Home, washing and normal routines

Yesterday was the final day of waiting, sitting and hoping for a prompt departure.

The night had been one of rough seas and sleeting rain, but we arrived at Portsmouth roughly on time.

I did wonder whether the pilot was going to be able to board at 6am as the ship was being pushed about by the waves and buffeted by the wind.

I had tag number 24 so sat in the library with the other 20 somethings (up to 24 that is). We were the second to last group to disembark and by the looks of it, the crew would get everyone off by 10:30am giving them until 2pm to clear, clean, restock and prepare for the next group who were looking forward to two weeks cruising the Canary islands.

I envied them, they were heading back to 26°C, blue skies and longer days.

So, an eventful three weeks and one I won't forget in a hurry. I did meet some lovely people and I did wander in some fascinating places. The weather had been so kind to us too with average temperatures of 28°C. I've come back disgustingly brown and that was without trying.

So all in all and great time so next.....

Norway in March, should be fun.....see you on deck 6 Shirley 😘

Final day, French coast and then home

The Bay of Biscay was, and I'm almost wary of saying this, gentle. The storm was behind us and we kept running flat out to avoid it.

It seems most of the weather was catching us on the stern so we remained stable throughout the night.

Waking to my last full day I looked out on one of those sunrises commensurate with the English coast; dark clouds, leden skies, black seas, but now I'm sitting on the balcony enjoying sunshine, little wind and a gentle autumnal warmth.

The traffic is quite something. I've counted five ships within easy eyesight. The captain said we were now on ship routing and we could expect to see an increase in ships traffic. Probably be more once we reach the channel. 

I've packed already. Its easy enough. I may have a big case but its invariably half empty. The heavy parts are the books, and yes, I've read all of them.

I've also read five off Kindle (thank heavens for that) so it's been a totally engaging time.

Yes, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time and am looking forward to the next one which is February I think. Off to see the reindeer, Shirley and lots of snow. Excited!!

A'Coruña, migraine and early departure

We docked early but the head pain I was suffering was still disabling. Most of the time I can keep Ehlers Danlos under control but the cold and cough pushed it too far.

So I didnt get off, just crawled around with a collar on, sitting, falling into fitful sleep and generally feeling rubbish.

Views from the balcony early in the morning. The place looked really interesting and I'm sad I didnt get off but I'd like to spend two weeks up on this coast and explore. I think there's a hotel Saga utilise which I will look into when I get back.

It's the Bay of Biscay tonight and tomorrow. It seems a storm is coming but if we're lucky....... The captain told us the seas would be about 3m which is what we had last night. 

I do hope we have a nice day tomorrow. It's the final day and disembarking for me is 9:40am Monday morning.

Home soon.

February it's up to Norway.....with Shirley....Yay. 

One stop remaining

It was a bouncy night with rattling and clanking reminding us we were heading home. 

Looking out the cabin window it was still dark, the sun wasn't even close to rising but pillows of white foam were crashing out from our passage.

This cold is still hanging around and like many of us, blights yet another day.

Not taking up any excursions was a good move on my part allowing me the opportunity to dwell where I want to, explore what I fancy and stop where I wished.

I've seen so much more this way but, and there is a but, I've not gone further than my feet would allow.

I know there's much more to wander through in Cadiz for example, and spending more time following my nose in Santa Cruz de Tenerife would be fascinating.

But, would I want to return to Cape Verde? No. It's a long way to go for just two days and I'm not that impressed by either island to want to spend 4 days at sea to get there.

Ok, so what about today? Well, we're at sea, on our way up the Portuguese coast, past Lisbon (a stopping destination from last year) and up to A'Coruña, our final stop.

Today I'll spend my time devouring yet another book then back to the cabin to continue feeling rough and consider the ideal medical kit to carry each trip. It's a hard life.....but someone's gotta do it.

From the balcony: Cadiz

Sitting waiting to pull off the quayside 

Meandering further in Cadiz

The sights and smells of the market were superb and made me realise I was getting hungry.

I fondly remembered the Hiperdino in Arrecife and their gorgeous apple turnovers......yum. No luck today, I'd have to wait until I was back on the ship for that.

So, wandering once more I chose a different alleyway to follow. It looked like one I'd not done so.....

I ended up at the Cathedral of Cadiz. Wasnt expecting that to pop up.

It was 7€ to go in so I did. 

Amazing interior. 

The number of local families who paid for various chapels was also an eye opener. Buying their way into heaven perhaps?

I took this of the main altar. Very lovely but still prefer the simple ones in places like Puerto de la Cruz de Tenerife or the very small one dedicated to the fishermen in La Gomera.

Having spent a very happy hour in there I came out, chose a different alleyway and meandered along that one.

It spat me out on the ramparts, not far from the Baluarte de la Candelaria and its associated gardens.

Sadly my cold was still affecting me and the headache was coming back with avengance. 

Strolling along the ramparts and then across the main square, I wandered back to the ship, glad to be able to take some paracetamol and grab some lunch, albeit late.

Think they were showing their skill set to students. Stalls and bouncy castles plus class groups of 16/17 year olds were floating in the vicinity. 

Grey skies, rain and umbrellas

So different from Arrecife. The mornings are darker and the skies, laden with rain.

Cadiz is a destination I remember with great fondness but then it was blue skies and temperatures in the upper 20s. 

Not today but wandering was just as enjoyable and having chosen the morning, I think I got back to the ship at the right time. It is now raining heavily and deep puddles are forming. 

So, back to my meander.

Houses are tightly packed but ornately decorated. You have to look up however. Walking along the narrow alleyways you see little, save large, wooden doors and muli-occupancy letter boxes.

Open the heavy door and you start to see the real beauty.

The ornate tilework, their inner quadrangle, the marble steps, all maintained by those who live there.

The alleyways are like a maze and pop you out into small squares with open areas to sit and talk. Cafés surround them; like little social lungs set within the districts.

This one was quite large and having its stonework reset, drains relayed and trees re-edged. I was caught by the thickness of the bricks/slabs. It's only when you see them you begin to understand why they are so much more durable than ours.

Next I fell into another very large square dominated by the fruit, fish and veg market. It reminded me of old Covent Garden before it was gentrified with stalls bursting with produce, the smell of fresh fish filling the air and small cafés surrounding the scene.

Day at sea. Another book read

What would I do without Kindle?

So, as a post script to last night, the Spanish authorities arrived somewhere around midnight to collect the illegal migrants. 

We'd waited alongside until the high speed boat arrived and then again until the people were alongside the rescue vessel. By the time it was ok for us to pull off it had already past midnight.

I drew the curtains and collapsed into bed. It had been a long and surprisingly interesting night.

So today I am pleased to find the Library has reopened and although we cannot serve ourselves, tea and coffee is once more available. 

I do hope people continue vigilance so we can have all facilities reopened.

Another book read and another downloaded ready.

One very happy bunny. Just need the cough to clear up and to stop needing paracetamol all the time.

Shuddering to a halt; a wooden boat drifts about

It's 8:30pm and we've suddenly come to a shuddering halt, did an about turn and are now holding a stationary position. 

We're supposedly off to spend a day at sea, making our way back towards the UK, first stopping at Cadizvand then A Coruña. Its quite a distance and we have to maintain a reasonable speed.

It seems, however, we almost ploughed into a migrant boat full of, well, migrants attempting to get to the Canary Islands.

We're expected by the rules of the sea, to wait, call the Spanish rescue people and then continue to wait until the boat load is 'rescued'.

Fingers crossed the Spanish come out and don't shrug their shoulders, otherwise we are duty bound to pick them up!

This is turning into an interesting trip.

Taken using my phone camera off the Galaxy 20S. It sets itself up to take night shots. What I saw was virtually pitch black. 

Taking a sea taxi

Watching as the two pilot boats took up, what appeared to be, sentry duty to the recently emptied container dock, I concluded they were waiting for something to come in.

Indeed they were.

Accompanied by a large tug, a flat bed cargo ship came in with four clients destined for the marina.

On the front with an incredibly tall mast attached is a deep sea racing yacht, complete with extra long fins to elevate itself from the water, two wide bellied catamarans and an exceptionally posh (and probably fast) speed boat.

I hoped to spend a few, very contented hours watching the unstrapping then dismounting of these vessels. After all there's plenty of time and turn around on dock space as well as ship hire is in the thousands not hundreds.

It's only when I saw people standing on the racing yacht that I realised just how big it was.

It began to turn into a 'how many men to change a lightbulb' moment with six men going repeatedly to the bow of the boat and climbing inside only to emerge, stand and discuss, change something they'd just done and then disappear again.

So far the straps are off save one holding the nose in place, the body of the ship is attached to an on board crane, the sails have been positioned and tied down, but they are still wandering up and down the body only to disappear inside the nose area.

Meanwhile, life goes on; fishing boats chug past to go fishing, containers are loaded and unloaded ready for the next ship in and still we wait the lifting out of the yacht.

Finally! In what seemed a matter of seconds the boat lifted, twisted out and is now hanging next to the mother ship/taxi.

Wonder if all the boats are part of the same team (support vessels and the like)?

That's a question I'll never be able to find the answer to.

A docking furthest away

The dawn rose over the starboard bow, well, until the captain did a spin on the handbrake to reverse into position.

I caught this just before it disappeared behind the bridge.

I remember docking this far out on the Marella ship, Majesty, but the surrounding area was very different then.

I remember getting off next to a large container ship and walking under one of the large cranes. 

Instead of paying 6€ for a shuttle bus ride, I walked. It was just over 3 km and part of it was over rough terrain.

Now, that rough terrain has been replaced by roads, storage depots and service yards. The dock area has grown tremendously and looking out even now, I can see land reclamation for a new pier.

The entrance to the port has been tidied up further since I was here last year and shops and bars are moving ever closer. The marina and downtown area are becoming the new hub.

As the shuttle bus service with Saga is free I climbed aboard, after all, I could use that 3km more pleasantly in Arrecife itself.

Manrique influence is everywhere, even in the planting around the old fishing harbour.

Walking past the cafés and bars you're forever reminded of the debt owed to the sea. The boats here go out most evenings to catch by torchlight. Fresh fish is then sold the next morning.

At first glance, this photo appears to be nothing until you highlight it and realise a whole sea 'monster' sits with pigeons climbing in and out of the eye sockets. 

Yes, it's real. It was dug up locally when they were building something.

Obviously no longer sea worthy, the locals recycle their row boats.

The High Street gearing up for Christmas..... well the 12th day, the one they hold sacred. 

Managed to get some decent aloe gel and sunblock, replace my earrings which are in the sand on La Gomera somewhere and a packet of peanuts! How I've missed them!!

Popped into the first ever church on the island. Think it said it was built in the 1400s. Nice, simple altar. None of the pomp and ceremony of yesterday's one.

Spotted along some hidden back street (you know I love those) a painting which caught my eye..

 

Second slice of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife apple

Street so typical of the old town. In some of these the houses are painted vivid colours which really brighten the area as you walk along.

Such a nice frontage to this building. The ironworks is so nicely produced.

Love their road signs.

A sculpture from the main square by the harbour. The one below is a modern one depicting Atlas. It's a representation of each one of us shouldering the world of emotions contained within our hearts and minds. So clever.

Cloudy but warm: a typical Tenerife day

Clouds hung heavy threatening to rain but the temperature was already creeping over 24°C.

A nice day even though light levels were poor.

I waited until around 9:30am before I got off. It seemed easier to let those on trips leave first and then I could catch a shuttle into town and walk from there.

I wandered for about 3 hours coming across areas I'd failed to register before. The hearts show stopping points where I was getting my bearings.

A hidden back street. Much of the pain is peeling off but it carries a charm which captured my imagination.

I've been here before......but it was on a coach and we barely acknowledged it. A fabulous park, full of trees, cactii, exotics and of course, parakeets.

An unknown square with an amazing frontier to presumably a church. Seemed to be derelict.

Just a little bit of gold and silver! The ornate central altar in their main basilica.

Outside, a new take on Christmas lights - a complete fake blossom tree.

Another square filled with beautiful gardens and statues. Loved this one. They are all looking towards the one shown below.

The boss I presume?