Goodbye 2010....

....you weren't such a bad year.

We finally managed to sell our house in Portugal, which gave us the means to invest to provide a cruising kitty.
We've managed a (mostly) fun four months away, so far, and met quite a few nice people en route :)

On the less positive side - I am still overweight (but that may change with New Years resolutions!!)
Nb. I read in the newspaper today how a woman lost half her body weight by 'hoola-hooping' naked - so there's hope yet.

I still miss my gorgeous cats Heidi and Lily and my lovely home in Cornwall.

Scabby keeps me company though

A friend remarked to me this morning how this can be a very unsettling time of year and I think she's right....

I want to go home for a visit but am a bit reluctant whilst it's so cold and there seems to be a flu epidemic going on.

The Captain and I are looking forward to exploring all the Canary Islands by boat and bus in 2011 before hitting the road home via Madeira and the Azores next summer (with Scabby of course!)

Happy New Year everybody! - we're off out to party!!

The cat section

I'm posting this separately so if you're not interested in cats you don't have to look :)

new favourite sleeping place

totally relaxed....

supervising the human

more blah blah blah

The marina finally got round to fixing the lock on the gate to our pontoon.
Great! except when we tried to get out our key doesn't work. Duh!
And we weren't the only ones.......

is this the smallest yacht ever???

I certainly wouldn't like to be sailing all the way to the Canaries in a boat of that size. I don't reckon the bloke on it can even lie out flat cos it's that small!

still warm....

However,

storm clouds are gathering

Just might be in for a drop of rain tonight.

Nothing to report....

Another sunny day.....
Another hangover....
Went swimming.....
Cat decided to explore under the engine compartment in the oily well....
(Unfortunately I was too busy scrubbing her to remember to take a photo)
Still don't know what we are doing......

Decision time is approaching

Well, that's another Christmas done and dusted.
So! What do we do now?
It's fast becoming time to decide.....do we stay or do we go.
Life here is very pleasant but not outstanding.
The weather is certainly better than at home. But it is still winter and subject to change.
The cost of living is now no cheaper than back home except for tobacco (and we don't smoke) and alcohol (how much can you drink? No, don't answer that!)
We could leave the boat in the marina and come home and get back to work (if there is any such thing left in the UK)
That would mean finding a new home for the cat or abandoning it to the vagaries of life as a feral in Las Palmas :(
Then come back to resume cruising and head home in the spring/summer.
We could always just stay in the Canaries on the boat (with cat) then come home next spring/summer
(and probably go ga-ga in the meantime - well I would anyway)
Or, the sane persons solution would be to cross the atlantic and have a wonderful few months sailing around the tropical paradise that is the caribbean.......before heading home next summer.
Ha, a no brainer I hear you shout.
There is a small snag (isn't there always?)
There is no way that I am sailing on a yacht across the atlantic. Full stop.
I have discovered on this trip that I bloody hate sailing!
Mike is toying with the idea of going alone.......not sure whether that's a good idea or not but hey, hundreds of people do it every year.
I am feeling quite stressed about the whole issue but I know in my heart of hearts that I just can't do it.
When the boat hasn't moved for a week or two I sometimes get quite brave and think, hey how bad could it be??? but as soon as we go anywhere which involves an overnight sail I'm reminded.....
Feeling a complete failure :(

PS. and there was a cockroach in my cabin last night!!

Fun on the beach

a fine bunch

best birthday card ever ! (thanks 'Cape' x)

Hic!

canoe race - the cheat is in the lead!

give us a shove!

birthday dunking

not a good look

but is that any better.....

Step 1 - Put the ice in a bag and crush with whatever comes to hand. Add plenty of soft brown sugar and a fresh crushed lime

Step 2 - Slosh in a generous helping of that scrummy stuff called cachaca

voila! Caipirinha!!

Step 3 - Give it a good stir and drink s-l-o-w-l-y. Don't have more than three if you know what's good for you :)
Cachaca supplied by Life O'Reilly for my birthday - thanks guys xx

A very merry Christmas to all my readers!

Christmas Eve

all quiet on the western front....

Scabby makes a new friend

A taste of home

yum

double yum

Happy Christmas everybody!!

Christmas G&T in the club

Having a beach party tomorrow with lots of other cruisers. Photos to follow.........

whale spotted in Las Palmas!

Lovely weather!

31 degrees (yes, 31) today in Las Palmas (not that I'm smug or anything....) I'm sure it's not usually this warm here - probably something to do with the errant jetstream that's causing mayhem back home.....

she's a beauty

caution! man at work

The good news is the fridge is fitted and fully operational. Mike is delighted as he can now have ice-cold beers on demand!

neighbours very posh passarelle (gangplank to you)

Meanwhile, we have to just do our best with clambering over the pulpit hanging onto the roller reefing and cocking one leg over the guard-rail. No finger berths in this marina!

I just know I'm gonna fall in one day.........

Playa de Las Canteras

Mike watches the surfers (wistfully)

What are you getting for Christmas?

I'm getting a fridge compressor

Naughty cake anyone??

told you you could get anything here...

lost in translation?

The local beach by the marina seems to have been colonised by New Age Travellers (and their dogs) living under small boats. Beats selling the Big Issue in Penzance I suppose!

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

a marina in a city....

1,120 berths - wow that's a lot!

cruise ships docked in port area

sea of masts

Tip: don't drink coffee in the canary islands unless you know they made it with bottled water 'cos the local water tastes like dettol :(

the anchorage

Our internet connection is miles faster now the massive French catamaran that was moored next to us has buggered off - yay!

the club pool (it's on the roof)

From camels to cruise ships

This is another world from Morocco......

Las Palmas is the largest city and port in the islands - a bustling metropolis.

El Corte Ingles - the largest department store in the islands

You can get anything here (if only I had the money....) Hell, they've even got M&S!

We've taken temporary membership of the local Yacht Club. There's free internet, cheap drinks (!), gym, showers, sauna, swimming pool etc.

The Club

you'll recognise this Joe!

The size of the G&T's is something to behold. None of your poxy little measures here - just slosh it in til the customer says stop!  :)

Random

sailing downwind with poled-out genoa

Scabby starts to get her sea-legs

High speed ferry to Fuerteventura

Captain Mike thinks about having a shave...

Did you know that the Canaries are not called the Canaries because of canaries?? No, it's 'cos when they were first discovered they found wild dogs (Canis) roaming the islands (apparently).