Next day we rowed ashore in Fornells and having been here before, we made our way along the pretty main street to the small, expensive supermarket with its very limited range. Despite knowing all this it was still exciting to be in a shop. How our world had changed! But we haven't changed so much as we only stocked up on essentials and ignored most of the over priced luxuries except of course the gin. I know they have to make their money in a short season and that everything has to be brought in to the island but we couldn’t bring ourselves to encourage them by buying items that were 3 times the price they would have been in Mahon a few miles away. We said this last time about Fornells – pretty town and a good anchorage but don’t buy your food shopping here! Unfortunately every time we are here we have needed provisions... Must plan better next time...
We stayed another day at anchor in Fornells, tidying the boat after the passage from Corsica and generally chilling. Several smallish sailing boats came out to the anchorage every evening with 6 - 8 guests perched on the too small deck to admire the sea and the view. One girl who wore the company tee shirt was doing all the sailing and the anchoring on her own which isn’t easy and on the second evening she dropped the anchor far too close to us. When her boat settled their deck was level with us and about 15 feet away. We were so close we could have almost stepped across and we did feel sorry for the group of young Italians aboard who had paid for a romantic view of the sunset on the water and all they really had was a good view of us having our dinner! They were very cheerful though and we all tried to make conversation but it wasn’t easy so we left them to it and went below. They must have been relieved when their allotted time was up and the girl lifted the anchor and took them back to the harbour.
The longer we stayed in Fornells the more provisions we were going through, so with the promise of better shops in Mallorca, we left on the third day to head for Mallorca. We only got as far as the end of Menorca after a slow sail without much wind. We dropped anchor in Cala Amarado which was the place we first came to in Menorca last year. It hadn’t changed, still isolated and still had beautiful turquoise water to swim in. The wind which had been absent all day blew in the night and we had a sleepless, lumpy night but as it was a safe anchorage we stayed and left first thing. We could even see Mallorca in the distance 25 miles away. At least the wind which had disturbed our night still blew all day and we had a great, fast sail and 2 dolphins even gave us a welcoming display of double somersaults as we approached the Bay of Pollensa in Mallorca. We sailed straight in on the same tack that we had left Menorca on - I don’t think we had made any course adjustment at all – and anchored just inside the bay in a stunning cala. High cliffs, crystal water and a small quiet beach. It was busy but all the other boats left during the afternoon and by early evening we were on our own. Later in the evening the swell started to work its way in though and as we needed a good nights sleep we moved deeper in to the bay and picked up a mooring buoy by the small marina. It has been ages since we picked up a buoy but we got it first time – after all we used to do this every day in Poole and with a tide running! It was a better night even if the buoy was knocking on the boat all night – things you forget about being on a buoy!
We were still on a hunt for a decent food shop so we sailed out of the bay and round to Alcudia but the anchorage was crowded and a long way from the town so we gave up and headed out of the bay. The coastline was amazing as ever in the north of Mallorca but the wind was very flukey – one minute hardly blowing and the next 20 knots would scream down between a gap in the cliffs and nearly flatten us. By lunchtime we had had enough of this and as the wind and the waves were increasing we decided to stop fighting the elements and stop for lunch or maybe even the night. We let the wind decide where we would go and just sailed to the easiest anchorage which happened to be Cala Molto. What a good choice the wind made – lovely clear turquoise water over sand and very sheltered. We anchored quite close behind another boat and dropped back in to a good space – we didn’t really pay much attention to the occupants of the boat until we sat on deck with a drink and observed the neighbours for the first time. On board were 5 middle aged German men who were obviously exceedingly good friends and didn’t seem to own any clothes between them. They strutted about the deck and rear platform (directly facing us) and generally had a good time swimming, helping each other to shower and lounging about in a variety of poses. They also had their binoculars frequently trained on the beach and surrounding woodland. Obviously there was a shortage of clothes in this part of the world as many of the gentleman on the beach seemed to have lost their shorts too. It was very reminiscent of studland somehow....
Amazing how overtly and demonstrably affectionate Martyn becomes towards me in these circumstances!
In the early evening the Germans went ashore, no doubt, to continue their festivities and they hadn’t returned by the time we went to bed and in the morning they left before us so we didn’t see them again to Martyn`s relief.
Sea conditions were much improved the next day and we had a good sail down the coast heading for Cala Serena where the pilot book assured us there were supermarkets. We had been there before last year but we hadn’t needed provisions so we had not gone very far ashore. I couldn’t remember seeing any shops or signs to them but was persuaded it would be ok as we passed 2 obvious towns with shops en route. We had booked a mooring buoy on the island of Cabrera for Friday night and as it was now Wednesday we were on a mission to get all the way down the coats and close to
Cabrera.
Amazing how places can change in a year – or maybe it is just our memory playing tricks but Cala Serena looked different. We both remembered it as a good anchorage, with houses or apartments built in to the hillsides but not intrusively. This time was completely different although we were here at exactly the same time of year. What we had taken to be closed up apartments last time turned out to be a busy hotel in full holiday swing. It must be a sign of the improving ecomony or else there were some very special deals available as every room seemed occupied. The cala is narrow, has steep sides and the hotel was at least 6 stories high with every balcony directly overlooking us – we felt like we moored in their swimming pool! Most of the holiday makers seemed to be swimming around us and the usual dare devil youths were jumping off the sides and landing 20 feet from us! They were all very friendly though and we needed to shop before going to Cabrera so we stayed – strangely we were the only boat although last time it had been so busy with boats...
We went ashore to hunt for supermarkets. We found 5 – all small and all selling sun lotion, plastic dolphins, flip flops and coca cola and not much else. After a long walk out of the holiday area we found a small shop and just bought basics again but was grateful for that – I will never complain about going to Tescos again!
In the evening we went ashore as we felt like part of the hotel entertainment when we sat on deck – I could feel the hundreds of eyes from the balcony watching our every move! Oh look they are washing up off the back of their boat – oh and look now they are having their dinner now etc etc !! We took a walk on the wild side for us and spent the evening in karaoke bars and listening to a very bad Abba tribute band. Then we sat on deck and finished the evening by listening to the hotel music which was louder for us on the water than for the guests in the hotel I think.
Thank goodness we are going to Cabrera soon – a completely deserted island......