As I write this, we are relaxing in Cartagena, a major port for tourists, commercial shipping and the Navy. It is also a lovely town, full of history with extensive Roman foundations, much of which have been excavated and are on display. Plenty of street life, too, and we have already enjoyed a couple of fine meals out, and are looking forward to a blow-out Michelin starred meal tonight.
Our passage here over the last week has been straightforward. Leaving Duquesa, we had two long sails of over 60miles each to get to Almerimar, stopping in Caleta de Velez where we anchored off the beach for the night (and endured a very rolly night’s sleep). On the second of the two days we encountered dense fog on passage – our first experience of anything except fine weather since leaving Portugal. Our time in Almerimar was spent trying, unsuccessfully, to get our gas bottles refilled: it looks like we may be eating a lot of salads until we can get the gas problem sorted! Thankfully, there was a beach nearby, so we were able to cool off in the sea at the end of the day.
Sailing along the coast, we noticed what appeared to be a sign written across one of the beachfront hotels as we sailed past. Closer inspection revealed the lettering “Hotel Illegal”. It turns out that this is one of many similar properties built illegally during the boom years of the early noughties, only to be scheduled for demolition once the illegal development had been noticed.
From Almerimar we continued round the coast to Garrucha, where we stayed just one night, then on to Cartagena. We have been here a couple of days, sightseeing and enjoying the food. We were surprised, on settling into a berth at the marina, to see a catamaran in the opposite berth called “Pantalaimon III”. We recognised the name: it belongs to Anna and Alex, friends of ours from Plymouth who have been sailing around the Med for the last couple of years. Unfortunately, when we contacted them, it was to find that they had returned to England for a few weeks and we would miss seeing them.
Tomorrow we set sail again, this time heading up the Costa Blanco towards Alicante where we expect to rest for a week – Cate is heading back to the UK to see family and friends, whilst my brother and nephew are heading out to join me for a week’s holiday, with plans to sail across to Ibiza. Fingers crossed for fair winds…