It has been a worrying few weeks recently with Harry having been unwell and not

being in a position to help Diane in any way. However, since going home Harry has had two operations and is now up and about and doing well.

At the pipe band competitions in Glasgow, where they bumped into Anne-Marie Haddow

Before leaving Cartagena we visited the Roman Amphitheatre and Forum which were only just discovered in the mid to late 1990’s.

Dave and Iain arrived at the boat bearing gifts……..two very compact, very needed fans. We now have five on board, three electric and two 12 volt ones and would you believe, it’s still hot!Just as well Dave is a mean Gin & Tonic mixer.

Oh and they brought a new “wee” saltire for Camira as well.

We had held off visiting the sites of antiquity that Cartagena is famous for in case we all wanted to see them together – however the nearest we got was the 1^st night passing a giant sculpture where we were in raptures watching the kids running in and touching his nether regions.

Culture? … Us? … Aye.

Needless to say, this is how the next few days continued, great fun!

In between times we did manage a trip to the beach

A day sail to a bay along from Cartagena where we anchored swam and had lunch.

Dave’s manly plunge into the depths! holding his nose, having been finally pushed by captain Pugwash

The more able beach boys followed suit

I won’t go into the graphical description of Dave getting back on board after his swim but it was hysterical, let’s say there could have been two moons in the sky and one of them was almost upside down.

Anyhow back safe and moored up.

The boys had hired a car so we took the opportunity of stocking up on a few necessities, wine water and beer. The woman at the checkout asked if she could come to the fiesta! The waterline is now about two inches lower but I’m sure by the time they leave it will have risen again.

We thought we would do some sightseeing while they were here but to be honest, it was really too hot for that so we just “chilled” , ate out each night and generally had a good laugh with good friends.

It was great to see the guys and it was our opportunity to have a wee “holiday” as well.

 

Wind! Great, we had full sail up and were heading out to clear Cabo de Gata, all the time the wind was freshening and when we tried tacking back in it was still bringing us too close to Cabo de Gata, to add to this we had a major diesel leak spilling out from the fuel tank gauge not helped by all the slamming to windward. Continued sailing for a while but it was a terrible slog so after Gordon had his head down the bilges and mopping out diesel we eventually gave up and put the engine on. We had managed 5 hours good sailing, albeit we didn’t get the benefit of the long tack due to a wind shift but hey ho. It was going to be a long enough passage without battling on with the wind on our nose, and to be honest we were still feeling the effects of the past couple of weeks and were pretty knackered.

Cabo de Gata fine on the port bow

We arrived in Cartagena the next morning, went for a well-earned sleep for a few hours before getting the boat gutted, bunks changed, spick and span bilges rid of the last remnants of diesel and a great meal out that night. Best pizza and pasta ever tasted.

Harry and Diane are now back home so we have decided to stay here a while. Dave and Iain are coming out on the 1^st August for a few days and it will give us a chance to recharge our batteries again before they come out and drain them. It’s always a boisterous event but great fun, really looking forward to seeing them. My only reservation is how the four of us will be on this wee boat with the heat………..it is absolutely sweltering and extremely humid, everything feels damp and uncomfortable. Seemingly, it’s been an unusually hot summer; even the Spanish are struggling with the heat. Lucky white heather, welcome to the Med!

On the Saturday Louise heard music in the distance so we followed our ears and we ended up at a street party organised to regenerate funds for the area, the music was great and the people thoroughly enjoying themselves. It was like being downtown Partick in the sun.

A couple of drinks cost you two euros and you got a plate of sardines free.

On returning to the marina one night we discovered Magic , an ARC boat we had been on in Lagos had arrived. The next day Gordon helped them unravel a halliard wrap and after which we we all went out for dinner.

The next day was more subdued, Louise got on with some alfresco ironing as the cruise ships no doubt looked on in wonder.

That’s us under the space blanket!

Off to get some shopping now in preparation for the arrival of our first Mediterranean guests.

Catch you after. . . .