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Necessity's AdventuresAtlantic Ocean Crossing plus Cruising the Med (Azores, Portugal & Spain) |
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July 03 2009 Spanish CampaignWell the Fun Police finally caught up with me in Barcelona. Arrested me for "Unbridled joy in a Spanish Peublo", "Un-registered smile creases", and a trumped up charge of "Too many photos" Forced me onto a plane and sent me back to Canada. Here are the details of The Spanish Campaign, 2009 Necessity; Total Log = 1,263 nautical miles Tom: 190 (Rota-Barbate-Gibraltar-Smir, Morocco-Malaga) Joe: 670 (Rota-Barbate-Gibraltar-Smir, Morocco-Malaga-Nerja-Almeirmar-Categena-Alicante-Formenterra-Mallorca) Dave & Sauli: 267 (Malaga-Nerja-Almeirmar-Cartegena-Alicante) Majed: 295 (Mallorca-Barcelona-Tarragona-Tarragona) Chad: 114 (Tarragona-Tarragona-Sant Carles de la Rapita) Marc: 298 (Sant Carles de la Rapita-Mallorca-Ibiza-Sant Carles) Total Days = 85 On the Hard = 2 In the Water = 74 At Sea =19 Overnight Passages =13 At Anchor =4 At Marinas =52 Dive Training = 5 In Hotels = 2 Touring Spain & France = 8
The Synopsis April 14 Depart Toronto April 15 Arrive Jerez April 16 Arrive Rota April 17 Launch Necessity April 23 Depart Rota April 24 Arrive Barbate April 25 Depart Barbate, transit Straits of Gibraltar and arrive Gibraltar April 29 Depart Gib, cross Straits to Smir, Morocco May 1 Depart Smir May 2 Arrive Malaga May 6 Depart Malaga, arrive Nerja May 8 Depart Nerja, arrive Almerimar May 11 Depart Almerimar May 12 Arrive Cartagena May 15 Depart Cartagena May 16 Arrive Alicante May 17 Depart Alicante May 18 Arrive Isla Espalmador, Formentera May 20 Arrive San Antonio, Ibiza May 21 Depart Ibiza May 22 Arrive Ibiza May 23 Arrive C’an Pastilla, Mallorca May 25 Depart Mallorca May 26 Arrive Port Olympico, Barcelona May 29 Depart Barcelona, arrive Tarragona May 31 Depart Tarragona June 1 Arrive Tarragona (engine difficulties) June 3 Depart Tarragona June 4 Arrive Sant Carles de la Rapita June 16 Depart Sant Carles Marina June 17 Arrive C’an Pastilla, Mallorca June 19 Depart Mallorca June 20 Arrive Eivissa town, Ibizza June 21 Depart Ibiza June 22 Arrive Sant Carles de la Rapita June 25 Necessity lifted out and placed on the hard June 25 Tarragona June 26 Madrid June 27 Aix-en-Provence, France June 29 Malaga June 30 Sevilla July 1 Barcelona July 3 Depart BCN, Spain
Costs; Total of Marina Fees = $1,348 Euros ($2,144 CDN) Average cost per day of the 52 days spent in a marina = $26 ($41 CDN) Average cost per day of the 74 days spent on board Necessity = $18 ($29 CDN)
Longest Sail: Cartagena to Alicante (DRS, Wing on Wing, and Poled out Genoa) Fastest Sail: Tom & Joe with 8.2 knots SOG through the Straits of Gibraltar Fastest Sail with lowest SOG: Tom & Joe with a SOG of 4 knots and a boat speed of 7.4 on the crossing to Morocco (tide was against us for a couple of hours) Highest wind speed: 35 knots in the Straits Longest Sail: Majed from Mallorca to Barcelona at Largest whale sighting: Majed on sail to Barcelona Most whales seen: Dave & Sauli with a pod of Pilot whales Most fuel pump repairs: Chad and Majed are tied Best sail trimmer: Chad – hands down Best Blogger: Majed Most proficient at Catalan: Majed Most sayings: Tom Most sail repairs: Joe Most mask clearing events: Chad Deepest Dive: Dean at 6.4 meters (Chad was only at 6.1!) Most Moray Eel sightings: Chad at three Most cities toured: Crew at 10 (Sant Carles, C'an Pastilla, Palma, Ibiza city, Tarragona, Madrid, Aix-en Provence, Fr., Malaga, Sevilla, Barcelona) Most Beautiful City: Malaga Best Moorish Castle: Alhambra, Granada Best Mosque: The Mezquita, Cordoba Best Public Square: Plaza Mayor, Madrid Best Street: La Rambla, Barcelona Best Seashells, Isla Espalmador, Formentera Best Seashell Collecting Beach: Alicante Best Open Market: Rota, Barbate, Barcelona, Tarragona, Best Alcazaba: Granada Best Arab Market: Tetoun, Morocco (and the most honest people award!) Most aromatic market: Tetoun, Morocco Best Camel ride: Smir, Morocco (with Tom pretty in the saddle!) Best French Pastry : Calissons in Aix-en-Provence, France Best Moorish Fort: Malaga Best Roman Ruins: Teatro Romano, Tarragona Best Meal: Way too many to mention!!! Most expensive dockage: Ibiza at 125 Euros Best night life: Ibiza Town, Wow! Best shopping: Malaga & Ibiza town Best cave dwellings: On the road between Almeira & Granada Best Dolphin show: Trip to Malaga Best Marina: Sant Carles (new, friendly, & has an infinity pool!) Friendliest Marina: Cartagena Best vista with an espresso: Palau Nacional, Montjuic, Barcelona Best view of snow capped mountains: Granada Best overnight train ride: Tarragona to Madrid Hottest day spent touring: Sevilla at 36 C Narrowest alleys: Barri Gotic of Barcelona Best Church: Giralda Cathedral of Sevilla Best vista from a café: Giralda tower from the Giralda Hotel street café Best Vista of the Med: From the top of Ibiza town’s fort and cathedral Best view of fine ladies & men: A café on the fully marbled Margues de Larios in Malaga Best Mountain Village: Torvizcón Best road driven on: Almeiramar to Granada through the Sierra Navada Mountains Most Remote Village: Sollers, Mallorca Best Train Ride: Palma to Sollers on old classic train through the mountains Best Cathedral Exterior: Palma (and the longest to build at 500 years!) Best Spelunkers: Dave & Sauli Best gardens: Malaga Most photos in a single day: Sauli
Dean, under house arrest in Canada The End of the Spanish CampaignWhat a city to end this wonderful Spanish Adventure. Barcelona is enchanting. We took the bus to the Plaza Espania and walked up through the numerous plazas to the beautiful Palace on Montjuic, the Palau Nacional. Several thousand years ago, Iberic Celts settled on the Montjuïc, a 213m high hill southeast of Barcelona's current city center. The hill was later used by the Romans as a ceremonial place. Two major events that took place here: the 1929 International Exhibition and the 1992 Olympics. There are many gardens, an awesome swimming pool overlooking the city below, and a cable car that connects Montjuic to Barcelona’s main harbor. After enjoying a café and bocadilla while soaking up the view we took the cable car down to Port Vell affording us a wonderful vistas of the city, the harbour, and the ornate Colon tower. The Barrio Gothic area is a maze of narrow alleys that open up into a number of surprising squares with statues, fountains, and cafes. We found a cool café with a $9.50 ‘Menu of the Day’. This included Pan (bread), a large salad, an ample main course, a lovely desert, and a Berbida (wine in our case). What a deal! Next came a tour of one of Antonio Gaudi’s most famous building, Casa Milà (La Pedrera) ‘the cave’. We were able to tour the inside and the very unique roof top terrace. One might think this architectural genius was from the 60’s however he did most of his creations 100 years ago. One of Gaudi’s professors at the Barcelona school said “I am not sure if we are bestowing an architectural degree on a genius or a lunatic’!!
Next came “The Rambla”….a wide tree lined boulevard complete with live street artists. Until the beginning of the 18th century La Rambla consisted merely of a path beside a stream running between convents on one side and the old city walls on the other. It was in 1704 that the first houses were put up at the Boqueria on the site of the old city walls and the first trees were planted. In 1775 the old city walls by the Drassanes medieval shipyards were demolished, and toward the end of the 18th century the street began to be systematically developed: la Rambla became a kind of tree-lined avenue. We found the main city Mercado, a large market of fish, meat, fruits, veggies, legumes – really everything one might desire. Numerous stalls in an open area surrounded by Roman columns, over the top provisioning! And what a final dining experience. We chose the Les Quinze Nits in the Plaça Reial, a restaurant Majed and I noticed on our first trip into the Rambla area. There are many restaurants in the Placa Reial however the Les Quinze Nits always had an unbelievably long line up – must be good right? It really was, and so inexpensive. A carafe of house wine - $3.00 Euros. A wonderful squid ink pallea - $9.00 Euros. A calamari tapa only $4.00 Euros. Sitting in the large royal square surrounded by huge building with large arches, and massive fountain, tall palm trees, the cool evening air…the perfect end to the Spanish Campaign! Dean & crew in Barcelona, Catalonia July 01 SevillaHappy Canada Day!! Took a fast train from Malaga to Sevilla, only 2.5 hours at 100 miles per hour!! Great scenery of olive tree plantations and sunflower fields as far as your eye can see.
Our very nice hotel was only s short walk from the Renfe, and we were able to secure two tickets to the best Flamenco show in Sevilla, at least according to the young tourism office girl (who is also a dancer). And the show was very enjoyable and quite well performed. We had great second row seats just off center stage. The origins of Flamenco are not known. Gypsies apparently got the basic dance routines going. Guitars were later added to the hand clapping and singing, and then much more recently the step or tapping dancing were added.
Sevilla was established as a major trading center under the Roman Empire. Two of the Roman Emperors came from here. Both Trajan & Hadrian were born in Italica near Seville.
Sevilla was one of the earliest Moorish conquests (in 712) as part of the caliphate of Córdoba. Under a series of three Arabic rulers from the Abbadid dynasty (1023-91), was something of a golden age. The city's court was unrivalled in wealth and luxury and was sophisticated too, developing a strong chivalric element and a flair for poetry - one of the most skilled exponents being the last ruler, al-Mu'tamid, the "poet-king". But with sophistication came decadence and in 1091 Abbadid rule was usurped by a new force, the Almoravids, a tribe of fanatical Berber Muslims from North Africa, to whom the Andalucians had appealed for help against the rising threat from the northern Christian kingdoms. Why we do not know more about these folks is a shame. Moors ruled the Iberian peninsula for over 750 years. Their first conquest was in 711 at Gibraltar, and their final expulsion was not until 1492. Spanish rule is only 600 years so far! The Moors built some fantastic structures, the Giralda tower here in Sevilla, the Mesquita of Cordoba and the Alhambra of Granada The Moors establishes a flourishing city with a unique mosque which had a large tower attached to it. The Giralda is the bell tower of the Cathedral of Seville in Seville, Spain, one of the largest churches in the world and an outstanding example of the Gothic and Baroque architectural styles. The tower's first two-thirds is a former Almohad minaret which, when built, was then the tallest tower in the world at 97.5 m (320 ft) in height. It was one of the most important symbols in the medieval city. The Minaret was completed in 1098 and sported a series of ramps which allowed the Iman to ride his horse to the top (97.5 meters) to call the faithful to prayer.
Now a major Spanish city of 800,000, Seville is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of this southern region of Spain, Andalusia. Dean and crew still free in Sevilla, Spain June 30 Malaga RevisitedDean and crew have decided to move more quickly as the Fun Police are now hot on our trail. We will only be in each new place 24 hrs….. If a person had to visit one of Spain’s cities twice which one would be chosen? Barcelona, Ibiza city, Palma would be on the list, but for me it would be Malaga. Antonio Banderas is very proud of his birthplace and with little wonder. Magnificent architecture, marble streets, great vistas, roman ruins, an Alcazaba, a fully intact Moorish castle, lush gardens, a great beach for seashell collecting, and a cosmopolitan flair. And very inexpensive. Beer & small tapas, $1.60. Or two beers and ten tapas for only $10 Euros. Even our hotel, just blocks off the main street (the fully marbled Calle Margues de Larios) for only $50 E. The shopping has been wonderful, many great offers to be had. Dean & Crew on the run in Spain (BTW just managed to embed a new video of Necessity sailing off the coast of Ibiza) June 27 Aix en Provence, FranceDean and crew have found themselves in a scenic little town called Aix-en-Provence just 30 minutes from Marseilles. After a thirty year absence, many things have changed and many things are still the same. The trees along the Cours Mirabeau have grown and we have already sampled some of the famous provencal cuisine such as salade nicoise and wonderful olives. Spent a lovely evening at “les Deuz Garcons”, a brasserie which has operated in the same location since 1792. Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cesanne, and Fredrick Mistral the dynamic outspoken politician who had the violent north wind named after him (The Mistral, which the Spanish call the Tramontana) all spent time here (Cesanne was born here). Dean found a fast friend in a retired French merchant sailor sitting beside us. Tomorrow we will visit the Granet museum to see some Cesanne and Picasso works and perhaps pay a visit to Bechard bakery for a croissant or two. Monday it is off to another city. Ryanair offers some great options for 20 Euros. Dean and crew in Aix en Pce, Fr. Thanks for visiting!
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