Hello dearies,

we've been in this little spot of Puerto Andratx on the southwest coast of Mallorca, Spain for over two weeks now. It's little germany, actually. We've been told by several germans that it's easier and cheaper for them to fly to Palma than any other city in europe. One of my guide books says that germans own 20% of the real estate here. Signs are in spanish, catalan, and german. We waited 10 days to get our mail forwarded and had planned to leave today to start heading towards Menorca the next island to the east. However, there's going to be some high winds and seas FROM THE EAST by mid week, and, well, we've become such fair weather sailors, we're inclined to just stay PUT. actually, it's not the sailing itself; rather it's finding a suitable and secure anchorage with protection from the east. The cost to stay in marinas on this island is pretty steep, but fortunately there are lots of "calas" or coves for anchoring.... it's just that some are more exposed to winds and seas than others. Here in Andratx, we have peace of mind by renting a mooring (versus using our own anchor) for $6.00/night, AND we have access to a WIFI network from the convenience of our boat. Plus, this little town has a great grocery store, and a wide range of restaurants. So, we may be here for a little while longer.

We did rent a car for 3 days, so we have explored the island by land. The northwest region has some high rugged mountains that make for spectacular vistas. Being on the beltway around Palma was very reminiscent of the north side of the Washington, DC Beltway around Bethesda/Kensington/Silver Spring. Road construction and backups everywhere. frankly, we were more than ready to turn the car in! Palma is a beautiful city, although, again, LOTS of construction. Unfortunately, there's a boat show there for the next 10 days, so we won't be able to stay in a`palma marina. NO SPACE. besides it's also very expensive.

We became better acquainted with Jim, a new yorker on "Hand Basket" a Tayana 37 (whose designer, Bob Perry also designed ChaliVentures). We met him first in Bermuda last May, then in the Azores in July, then Almerimar, Spain last month. He pulled in here last week, and we socialized a few times. This is what is so nice about cruising.... to make new friends, then to re-unite later. A very nice guy, who I'm sure we'll run into again, since we're headed in the same general direction.

Zoey is now sporting a plastic cage-like muzzle to prevent her from picking up every rotten little piece of smelly stuff from the ground. Her colon has been having fits, so the vet suggested that prevention is probably the best strategy. the only thing is that she now looks like Hannibal Lechter in "Silence of the Lambs." Now, everyone thinks she's some ferocious little biting beast..... which, for those of you who know her, couldn't be farther from the truth.

So, cleaning, doing laundry ever 3 days [by hand i might add... with all that water created from our currently reliable watermaker], food shopping, reading, doing email, researching stuff on the internet, playing spider solitaire, exploring by car or bus, socializing, downloading weather reports, repairing, cleaning the inside, cleaning the outside, re-organizing the storage areas, cooking, cleanup, watch a movie, and the day is done. rough life eh? yes, i deliberately said cleaning 4 times. amazing how dirty the boat can get! Chuck seems to have treated his plantar's wart successfully with a combination of salycilic acid and.... are you ready,,,, duct tape. interesting what you can find on the internet! so, at least he's out of THAT pain now.

so, not too much to report. Life is good.

Alison & Chuck.... and zoey of course