Heading South - Follow the bear
| Vessel Name: | Symphony |
| Vessel Make/Model: | Beneteau Oceanis 343 Clipper |
| Hailing Port: | Hamble |
| Crew: | Steven & Lisa-Ann |
16 March 2022 | Sant Carles De La Rapita
Hasta luego Symphony, muchas gracias, love Steven & Lisa xx
We have returned to Spain to meet the new owners of Symphony, Arek and Iwona, to run through all her systems.
19 October 2021 | Sant Carles De La Rapita
We're back, overalls in hand!
As quick reminder, at the end of the season in 2019, we decided Symphony would be put on the market and we would start the process of buying/fitting out a blue water yacht to head off into the yonder. Well, what with Covid-19, the restrictive lockdowns over the last two years and life in general we have [...]
09 September 2019 | Sant Carles De La Rapita
A round up of our Balearic Islands and Western Mediterranean Spain Cruise
A round up of our Balearic Islands and Western Mediterranean Spain Cruise
08 September 2019 | Sant Carles De La Rapita
Our month at Sant Carles
Well, it is true to say, August in the Western Mediterranean becomes very, very busy and expensive. The Balearic Islands during this time are infiltrated with French & Italians all willing to pay vast amounts of euros to stay anywhere here. Even the mainland, north above Barcelona, leans to French Riviera [...]
07 September 2019 | Sant Carles De La Rapita
Dia de Arroz
Dia de Arroz translates to "day of the rice" and is essentially Sant Carles De La Rapita's harvest festival.
30 August 2019 | Sant Carles De La Rapita
What a feast & Steven becomes an apprentice
Not content with taking us out on their boat, Jordi and Rosa kindly invited us to their home to celebrate the Fiesta de Santa Rosa.
Time to meet Mao
The bus journey took us via the only golf resort on the island and past the nature reserve of Albufera. The bus station itself gave the appearance of being within the barracks built by the British during their time on the island.
Mahon is quite a compact city and it is clear to see both the British and French influences on the architecture. We strolled down the main street of the historic centre and went to the two markets, the main indoor market has been built into the cloisters of one of the main churches.
At the neighbouring fish market, we paused for lunch and enjoyed the fish tapas and crochetas. We thought it best to line our stomachs for our next tourist spot of the gin distillery (definitely the British influence).
The Menorcans drink their gin either neat or as pomada, which is gin with lemonade. Steven tried a few of the other options as well including the cocoa and the coffee flavoured ones. We both settled on the pomada and bought a miniature to enjoy later. This is strong stuff and we could feel the effects of the spirit in the heatwave. It is circa 35 - 40 degrees today and everyone is walking around with 1.5 litres of water in their hands.
We walked through the old part of the city and enjoyed the cobbled streets.
On our way back to the bus station, we popped into the supermarket (a good sized Mercadona) and made our way back to Fornells with goodies and provisions in hand.
The return journey took in a couple other Cala's on the way. We had debated anchoring in, two to the south and one to the north whilst they all looked pleasant they require calm conditions to be tenable so remaining in Fornells is our best option.
Bad weather is forecast.
Later in the afternoon, the gentleman that looks after the buoyage in the harbour came out to those of us at anchor and warned of strong winds forecast for that night advising that we should all let out more anchor chain. Every boat busied itself with either letting out more chain or setting an additional anchor in preparation.
