August 2019

After the repair I could stay at a marina at Cartagena in the midst of town.

Along the boulevard lots of people passing and sometimes curious about the boat and me.

Ellen arrived at Allicante on Tuesday the 13th of August. She will be staying for over three weeks. In the marina I could leave the boat well guarded.
I rented a car and after a night sleep on the boat and spending time with people I met, we wanted to discover the Southern parts of Spain.

Lots of Natural Reserves, embalse de La bolera, Parque Natural de Despeñaperros with caves, etc. And sometimes it has become a holy place.
And beautiful cities like Cordoba, Sevilla and Ronda.

Look at the photo with the glass of wine. The restaurant is build right at the edge of a cliff.
But it can get hot in August. We came across 47C!

Everyone stays in the shade and this famous Plaza De España in Sevilla is empty during the afternoon.

Nearby lies the city of Murcia. Quit big, but hardly touristic. A couple of plazas with huge trees and lots of nice terraces and good food.

The discovery of the South coast of Spain with the Ellena was a bit different then I was used to, but beautiful. Winds are Westerly or Easterly and waves can built up because of that. So careful planning with my dearest wife on board. But we came across a very nice bay with just enough shelter. It was that good, that we even stayed for three nights.

It is situated in a Natural Reserve and therefor it is not allowed to anchor. There are two buoys that can be used, so only space for two boats and we where lucky!

Further along the coast there are lots of sandy beaches. On the Costa Blanca, where we are, they are quiet, but on the West and East side you will find the infamous Spanish Costas, like Benidorm, etc.

We stayed on one such place, Cabo de Palos. Pay attention to the skyline. The high buildings keep on going!

But also very nice sailing.

Ellen had to leave on the 6th of Septembre. The next day my cousin and her husband will visit me for a couple of days. Time becomes an issue  now, because it is quit difficult to pass Gibraltar. Lots of powerful currents and therefor the wind must be East. Those steady winds become more rare when it reaches October. But I really wanted to see my Ellen. I also wanted my cousin, also called Ellen, to visit me. So we will see.

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