After a week of howling wind, thunder, lightening, incessant rain and the boat and us being bounced around during all of this, we are pleased that normal weather has been resumed and we now have our weather window for our journey to France. We depart tonight at around 10pm and expect to arrive in La Ciotat, where we will be staying for the winter, around Saturday lunchtime.

Despite the weather, we have enjoyed our week in Mahon though didn't get out and about as much as we had hoped. On Sunday, we read The Sunday Times whilst having a pre-lunch drink in the Club Maritimo bar before going upstairs for their 'All You Can Eat' buffet for just 16 euros. We did England proud! Our Starters included; melon and Serrano ham, endive and Roquefort, paella (2 different types), roast pork and bean and tomato salads. Fish course followed and we had Salmon in a cream sauce, selection of small, fried fish and seafood gratin. Then, it was onto the main course of stuffed roast lamb, ossobucco, beef meatballs in a mustard sauce and lamb chops. Unbelievably, we still found room for an assortment of desserts. Yes, we really did eat all of it! For the rest of the day, we just sat around weighed down by the amount of food we had eaten and the guilt of it all.

The rest of this week has been spent doing a lot of walking, not only to burn off Sunday's lunch but also to raid the local supermarkets of Cava at 1.65 euros a bottle, perfect for the coming Festive season. We spent a whole afternoon, in vain, trying to find a self-service launderette, oh the exotic life we lead. We took one 4kg wash to the only place available, the local yacht club, where there was no choice but to have a service wash and it cost 20 euros! Since then, the washing has been mounting up and we will resemble a Chinese laundry when we get to France.

All in all, we have had a relaxing week and are now ready for our last journey of this year to our winter home. Chris has spent today getting the boat ready, course plotting and checking the weather. I have been preparing meals for the journey so that I don't have to do it whilst we are travelling, just in case I start to feel seasick again. However, I am very confident that this trip will be different as I have bought some anti-seasickness wrist bands that you wear on each wrist and which apply slight pressure to a certain point on the inside of the wrist that is supposed to completely remove any symptoms. Fingers crossed! At least Chris has got some nice food to eat over the next couple of days.

We are now going to go and have a shower and rest in preparation for tonight's departure so shall update again when we are there. Adios from Spain!