We left Manchester in glorious weather, wall to wall blue sky and sunshine, with promise of another 20C day. We landed at Murcia in strong wind and rain and a cool 16C and no promise of good weather on the horizon. Murcia was having its worst March weather for 72 years. The marina bar was still closed but the Spar, cafe bar and the Indian restaurant were open. The weather wasn't suitable for cycling and the scrubland was too wet for crossing, so we were pretty much confined to Mar de Cristal. We got absolutely drenched walking back from the supermarket on the Saturday. It's only a 5 minute walk but having started spotting, the rain turned torrential in 30 seconds. Much of our time, over the first few days, was spent holed up on the boat, drinking wine, reading and watching Netflix. We did visit the Indian for Saturday night tea.
Monday we decided that we needed to escape. The rain had stopped but it was still very windy. We headed for Los Belones, uphill with the wind behind us. We went for the World's best hot chocolate, had a stroll around the town, then headed to the Arena cafe bar for tapas and a glass of wine. We shopped at the Spar, the deli and the bodega, as we had in November and then cycled back to Mar de Cristal, into the wind but it's all downhill.
Because the marina office is closed in Winter, the facilities are also locked up and every time you need a shower or the toilet, you have to find the on duty maintenance man to unlock them. However, I found that the ladies' was still unlocked from my morning visit, so I went in to use the loo. Then I heard the outside door slam and the key turn. I shouted but there was no response. I was locked in, with no mobile phone. How long would it be before Pete came looking for me? I hammered on the back door and shouted, then hammered on the front door too. No response. It was about 10 minutes before I heard a voice and hammered on the door again. I was let out by a sheepish looking Juan Ma, who apologised for locking me in. Pete hadn't even noticed the time I had been gone.
Later that same evening I started with a sniffle and then my skin started to itch in bed. I took an anti-histamine and all was well within the hour. Just an allergic reaction to something, I thought. Tuesday morning, I did a lateral flow test, just to be on the safe side and it came back positive; I had Covid. The rules in Spain had changed the day before, so I wasn't required to isolate, just 'limit social interaction and wear a mask when out'. I continued to have a bit of a sniffle that day and had no other symptoms.
Due to forecast weather conditions, we needed to head up to Torrevieja as soon as possible, to ensure we were there in time for the scheduled lift out and survey, on the 4th and 5th April, respectively, so Tuesday after lunch we motored across the Mar Menor to Tomas Maestra. It was overcast but there was no wind or rain. We had a berth next to a big motor cruiser from Belgium. This was the home of 2 older gentleman and their cages of canaries. They had a whole garden of potted plants on the fore and aft decks, as well as various arrangements of garden furniture. A very cosy setup.
The following day, we needed to be ready for the bridge lifting at 12pm. We went to the Super Cor to buy provisions, for ourselves and also for Pete's onward journey. One of our purchases was a large, freshly baked chicken and ham empanada. At 1145, we departed our berth and approached the bridge. They were a little late opening but again there was no wind, so we were able to hold the boat safely in the channel. It was an uneventful motor and we arrived at Marina Internacional at 1500 hours. A lovely guy took our stern lines and we moored up nicely just as the rain started. It was another good night to stay holed up on board and eat comfort food. The empanada was heated, along with tinned new potatoes and fresh tender stem broccoli and coated in rich, thick bisto gravy.
Thursday morning I was still testing positive but the line was getting thinner and more feint. The weather was cool and cloudy again but the overnight rain had dissipated. We made our way through the streets of Torrevieja, to the bus station, where I bought my ticket for the bus to the airport for Monday at 7am. I like to be organised! In the afternoon, the sun showed its face for a couple of hours, so we caught a few rays in the cockpit, listening to Spotify.
Friday morning and I was still positive but the line was barely there. We were cycling to Cabo Roig this morning, to surprise an old acquaintance of Pete's who is chef at a bar there. Beforehand though, we needed to update the chips for the plotter, to ensure they covered Greece and Turkey. They only went as far as the west coast of Sardinia, so a call was made to Kildale Marine to get a new card posted to Jerry, who was flying out on Tuesday. Panic over! The supposed 5km trip to Cabo Roig was almost double that by the time we had wound our way along the rocky coastal path and backwards and forwards onto the streets, pavements and cycle paths, depending on what was passable. We arrived at our destination to find a sign on the pub door saying, 'Open at 1700 hours' and it was only 1pm. We messaged Gareth via Facebook and it was also his day off and he was away up the coast helping a friend, so our journey was wasted in respect of meeting him. Hungry and thirsty from our ride, we headed to a nearby bar for tapas and a beer. All the bars faced onto the dual carriageway but this is apparently the main strip for bars and restaurants in Cabo Roig. We didn't get why it is a tourist destination but each to their own. On our way we had passed a number of big supermarkets, so decided to call into Lidl and Carrefour to see what was on offer for Pete's onward journey. We hit gold in Carrefour, with big tins of cassoulet and confit duck, just as we had in France. We also found a cycle track on that side of the dual carriageway, so our return journey was much quicker and easier.
Friday evening I tested negative for covid, so we headed out to a meat restaurant, Gracianos, which Tony, an Englishman on a neighbouring boat recommended. There were all kinds of hams hanging from the ceiling but we decided to go for the grilled meats. Pete chose the lamb chops and I chose the gigantic skewer, which was pork. We were sitting across from the big wood fired oven and saw our food go in; 6 massive lamb chops and a skewer with 5 enormous pieces of pork with courgettes. The food was accompanied by a few chips and padron peppers and was delicious. We had to take some home in a doggy bag for lunch the next day. The bill was €47 for both meat dishes, a large beer and 4 glasses of rioja, a real bargain.
Saturday I remained negative for covid, the sun was out all day and in the afternoon it was really quite hot in the sun. We did a bit of boat maintenance - fixing a hatch and the toilet and exchanged our empty gas bottles for fresh ones, at the Repsol store, in readiness for Pete's trip. Then we took a walk north along the seafront into the touristy part of Torrevieja and had an ice cream, before returning to the marina to sit in the sun with a chilled cava / beer. It was a lovely, relaxing day.
Sunday has dawned bright and sunny but it's chilly. Time for a few more chores - removing and cleaning the log wheel and filling up with water. Here at Internacional Marina you have to pay extra for your electricity and water and you have an account on your mobile with codes to activate the services. As I write, Pete is struggling to get his account working for the water supply, although we have had electric for the last 4 days. This is my last day on board. I leave for the airport at 6.30am tomorrow, so will need to pack and get organised. Later tomorrow, Muirgen will be lifted, power washed and put in a cradle, ready for the insurance survey on Tuesday. Pete will also be doing some small jobs - greasing the prop, changing the sacrificial anodes etc. The weather forecast for Monday to Wednesday is dire; strong winds and heavy rain but from then on, normal service is resumed, with 22C, light winds and wall to wall sunshine. Pete and Jerry will hopefully set sail for Sardinia on the 6th or 7th, depending on the weather forecast. Hopefully Pete will write a short blog when he arrives there.