So we have arrived on the Spanish mainland. We left Santa Ponsa at 7 am this morning and arrived Port Genista at 1 pm after 100 miles in calm conditions. The only event was the sighting of one dolphin. Port Genista is a spectacularly unpretty place some 20 miles west of Barcelona. However, it suits us for a night’s stopover.
As seems usual for us a nasty squall came up just as we were preparing the boat for entry into the marina and negotiate the fuel quay. But we topped up with fuel, paid for the night and found our place among the pontoons. It was cold paella for lunch followed by a snooze and a walk. We looked at the charts and planned tomorrow – the forecast looks OK for the Golf du Lion. Chilli con carne cooked by Ann for supper, scrabble won by Michael and bed.
Yesterday we walked up the hill to the supermarket in the little town of El Toro and bought a large quantity of food. Then after a snack lunch we said our goodbyes and thankyous to Andreu who has looked after our boat impeccably for 2 and a half years.
We fuelled up and left. It was a short hop round the headland to Santa Ponsa where we anchored for the night. Michael had the first swim of the voyage and reported that the sea was not too cold. We had been here so many times before and as we sat and ate Michael’s paella we reminisced over all the good times we had spent with our friends from the marina, Sue and Bob Ashbee, and with Simon, Lindsay, Henry and Oliver, the family of our friends from Mansfield, Ann and Mick Stanford. (Simon had quite coincidentally chosen to keep his boat at Port Adriano as well). Also we remembered all the fun we had when Helen and Steve and their families had been with us.
Then it was scrabble won by Ann and bed.
PS. I will write up the log every other day - computer battery permitting!