Tuesday 16 September 2008

...and then there was 4


And now there are four!!!
Colin and Kate arrived late last Wednesday, necessitating a trip to and a wait in Francisco’s bar until midnight! PHEW!!!
Anyway we’ve done lots since. Been to Punyetes, Ramon’s, and a Paella in Bodega D’Es Port. We’ve been out for day trips, and stayed out overnight in Formentor, but there’s been some uncomfortable swell, caused by big winds from E France, N Italy.

Ian’s been bursting to get back at the first sign of a cloud, so that he could drag, sorry, I mean lead us on a bike ride into foothills of Pollensa. Took Colin and Kate too. Kate came dressed in that most appropriate of cycling outfits- flip-flops, bikini and short skirt! After two and a half hours and twenty miles later, things were beginning to chafe!! We all made appreciative noises about the countryside, ate figs straight off the trees, had lunch overlooking the Bay of Pollensa and then complained of sore bums all the way home!

Tonight Colin’s treating us to a slap-up meal at our favourite steak restaurant, and tomorrow it’s on Ian, so I guess it’ll be Punyetes again!

Been on the beach today sun-bathing, whilst the boys have been on another bike ride. Kate’s got repetitive strain injury in her neck from checking her tan in the mirrior! Also managed to visit Mango a few times for early birthday presents!

Weather’s lovely and warm. Sunny with a bit of cloud and not as oppressively hot at night as it has been. Still got a few days left for some last sailing, swimming and tapas eating before back home late on Thursday. Hear that you’re having some improved weather back home. About time!!!

Tuesday 9 September 2008

Especially for you

Especially for you, Florence!
Sorry about this, but it’s absolutely roasting. Not particularly sunny today. Majorcan “neighbours” on the boat came out Friday, spent a windy Saturday night at sea, and then left Sunday, saying that they might not return at least until Wednesday, which I supposed should have told us we were in for a few unsettled days. Weather has been windy but really warm and sunny, until today. 28deg!!!!
Our neighbour is a character. Majorcan. Flies a Catalan flag from the rigging and the tiniest Spanish flag from the back of his boat. Now most boats you can tell what kind of personal statement they are making by the size of their flags! The bigger the flag, the bigger the ego and, one can only guess as to the associated personal attributes! Usually less guess-work is involved when Ian says “What a di******” when he sees the size of some German banderas!! But our mate next door has the reverse attitude. Come to think of it, he’s a Majorcan Ian. Do you remember that time when Rab C meets his Spanish counterpart, complete with bandage and Spanish drunken cursing, well…..
Having assumed he was a bit of a recluse, who’d taken to sailing as a means of getting away from jo-public, he turned up with “Maria”. After months of only a passing association with a hose-pipe, red rain clay having thickly encrusted his deck, and no sign of repairs carried out, suddenly, the local chandlers are fitting a new hatch and advising on other ways of screwing money out of him! The love (and focus) of a good woman! However it was wonderful to witness him leaving port. Maria was at the front of the boat looking gorgeous and slim (there the similarity breaks down!), and Ianito throws both mooring lines straight into the water, and chucks the gang-plank haphazardly on the pontoon, for the marineros to tidy up after! He sails off leaving a mess behind him, and shooting up in Ian’s estimations even more, “What a Guy!!”
He returns in the early hours of the following morning, decked out in shabby cagoule, girlfriend looking gorgeous off the port-side, and the remnants of last night’s wine in the cock-pit, and a mass of half-burnt candles!!! On arriving back in the berth with fairly brisk winds, Ianito backs into us and demolishes his tiny excuse for a Spanish flag, complete with flag-pole! So it will be interesting to see what he replaces it with, if anything. Mucho viento, he says! You don’t say!!!
Meanwhile, we’ve hired bikes and had lovely reccies into the foot-hills of Pollensa, finding “camis” or little roads which lead to trees full of ripe figs and carob beans. Driving over Lemons as Chris Stewarts book was called about Andalucia. Well cycling over almonds and figs is the Mallorcan version! Why are figs in UK sooooo expensive, when they’re being driven over in droves out here, and left to rot on the trees!!! Planned a great two and a half hour route for Colin and Kate when they come out next week. “What do you mean you’re on holiday!”
Just had a fantastic Menu del Dia at Casa Gallega--- 10Euros each for Langostine and Avocado starter, then mixed fish with mixture of potatoes and peppers and carrots in a lovely sauce, then fresh fruit and ice-cream, a bottle of house wine and a strong coffee. Absolutely amazing! A siesta and then a cheese butty for tea!!!!! Buen Provecho!!!!

Lots of lovexxxxxx
Any news from Los Trabajadores, Nanny Ogg, the fell-running contingent of the Webbies, Jack Rafter et al?????

Tuesday 2 September 2008

Warning

Warning of Force 8 Gale Imminent!!! Oh No!! A quick check outside. Beautiful blue skies. No clouds. A gentle breeze. Checked the Navtex again to find that the forecast was for Plymouth!!!! Poor old UK!! Came out here after a shocking summer. The worst one in 45 years according to the papers, and more personally, the first one for us in UK for about four years. What a disappointment!! Great to see family and friends, but otherwise sh**””!!!
Anyway back to God’s own Country! Beautiful weather all week so far. Motored to Menorca and stayed in the beautiful bay of Fornells, which is even more idyllic because you can park for free! A sun-kissed Menorcan Adonis motors up to you in his dinghy, labels telling you that he is employed by the Portuaria de Menorca, and instead of demanding payment the minute you’ve tied up to one of his buoys, he offers to help you, so that you don’t have to lean over the side too much, and says you can stay as long as you like for free!! Only problem is you get some local scallywags who, rather than pay expensive marina fees, leave their boats crumbling away on the buoys gratis. As you can imagine, Ian enjoys a good old British whinge about such dishonest practice!
A lovely overnight stay in Cala Santandria, on Ciutadella’s doorstep. Beautiful spot. You have to put down an anchor in the middle of the channel, making sure you don’t hook it under the disused power cable, which we so adeptly did several years ago. Then to stop yourself drifting into a neighbours boat, you have to take a rope from the back of the boat and tie it to some rocks on the shore. This we did in the customary mountain- out- of- a -molehill way!! Shortly after our neighbours arrived and Ian let them know in a clear British-we-are-masters-of-the-waves-and-have-the-medals-to-prove-it way!! They pretended they didn’t understand a word and carried on regardless. Just to hammer the point home, they tried to prove that Russian, loosely described a “pop music” was better than British we-invented-good-music! After an hour or so of trying to read Kate Mosse’s blockbuster “Sepulchre”, to the mind-numbing oom-pah crap from the Ruskies, we got in our dinghy and paddled up the creek for a hearty cheap meal. I felt quite smug as our paddles silently dipped into the water, in contrast to the racket which was coming from the Ruskies 50’ Sun Oddysey. It might be bigger than ours but at least we remembered to put our anchor light on!!
Interesting to see what will happen to all these nouveau-riche Russians with all their new-found Western toys, when Putin and Nedvedhev say that they’re not afraid of another Cold War!!
Cracking sail back to Alcudia. Really hot. Off to Ramon’s Tapas Bar, cos Punyetes is closed for descanso on Tuesday. I suppose they must have a rest sometime!!
Hasta Luego Pobres!