We saw Nicki, Nigel and George for the last time in Mallorca in Soller where we had stopped to reprovision again. We had a good time messing about in the dinghy and swimming before it was time to say goodbye.

Soller is supposed to be the only port of refuge on the NW coast of Mallorca and has a marina and town so we expected to be able to reprovision well. It started well with a late night dinghy foray in to the marina with our supply of empty water bottles. No one seemed to mind us filling them at the unlocked marina taps on the quay so we returned to the boat and emptied them in to the tank until it was full. Then we filled the bottles and tried to find a place to keep them board. I expected to be constantly short of water in the Balearics but in fact have never had so much water on board. I will even be washing my hair in drinking water next – what extravagance! Just another thing I take for granted in a house in the UK.

We caught the tram from the port in to Soller Town – feeling a real tourist as we sat on what was really a `wally trolley` which meandered its way from the port to the town. A pretty short trip really and we were shocked to be charged 5 euros each for the privilege of looking stupid and sitting on uncomfortable wooden seats in close proximity with a strange but friendly German couple. Even worse, when we got to Soller we found it to be very pretty, quite French looking and chic and a great place to buy a snazzy pair of gold sandals or an expensive souvenir but useless if you wanted to do a weekly shop. There was no supermarket, just a few patisseries which also sold basic supplies at extortionate prices. There was a municipal market although most of the stalls were closed for the summer(!). However a fresh fruit one and a fresh meat one were open so we made the best of it, changed the weekly menu and bought what was available. After much questioning of locals and false directions we found the bus station and caught the bus back to the port for 1.5 euros instead of 10 euros on the wally tram. Just to top off the whole shopping experience we found a previously unseen supermarket at the port which was better than anything we had seen in Soller town and did our shopping there. There had been no need to go on the tram at all.... Advice with hindsight to anyone needing to reprovision is not to expect too much from Soller and not to bother with the town.`

Since leaving Soller though we have stopped in two absolutely spectacular although different anchorages aand have sailed along the most amazingly beautiful, rugged, isolated coastline. This part of Mallorca is the anithesis of what you expect from `Majorca` and we have really loved it. It is a real surprise and I would recommend to anyone thinking of sailing or holidaying here to ignore the pilot books or holiday books and come to north Mallorca.

Unless something eventful happens I won`t write anything further as at the moment we just sailing in light winds, stopping in peaceful anchorages to swim and snorkel and there is nothing to really talk about except how lovely it is and who wants to read that?...

If the winds ever blow again and we stir ourselves we plan to head to Menorca soon...In the meantime I WILL put photos on the blog gallery and we keep updating the map...