After the riding and walking we had a couple of weeks just messing about on the boat.
In October Jen and two mates, Becca and Jo, flew out for a quick weekend - great fun. Lots of fabulous food and occasionally a little too much wine!
After a month in Cumbria following the Turkey trip we went back to Alicante in November to get some winter sun. We had a few mini cruises along the coast and some beautiful sailing days, together with a lot of windless motoring days. The water temperature was nearly 20 degrees when we arrived but slowly dropped to around 16 degrees - still warm enough for Carole to swim. I managed one dip before preferring to hold the towel as Carole got out!
We also managed to hire a car at the ridiculously cheap price of £45 for three weeks. This meant that we could explore the area a bit more, We had a weekend with friends Neil and Shirley near Rosalles, and a great seafood meal at Guadalmar, before driving off to Albecete - picked at random - Turns out it is the penknife making centre of Spain complete with a Penknife museum. One visit was perhaps enough.
We managed to get some walking in - the area around Buscot was great with some fab caves to visit.
We then left the car in the marina and caught a train to Madrid for a couple of Air BnB days. Really enjoyed the city; it has a lovely feel, great food, great art and architecture and some really original bars.
Back on the boat we disappeared, almost literally (see the fog below), for a few days, going north to Altea. Carole caught a fish on the way back, just before lunch time too - perfect timing. Even better timing was the dive boat mooring buoy we found just off Isla Mitjana, so we picked it up and the BBQ got lit; we lunched on very fresh fish.
On the way back we stopped at Villajoyosa where Carole showed the local ex-pats how to play darts in a bar dedicated to Middlesborough FC - really! Great night, amazing what you find just wandering round.
When we got back, a quick tidy up, and then Colin and Ruth flew out for a few days, Not a lot of wind, only one afternoon of decent sailing really and a lot of motoring, but the sun shone. The water temperature now down to about 16 but Carole, as ever, and Ruth still swam. Colin and I watched.
Our French friends, Phillipe, Valerie and their son Orlonn, arrived in Alicante on their boat, Ali Baba, about the same time as us, they'd spent the summer in Italy. Their Facebook page "life's better on a boat" has some fabulous photos of their cruise. We got into a great system of alternate weekly dinner parties on board each others boat with them.
Just before flying home for Christmas we did two walking tours of Alicante, amazing we'd not done them before really. Well worth it if you get chance.
Back home tomorrow, just time for a meal out with Martyn and Jane, who have sailed their new boat, La Mouette, from the UK to Alicante this year.
In October Jen and two mates, Becca and Jo, flew out for a quick weekend - great fun. Lots of fabulous food and occasionally a little too much wine!
First try of our new paddle board
We anchored off Isla Tabarca - it was pretty idyllic
But exhausting
Then the girls came out!
Jen getting to grips with the board
Family trip on the board - not that stable with three on!
Becca's got it under control
Great afternoon anchored off Albufereta.
We also have a video of Carole and the girls giving a rousing rendition of that classic sailing song "What a bloody good day to go sailing" on the sail back to Alicante - it will no doubt be brought out at suitably embarrassing occasions.
We also have a video of Carole and the girls giving a rousing rendition of that classic sailing song "What a bloody good day to go sailing" on the sail back to Alicante - it will no doubt be brought out at suitably embarrassing occasions.
A night on the town - a very slow day followed!
PART TWO
After a month in Cumbria following the Turkey trip we went back to Alicante in November to get some winter sun. We had a few mini cruises along the coast and some beautiful sailing days, together with a lot of windless motoring days. The water temperature was nearly 20 degrees when we arrived but slowly dropped to around 16 degrees - still warm enough for Carole to swim. I managed one dip before preferring to hold the towel as Carole got out!
We also managed to hire a car at the ridiculously cheap price of £45 for three weeks. This meant that we could explore the area a bit more, We had a weekend with friends Neil and Shirley near Rosalles, and a great seafood meal at Guadalmar, before driving off to Albecete - picked at random - Turns out it is the penknife making centre of Spain complete with a Penknife museum. One visit was perhaps enough.
We managed to get some walking in - the area around Buscot was great with some fab caves to visit.
We then left the car in the marina and caught a train to Madrid for a couple of Air BnB days. Really enjoyed the city; it has a lovely feel, great food, great art and architecture and some really original bars.
Back on the boat we disappeared, almost literally (see the fog below), for a few days, going north to Altea. Carole caught a fish on the way back, just before lunch time too - perfect timing. Even better timing was the dive boat mooring buoy we found just off Isla Mitjana, so we picked it up and the BBQ got lit; we lunched on very fresh fish.
On the way back we stopped at Villajoyosa where Carole showed the local ex-pats how to play darts in a bar dedicated to Middlesborough FC - really! Great night, amazing what you find just wandering round.
When we got back, a quick tidy up, and then Colin and Ruth flew out for a few days, Not a lot of wind, only one afternoon of decent sailing really and a lot of motoring, but the sun shone. The water temperature now down to about 16 but Carole, as ever, and Ruth still swam. Colin and I watched.
Our French friends, Phillipe, Valerie and their son Orlonn, arrived in Alicante on their boat, Ali Baba, about the same time as us, they'd spent the summer in Italy. Their Facebook page "life's better on a boat" has some fabulous photos of their cruise. We got into a great system of alternate weekly dinner parties on board each others boat with them.
Just before flying home for Christmas we did two walking tours of Alicante, amazing we'd not done them before really. Well worth it if you get chance.
Walking around Buscot
Plaza Puerto del Sol in Madrid, just round the corner from our apartment
Monument to King Alphonso XII in Madrid
Amazing wire head sculpture in the Crystal Palace in the Parc de Buen Retiro
Back in Alicante. You can't keep her out of the water!
Off Benidorm
Fog starting to form
Very glad of the radar, visibility dropped to 35m for a short period.
We sailed out of the fog into a sunlit hole, grabbed a handy mooring buoy and Carole went for a swim.
The view from the top of the hill at Altea.
That'll do for lunch - top fisherwomen strikes again - time for the BBQ
We fell across this Middlesborough FC bar in Villajoyosa, it was one of only a few open at the time, great night.
We went to the top of the Trip Hotel, one of very few tall buildings in Alicante with Colin and Ruth for a coffee and a view - Our boat is there somewhere!
At anchor with Colin and Ruth
Great cloud formations at sunset
Final view of Alicante, taken on the evening walking tour, from La Ereta, just below the castle. The blue light (upper right) is the coffee bar at the top of the Trip hotel. Cathedral in the foreground.
Back home tomorrow, just time for a meal out with Martyn and Jane, who have sailed their new boat, La Mouette, from the UK to Alicante this year.
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