if you want to know the start of the story…..)

After our delicious paella the evening before we woke up with a sense of great anticipation.  Today was the day we were invited to El Valero – the farm featured in “Driving over lemons” and Chris’s other books.  The feeling was a bit like when you’ve read a brilliant book and then you’re not sure if you want to see the film.  Would a visit to the farm live up to our expectations after reading all the books and formed a picture in our minds ?  Having met Chris and enjoyed spending time with him over a few days this was not really a worry – we were just looking forward to seeing his and Ana’s part of the Alpujarras and of course to meeting the lovely Ana too (also known as Santa Ana / Saint Ana).

El Valero was a mini-bus trip away from Las Chimeneas, the first part of the journey to the coffee stop on main roads then after that ……..  hmmmmmm……what can I say ?? The roads got narrower and narrower and climbed higher and higher with steep drops, high cliffs and lots of rocks.   The mini-bus also got quieter and quieter as a few of us got more and more nervous – me included!  I must say it was a huge relief when the bus got as far as it could, the rest of the way to the farm was a walk.  That journey was not only weendy windy but hairy and just a tad scary too 😉  I was particularly happy to be back out in the fresh air and we set off walking along towards the river crossing.   The bridge we crossed is still the one described in “last days of the bus club” (Chris’s last book) although various bridges have been built over the years then subsequently washed away and re-built.  For the avid book fans in the group this crossing was really meaningful as it is the one route in and out of the farm as described many times over the years in the books.

As we continued our walk after crossing the stream (which can become a huge raging river) we realised just how isolated this place is – and also how wonderful.  It struck us all as to how on earth Chris and Ana found the place.  It also became abundantly clear how much this has been a life project.  It is a little oasis in the midst of a fairly bleak landscape.  All the greenery has been planted and lovingly tendered over many, many years (mainly by Ana as Chris told us).  We were greeted by Chris and walked up onto the patio area where lunch had been lovingly laid out, minus the pizzas which were cooked and handed round over the course of the lunch.  Everything was so fresh and delicious and we were all made to feel so wonderfully welcome. 

We all felt extremely privileged to have been invited and so warmly welcomed to El Valero.  After our lovely, tasty lunch we wandered about exploring the gardens and growing areas that Ana and Chris have created.  All too soon the time to leave started to draw nearer, but of course we couldn’t leave without a book signing from our favourite author.   Chris was extremely obliging and we had great fun getting our books signed personally.

We had the option of a walk out through the valley and then a climb up to the road where we could be met by the minibus with the rest of the group who had stayed a little longer at El Valero.  A group of us took this choice – which also included crossing the stream 3 times (twice in our bare feet and once via a very bouncy bamboo bridge – quite an experience).  Wandering the other way from El Valero once again we really got to appreciate how isolated the place really is.  If the stream was full – it would be un-crossable and indeed from reading Chris’s books we know it can become a raging torrent.  Luckily for us it was very low and made an idyllic walk along the valley floor.  The climb up was challenging but delightful with fabulous views all the way, this took our minds off the huffing and puffing.  We were joined by Antonio and Clara the shepherds whose sheep and goats we had walked with and I have to say it was very much a busman’s holiday for them.  They were great company along with David who told us all about this area during the civil war and we even saw some hideouts that had been used high in the hills with views down the valley towards the coast.

We met the minibus in a layby just off the main road and climbed aboard for the rest of the journey back to Las Chimeneas (thankfully it was the main road bit of the drive).  We seemed to get back quickly and enjoyed a wonderful evening meal of asparagus soup followed by beef casserole and in my case sticky toffee pudding – delicious.  We were pretty tired after a very full day so I’m sure my eyes closed almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Our final day was a walk to the “top of the world” It started with a very steep uphill pull out of the village and up and up onto the tops.  It was truly spectacular and we were right up there with the remaining snow patches.  Since the sun came out and we were warmed by our uphill meandering the t-shirts were out for a few of us.  We had to divert our course due to a herd of free roaming cows especially since we were joined on the walk by Holly and Princesa two beautiful dogs.  David quickly put them on the lead when we saw the cattle and quickly wandered well out of their way.  Potential danger averted and we were soon back on the track and heading back along the tops with those wonderful views.

We could not have stopped in a more outstanding spot for our lunch.  An old threshing circle with quite breathtaking views across the mountains to the Mediterranean sea.  Our lunch this time was actually a pack-up since we had walked beyond where the 4×4 could get to us.  The contents were once again delicious including fresh almonds and walnuts, tuna pie and homemade bread and lovely cheese.  No sandwiches here.

On our way back we stopped in the village of Jubar where we were very privileged to get a tour of the small church from David. It is special because it has very old frescos that were only recently discovered and the significance of them is still being understood as they have Christ with an unknown woman at either side of him which is extremely unusual.  David gave us a whole history overview too which was really interesting.  On our way back through the village we stopped at the honey producer (literally behind a garage door) and bought ourselves some local honey, how fabulous.

A group of us decided to head out on an extension loop walk back to Mairena – wandering back up the hill following David’s instructions.  Before long we were seeing patches of snow once again as we walked and chatted.  Somehow we took a wrong turn and came to a dead end – we re-traced our steps…..and then got on what we assumed was the right path.  We could see the houses so we knew we were heading in the right direction but the path kind of petered out and we needed to clamber down a little ravine.  We asked a friendly local tending his vegetables who said we weren’t on the official path but we were in the right direction.  We laughed as we realised all four of us had listened to David’s very clear instructions and we had still gone on the wrong path !  A few minutes later we were back in the village having greatly enjoyed our little adventure off the beaten track 😉

It was before dawn when we enjoyed our final breakfast, everyone a little subdued thinking about the day ahead – for most people a day of travelling.  It seemed like only two minutes before we were walking down the hill to the coach and watching our new friends clamber aboard.   We waved them off before gathering our things and saying goodbye to Emma and David – laden down with books.  Not only is Chris Stewart the author of the alpujarras but also both Emma and David.  We came back with cookery books and historical novels both set in the area so we’ll enjoy reading them on our return.

We had an absolutely amazing time in the Alpujarras – stunning scenery, delicious food and wonderful company. We had the most animated and knowledgeable guides and we couldn’t have asked for better weather either. If you’re thinking of walking in Spain definitely head for the Alpujarras in Andalucía – you won’t be disappointed. If you’re more of an armchair traveller then look for a book called “Las Chimeneas” by Emma and David Illsley (a collection of recipes and stories from the place we stayed). If you prefer a novel then David Illsley has also written “The Heart of a Life” a historical novel, set in the Alpujarras of course. Along with re-reading Driving over lemons that’s my reading list sorted out for now ….. time to relax.