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Doteyboaty
  • Margaret Meade
  • Ronan O'Driscoll
  • Ruby O'Driscoll
Currently traveling
Jul 2021 – Sep 2025

Doteyboaty

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  • Doteyboaty
    Collecting the children's letters to the 3 kingsRoscon de Reyes - Epiphany cake

    The 3 Kings Parade

    January 5, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    I was excited about celebrating my birthday in Spain this year when I learned that it falls on the same day as the 3 kings arrive to Spain. The Epiphany on the 6th of January is nearly or as important in Spain as Christmas Day. The three Kings come on the eve of the Epiphany and deliver presents to all the children. On the coast the three kings usually arrive by boat and then parade through the city before leaving the presents for the children later that night. I have a feeling the parade in Barcelona will be good. It is incredible. I want to come back every year for my birthday parade.Read more

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    Montserrat

    January 2, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We take the train and then the cable car up to the monastery of Montserrat. We spend a little time in the Basilica admiring its interior and watching the long queue of tourists file past the black Madonna above the alter.
    After lighting some candles we leave and Ruby and Colm find a lucky walnut. When they break it open instead of finding a walnut, there is a euro coin inside. They are delighted with this turn of events and suspect a famous YouTubing prankster has set them up. We don’t see anyone matching that description.
    We travel further up the mountain by funicular and spend the afternoon on a trail that brings us through spectacular scenery and wobble-inducing heights to see where different ancient holy hermits had lived. It’s easy to see why they chose to live there - so much serenity.    Read more

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    Drinks and new years resolutions at a posh hotel

    Spanish New Year’s

    December 31, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    All official fireworks and new year celebrations have been cancelled but we feel if there is anything going on we will see it from the Palacio Nacional de Montjuïc. Thousands of other people have the same idea and we join them on the steps over-looking the city. The magic fountain below us is switched off but the atmosphere around us is magical. It’s obvious nothing much is going to happen but people are in great spirits and as we wait for midnight singing breaks out in different corners. At midnight amateur fireworks are set off and the crowd cheers and whoops as if we are watching the most spectacular show.
    We join in the Spanish tradition of eating grapes for good luck. One grape must be eaten for each stroke of midnight- we are simultaneously watching and cheering for the fireworks - it is an impossible but its very funny.
    This is the first time Ruby and Colm stay up to ring in the new year. I think we might have inadvertently set them up for disappointment in the coming years. Barcelona has set the bar very high.    Read more

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    The Spanish like to have fun
    We hire bikes for a few hours and cycle along the beach promenade

    Barcelona

    December 30, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We travel to Barcelona by train, which takes nearly 9 hours.
    We have 8 nights booked in a gorgeous apartment in the great neighbour of Poble Sec, a the foot of Montjuic. We are here to soak up the city, see the sights, ring in the new year and celebrate my birthday.
    Barcelona is busy and vibrant and there is so much to see and do. The Christmas decorations are still up so the city is looking even prettier than usual.    Read more

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    Christmas on Regal

    December 25, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Turkey✔️ Stuffing ✔️ Roast potatoes ✔️ Plum pudding ✔️ Chocolate ✔️ Christmas movies ✔️ Santa Claus ✔️ Kris Kindle ✔️
    Christmas on Régal ✔️ ✔️ ✔️

  • Doteyboaty

    Cartagena at Christmas

    December 18, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    The whole city is lit up for Christmas with each street having a particular style of decoration running the length of it.
    There are nativities a-plenty, the most elaborate is in a marquee tent in San Francisco square. We walk around and follow the story, beginning with the angel appearing to Mary and ending with Jesus as a young boy in Nazareth - all set in a model of the town of Cartagena.
    A small Christmas market sets up 300 metres down the promenade from the Marina for the month of December. There are chestnuts roasting, a bar with beer and a stage for music.
    I have a magical evening there with Colm as he escorts me as I practice my latest hobby. We rollerblade round and round near the market as they play all our favourite Christmas songs.    Read more

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    The sunset as we drive down the mountain
    A Meade with a Meade telescopethe fanciest room in the houseMazinger

    In the ‘burbs’

    December 11, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    After four days of skiing we head down the mountain to the suburbs of Granada for the weekend before we go back up for another 3 days on Monday. We stay in a cold and dreary love home swap where the electricity trips every time we turn on a few heaters. Ruby thinks the en-suite bathroom is like something from a prison.
    This gives me yet another opportunity to lecture the children on how lucky they are - they love it when I do that.
    After a marathon home-schooling catch up on Saturday, Ronan and Ruby wander around the housing estate and find a 7 meter high cartoon character in a neighbours garden. As they stand puzzled outside the garden the owner comes out and invites them in. The huge figure is Mazinger Z, a character from a Japanese cartoon the man loved as a child in the 70s. He and his brothers built it from recycled materials during the Covid lockdown. Colm and I go back later with Ronan and meet the maker, his wife and a friend and we have a very animated conversation in a mix of sign language, mime and cupla focail of Spanish and English.
    On Sunday after Maths and sugary cereal we go to the science museum in Granada. It is brilliant and full of interactive displays. We see a Foucault’s Pendulum in action, play with lots puzzles and turn on and off the solar powered fountain. We spend most of time in the Biodomo which is part aquarium, part tropical house with lots of fish, birds, snakes and monkeys.
    Back at the house in the evening we risk outing the power on the whole street by blasting on the heating in the freezing billiard room and we have a great time playing pool.
    We leave first thing on Monday morning and are back on the ski slopes by 10am.    Read more

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    Sierra Nevada

    December 8, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    The local car rental offer a great service of dropping and collecting the car at the marina. We always get the same blue Fiat - it may be their only car. It’s nice because at this stage it feels like our car.
    We drive just over 3 1/2 hours to the Sierra Nevada Ski resort which is just up the mountain from Granada city.
    The Ski village is on a steep p hill and we are staying in Alta, the highest part. This adds to the adventure because in order to get to the low part of town, where the lifts to the slopes are, we travel down in a chair lift over the rooftops and roads.
    Ruby and I have skied before, Ronan once many years ago and Colm never. After one day Colm is hooked. While the rest of us are very enthusiastic we can’t match Colm. When we wearily sit down for lunch after three hours on the slopes, Colm shoots back up within minutes ready to go again. This energy pays off and after a few lessons he out in front craving it up. By the last day he and Ruby head off down a long blue slope on their own - it is so lovely to watch them weaving their way down the mountain together.    Read more

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    M/Y Vibrant CuriosityThe Super yacht fender is bigger than MargaretBye Bye Lukas, Silas, Noah and baby Hupert

    Los Abuelos

    November 27, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    On most school mornings the four of us sit in the cockpit for our DIY Spanish class. We are all at the same (low) level and take turns teaching each other new words. Today we learn Mis Abuelos - my Grandparents - because Margaret and Donal have come to visit.
    They are staying in an Airbnb in the town - just five minutes walk from the boat so we spend most of our waking hours together.
    It is lovely showing them around the town so they get a feeling for our little life here in Cartagena. They meet Ruby and Colm’s Danish friends; Lukas, Silas and Noah and watch them all rollerblade around and around the Sub-aqua museum. This is where the kids always hang out but they have never been inside. We finally go into the museum with Margaret and Donal - It’s fascinating; I never gave much thought to underwater Archeology but I learn how important it is in putting the jigsaw of history together. At least that’s what they tell us in the sub-aqua museum, but of course they would think it’s important wouldn’t they.

    We see a team of regular, bog standard archeologists at work when we bring Margaret and Donal to see the Roman Amphitheatre. They are hard at work on their hands and knees brushing back the earth layer by layer with small paintbrushes - their patience and dedication is incredible to see.
    Margaret and Donal walk the streets and hills of Cartagena exploring different parts of the town. Sometimes its just the two of them but mainly some or all of the crew of Regal join them. On one of the many sunny days all six of us walk out to our nearest beach. Five of the six go for a quick dip, all in the same spot in the water but Colm is unlucky and gets a jellyfish sting. The picnic helps take his mind off it and he manages the 40 minute walk home.
    From the cockpit of Regal we see that a super yacht has landed in on the breakwater outside us so we all go over for a gawk. It’s called ‘Vibrant Curiosity’ and she’s enormous. Ronan finds out that she has 26 crew, cost 150 million euros and belongs to the owner of Wurth. Another evening Colm and I wander out to have another look at her and there is a guy running on the treadmill in the gym at the back of the boat - just like Kendall Roy in a scene from ‘Succession’.

    There is something on every weekend in Cartagena and Margaret and Donal are first to spot people in old fashioned costumes gathering outside this city hall on Saturday morning. This weekend’s event is a commemoration and re-enactment of something that happened in the 15th century in Holland… or at least that’s what we understand with our terrible spanish. Regardless of what it is for, we were entertained. Throughout the weekend there are people dressed up as soldiers, noblemen, clergy and peasants re-acting historical events or just wandering around or having a coffee. We even spot some old fashioned children and the cutest noblemen’s baby you ever saw.
    On Saturday evening Ronan and I go out for dinner while Colm and Ruby have a sleepover in the airbnb with Nana and Grandad. They stay up late watching telly and playing cards. A hundred and ten is the game of choice and many rounds are played and enjoyed with Margaret and Donal during the week. They even squeeze in a few hand before they bid their final farewell.
    It is a week of farewells as the Danish kids are also leaving. They have sold their boat and are returning to Denmark until they find a suitable Catamaran they want to buy. Their van is packed full of all their belongings ready for the 32 hour drive back to Denmark. Before they leave the five kids spend the whole day together until we call bedtime. We all hope they will find their perfect boat somewhere nearby Cartagena and sometime soon.    Read more

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    Roman mosaic

    Córdoba

    November 14, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    We spend hours happily wandering the beautiful streets of Cordoba and discovering its treasures. When we find a nice fountain or courtyard or square we google it and read about it while are there. It’s lovely to explore the city without the usual ‘must see’ list.
    We have a great evening in the Mercado Victoria while Ronan listens on his phone to the Ireland beating New Zealand in the Rugby. The Mercado is big food hall with lots of food stalls and communal seating as well as separate bars and restaurants off to the side. It’s only 7 o clock when we are having dinner but the bar next to us is in full swing with music and dancing.
    When we leave the Mercado the street is full of motorbikes - a weekend rally has stopped here for the night and there are hundreds of bikes parked up or revving past us. We are home by 8.30 but we feel like we had a wild night out.

    Ruby and Colm surprise me in the morning when they decide to forfeit their telly time to come with me to visit Alcazar de old Reyes Cristianos. It turns out to be well worth their time as the formal gardens there are stunning and we have a great time. Inside the Alcazar are huge and incredible roman mosaics on the walls that had been discover in the Corredera square where we in yesterday.
    Our afternoon is spent travelling the 500kms back to Cartagena passing grove upon grove of Olive trees.
    On our return Ronan meets the Marinero who tells him that the Cartagena tourist Catamaran sank today. One of the hulls cracked off and she went up on her side and sank. Luckily all of the 33 on board were rescued. It is strange that a boat we saw every day full of tourists is now underwater just a mile out from us here.    Read more

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    Mezquita

    November 13, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    We have come to Corboda to see the Mezquita, which has been described to us on numerous occasions as an enormous Mosque with a Cathedral built in the middle of it. It sounded too interesting to miss.
    Our first cultural stop when we arrive in Cordoba is at Burger King just off the motorway. We meet Jenny and Michael here and our mission of bag delivery is complete. We have a brief chat in the car park and touch on a variety of topics including bird watching in Cape Clear! They head off on their long journey to the top of Spain leaving us chocolate and wine.
    Now well stocked, we head to the old town, and have another stressful time in crazily narrow streets. It culminates in our Airbnb man guiding us to reverse down a street against an oncoming crowd of school children before we finally reach our underground car park.
    The stress has been worth it because when we wander out of our apartment we are in the heart of town. A five minute walk brings us to the Mezquita. We go in through the gates into the Orange tree courtyard which is beautiful. There is a queue to get into the main building but we don’t mind, we have already decided we will be visiting tomorrow morning - it’s free entry before 9.30 mass.
    We see walk around the outside and see the Mezquita’s beautiful entrance doors. We walk on and see the Roman Bridge, the Jewish quarter and some of the many patios or courtyards for which Corboda is famous. We end up at a Tapas bar for drink at seven. They don’t serve food until 8 so we hang tough at our table munching on peanuts until we finally get to savour Cordoba’s famous Flamequines.
    We wake early the following morning and head straight to the Mezquita; no queues, no entry fee, we are off to a great start.
    We all wander around by ourselves for 20 minutes to have the time and space to just take it in. The scale and symmetry is amazing with arch upon arch made with salvaged Roman pillars.
    It’s easy to imagine Muslims gathered here bowed in prayer and yet all along the perimeter walls there are alters dedicated to different Christian saints. Right in the heart of the building is the Cathedral. There is no distinct division between Mosque and Cathedral only that as you walk the style changes from repeated symmetrical designs to highly decorative opulence. The Cathedral’s high ceiling is filled with organ music when we are there. The Organist is just warming up for mass but the music gives our visit to the Mezquita a sprinkling of magic.    Read more

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    Niguelas walk
    Thr front door to a cave homeAvocados in Hilary and Graham's gardenBarbecued OctapusLooking up at ColmHilary and Grahams gate

    Inertia in Andalusia

    November 10, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    An unexpected bonus to staying in the Love-home-swap in Lecrin, is meeting the neighbours. Plym and Tony’s house is the middle of three and we meet Hilary and Graham who are on the left and Jenny and Michael on the right. 15 years ago the three couples who were friends in England joined forces and built these houses to retire to. Hilary and Graham live here for nine months of the year and escape back to England for the hot Summers. I am surprised how friendly and welcoming they are to us because the house we are in is frequently rented out.

    The pool area is shared and they call several times to say hi. They bring over fruit they have picked and Colm shares the cake he made with Oranges from the garden. Despite the Oranges looking perfect on all the trees in the area Hilary explains that they aren’t fully ripe until December and January. It too much fun to resist picking and eating oranges so we happily eat sour oranges for the week.
    Graham has lots of tips on places we should visit.
    We ignore most of them because we don’t want to go anywhere. Having the space to spread out in this lovely house and having a break from be in each other’s way all the time is such a pleasure.

    One morning we do leave to go on a little excursion in Niguelas, a small village a few kilometres away. Graham has recommended a walk in the valley at the far end of the village. We park at the start of the village as Niguelas, to avoid the maze of narrow streets, which we are learning, is a common feature in Spanish towns and villages.
    The walk is incredible, with high jagged mountains all around a fertile valley. We are on a raised walkway over the valley which follows the acequia - an irrigation system that is run by the local farming community. There is water flowing in the channel all along the walk which sometimes diverts through a man-made channel behind the rock and sometimes it runs under us as we walk along a metal grill.
    We come across a cave house, the front of which looks just like a cottage. It backs straight into the hill so all inside is underground.
    On another afternoon Colm and I hop in the car to check out the nearest beach about 30 minutes drive away in Salobrena. The drive is spectacular and I am sorry to be driving because I can only take side glances down into the valleys below us and up to the Sierra Nevada mountain range above us. The seaside town of Salobrena is prettily perched on a hill and I think I remember noticing it was we were sailing along the coast here 5 weeks ago. We see a row of Octopus being grilled at the beach bar in the traditional/ touristy fashion in a boat barbecue. The beach here is big but we dock marks for its sand. It is the same type of sand as the local beach in Cartagena which is grey and gritty just like builders sand. Our feet are dusty having walked along it.
    We travel home on the lower road which in on the valley floor and the mountains tower above us. We see mountain goats and an enormous concrete dam and more stunning views- I hope to be a passenger next time we drive through here so I can take it all in.
    On our final day in Lecrin we have coffee and cake in Hilary and Graham’s house. There is lots of intricate and beautiful metalwork in the house and garden which was all made by their son who has also settled in Spain.
    While we in their house they get a call from the other neighbours who had left in the morning on a two day trip to northern Spain to get the ferry to England. They have left their ferry tickets behind in the house. We do some quick calculating and figure that we can bring their bag with us when we travel to Córdoba in the morning and save them having to travel all the way back to Lecrin. The four of us are tickled to have a little mission in the morning.    Read more

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    The Alhambra

    November 8, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    The Alhambra, which was mainly built by the Moors in the 13th century in the hills overlooking Granada, is the main reason we have travelled to Andalusia this week. We booked our visit here weeks ago and as Colm would say, quoting his favourite show, Callan’s kicks , we are excited to ‘get it done’
    The booking and entrance is strict - our passports are scanned when we enter. A Japanese tourist next to us has forgotten his passport and although he is part of a guided group he is refused entry. Our neighbour, Hilary back at Plym’s house told us that this rigid system was put in place a few years ago because some of the staff at the Alhambra were on the take at the gates.
    We plan to spend the whole day inside the complex and we come prepared with sun cream, raincoats and a picnic. Unfortunately we have underestimated the cold morning temperatures here at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It is 3 degrees when our be-sandalled feet walk towards the Nasrid Palaces.
    As we wander through the palaces, each of us with our own audio guide, I am overwhelmed by the beauty in front of my eyes and by the cold in my bones.
    There are stunning rooms followed by courtyards and fountains followed by more stunning rooms with spectacular floors, walls and ceilings. The detailed plasterwork is incredible.
    By the time we are outside in the gardens at the other side of the Nasrid palaces the day has warmed up and we spend a wonderful few hours wandering along the tower walk and up to the Generalife Gardens and Palace. After a picnic lunch and a pick-me-up coffee we visit the Alcazaba military fort and finish off our time here with a run around the circular palace of Carlos V.
    It is just after four when we pull out of the car park and we decide there is still enough day light to get up to the Sierra Nevada ski resort for a pre-season reccie.
    We wind up the road for 40 minutes until we are more than 2000 metres above sea level. The resort town is largely closed and there is just the tiniest dusting of snow on the ski slope. The views are beautiful and we are excited about getting back here in a few weeks when everything is open.
    On our way back to our Andalusian residence in Plym’s house we break our journey 10 minutes from home in a town in search of dinner It’s 7 o’clock in the evening and no Restaurant is open yet in Durcal. This is not the first time we have been caught out with the Spaniards late dining hours - We will never last until the earliest opening time of 8pm, so we head for home. One wrong turn later and we deep in a warren of impossibly narrow streets. We ignore google when we see the street she is proposing we go down, we think we might get wedged between the buildings or at least shear off our wing mirrors. We are wrong not to do as we are told and we spend 40 minutes going in circles, reversing and driving down one way streets until we are finally out. We got Durcal done and we won’t be doing it again.    Read more

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    The view at the local supermarketBaking a hand-picked orange cakeThe view we wake up to

    Plym’s house

    November 5, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    We get the same rental car we had last week and in the morning Ronan drives to Cabo de Palos. He joins a group for wreak dive just on a sunken Cargo ship they call El Naranjito (little orange). It was given that name because when it sank in 1946 it was full of oranges which all washed ashore.
    In the afternoon we load the rental car with as much stuff as we can fit; Clothes, food, beach bags, laptop and tablets, Lego, books, Baking equipment and balls. We drive for over three hours, skirting around Granada before heading south to the village of Lecrin. We stop at the shop and then drive on for one more kilometre along a narrow road through the Orange groves until we get to an even smaller village Chite, where we will be staying for the next week.
    We are finally getting to use some of our Love home swap points. Over the last few years when we weren’t at home in Cork people stayed in our house and we earned points. Now we are spending some of those points to stay in Plym’s beautiful house for only the cost of the cleaning.
    There is a huge choice on the website but many aren’t available when you want them. We contacted about 20 home owners about a points swap and this house was the only one that agreed to our trip. As luck would have it, it is the one we really wanted.
    It is a big 5 bedroom house over three floors, glorious mountain views and a swimming pool at the end of the garden. Although the temperature has been dropping over the last few weeks we are still excited about the pool.
    Within seconds of arriving into the house each of us has disappeared to a different part, its such a novelty to have so much space. We have been in each other’s pockets on board Regal for the last few months and it is wonderful to be able to stretch out and not hit off something or someone. There are endless possibilities here; Dinner on the terrace, Lego in the basement, Piano in the sitting room, reading in the hammock, baking in the kitchen, Barbecue on the patio, movies by the fire, Picking oranges in the garden or a quick dip in the freezing pool.

    When Ronan and Colm return from a walk talking of sunshine, views and fruit trees, Ruby and I take our turn and head out in search of the lake. Down the road takes us, down down down past row upon row of Orange, Lemon and Lime and Olive trees set out terraces with irrigation channels running alongside the narrow road. We come across trees weighed down with Pomegranates and huge Quince and we pick and smash open almonds and walnuts. We are surrounded by mountains and the lake shimmers in the afternoon sun. As we hike back up the never ending hill we both feel this is a walk we will never forget.    Read more

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    A Happy Birthday boy
    Evidence of PollutionSunset before the dinner in the RestaurantKite surfersA bit of bodyboarding to finish off the weekend

    La Manga

    October 30, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Our first road trip in Spain is to the nearby seaside resort of La Manga for Ronan’s birthday.
    La Manga is extraordinary because it is a 22km long sandbank that separates the Mediterranean from a huge saltwater lagoon called the Mar Menor. Colm reliably informs me that ‘La Manga’ is the Spanish for ‘sleeve’ which makes sense because of its long narrow shape.
    There are so many high rise holiday apartments built on the sandbank that you often don’t get a sense of its sleeve-like shape as you drive along the length of it. There are building on both sides of the road that block out any view of either the Mediterranean or the Mar Menor for the most part. At the narrowest part of sandbank there are no builds and you the sea is on side of the road and the Lagoon on the other.

    We have hired a car to drive up here for the weekend as we have already decided we won’t be bringing Regal into the Mar Menor despite it being a marine reserve with plenty of anchorages and marinas. Sadly over the last number of years there have been consistently high levels of pollution. This August, 5 Tonnes of fish were removed after they had died from the pollution. It is mainly caused by run offs of fertiliser from the surrounding industrial style fruit and veg farming. Even if the pollution stops today the experts think it would take 10 years for the lagoon to recover.
    When we get out of the car to look at the Mar Menor there is nothing discernible- it is a big expanse of water and there are kite-surfers out enjoying it’s flat surface in this strong wind. We walk along the beach and there is algae washed up on the shore and the sand is black in parts. It’s sad and there is no sign that the polluting will be stopping any time soon. This area is part of a bigger in area in Spain that is the plastic glass house capitol of Europe - where most the Spanish fruit and vegetables in Irish supermarkets come from. There is miles upon miles of land covered in plastic and we saw it as well further south when we were sailing up the coast .
    When we were booking accommodation here we opted for the Mediterranean side of La Manga - so we could look out to sea and for the most part ignore the terrible pollution close by. It was a birthday celebration after all.
    We were right by Cabo de Palos and Ronan joins a diving group on Saturday morning for a shore dive within wetsuit walking distance of the apartment. The usual food orientated celebration is expected by the birthday boy on his return so and we go to great lenghts. We can’t get the fancy induction hob working and there’s no kettle so we microwave four portions of scrambled egg and microwave four cups of tea.
    We make up for the mediocre lunch later with a lovely dinner in a seaside restaurant.
    The highlight of the weekend is on Sunday morning when we walk down to the nearby beach for a snorkel. This is the day we alll finally get the hang of it and there are so many fish to see right off the beach. Ronan says there is more to see here than on his Saturday dive.
    On our way back to Cartagena we stop off at a beach so Ruby and Colm can body board - The waves aren’t particularly good but Colm stays in for ages having fun. We have gorgeous Paella in the Chiringuito (beach bar) and head home to Regal.    Read more

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    The Romans

    October 23, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Cartagena is full of Roman ruins and they are all within a 10 minute walk from our residence here on the Marina. So far we have visited the Roman Forum, the Roman theatre, the Roman amphitheatre, the Punic walls, Fortuna house and the Augusteum Residence. We have also accidentally come across some ruins being excavated in a town square and more displayed under the floor in a shop.
    We find out that much of these ruins have only been discovered in the last 50 years, including the enormous amphitheater.
    Stacks of buildings including a 13th century cathedral were built on top of it. People were happily living there unaware that there was a magnificent amphitheatre under their homes right up to 1988.
    The reconstructions and exhibits that have been built up around the Roman ruins in the city are modern and interactive and we get a real feel for how things were 2200 years ago.
    I am still brimming with Roman enthusiasm when I meet a 10 year old girl from another boat who is just back from a visit to the Amphitheatre. She doesn’t share my enthusiasm and on discerning my disappointment she is quick to explain that it is only because she has already visited so many Roman Amphitheatres in her travels.
    I am no longer sure if the Roman ruins here are amazing or maybe I am amazed because they are the only roman ruins I have seen. One remark from a ten year old and I am full of self-doubt.    Read more

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    The Sub Aqua Museum
    Boat friendsThe Salvamentos come to beachA view we sometimes wake up toA Japanese YachtSilas and Lukas baked a cake for us.

    Daily life

    October 20, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    It’s beginning to feel like home here at the marina in Cartagena, The time is flying by as we settle into a daily routine which goes a little something like this…
    The alarm goes off and the coffee goes on - just like home.
    The four of us then head out for our daily exercise. We usually jog along the promenade and over the road to and public exercise space where we do some ‘tough grunts’. We take it in turns to call out an exercise and then practice our Spanish by counting the reps en Espanol . It’s a terrible moment when you can’t remember the next number in the middle of mountain climbers. Everyone has to keep on climbing until you remember it. Needless to say we have all got very fast at our numbers.
    Next its showers in the Marina bathrooms and back to the boat for porridge.
    School starts with maths and continues on until about one or two with varying degrees of interest, enthusiasm and frustration from all four of us.
    We have a tourist ticket for these two weeks that we sometimes use in the afternoons to visit some of Cartagena.
    On one of the days we hop on the tourist bus, listen to some history through headphones and then hop off at the beach for a few hours of sunshine, swimming and a picnic. While we are there the Salvamento Rescue boat comes into the bay and manoeuvres in close to the beach and sounds his horn - rescue drills we surmise. Soon we see a waiter from the beach bar jog towards the water holding a package. He gives it to a girl who then swims out to the boat and hands the package to the crew. The Salvamentos are just here to collect their take away lunch.

    When we aren’t doing the tourist thing, Ruby and Colm spend the afternoons on their scooters zooming around the Sub Aqua Museum building with their pals.
    There is a bit of a turn over with friends as many boats are still on the move. Several of the boat kids we meet are destined for the Caribbean.
    The British live-a-boards we meet who are staying in the Mediterranean also can’t hang around for too long. As a consequence of Brexit they cannot stay in Europe for more than 90 days out of every 180. Some we meet, who have followed the dream of selling up and sailing now have to fly back to Britain and rent an apartment for 90 days. We are sorry when the crew of Alchemy leave as James’s was a good pal of Colm and Ruby’s and we had several lovely evenings with his parents Alex and Tom. There is a nice sociability on the marina and people often stop by the boat and chat and there are invitations to coffee or drinks or dinner. It’s so interesting meeting people from every corner and hearing how they have come to be here.
    We are all excited when we see a Japanese flag flying on yacht on the marina- we don’t get to meet them but I do get a smile and a bow as they walk past.
    Evening time on board Régal is just like home - Dinner and wash up followed by negotiations about screen time and bed time.    Read more

  • Doteyboaty
    Regal is somewhere among the yachts at the marina

    Cartagena

    October 10, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    It is hard to believe we have been in Cartagena a week already.
    We are delighted with our new digs at Yacht Port Cartagena. There is a nice atmosphere around the marina. The staff who drive about on their golf carts are helpful and friendly.
    The facilities here are great. We actually oohed and aahed when we went into the shower block. Ronan and I because it was all so new, clean and shiny. Colm and Ruby because of large open area with a big couch an very big Television. Colm was so excited about this new extension to our living space that he spent a whole afternoon there sorting all the books on the book swap shelf. He did a great job - he shelved the books according to Language to make it easier for everyone - so now one section is only for books written in english and the other section is for everything else.
    This marina caters mainly for foreign boats as the locals use the neighbouring, more established yacht club. Many of the boats will stay for the winter. There is even a Cartagena liveaboard facebook group which we have joined.

    The marina is in a gorgeous setting on the city’s wide and beautifully maintained promenade complete with cream paving and palm trees. Just outside the marina along the promenade is the sub-aqua museum and El Batel Auditorium , both stunning modern buildings.
    Further along the promenade is the sailing school, diving centre and the cruise ship dock. A cruise ship arrives early every morning and leaves in the evening. Sometimes two come in, the second one docks directly behind Regal. It is like having a massive apartment block installed next to us overnight. We look up at the guests, high up on their balconies who are looking at us looking at them.

    Beyond the cruise ship area of the promenade is the fisherman’s pier and the naval museum. There is so much to see and wander around before even crossing the road to the city. When we do cross over we are in the pretty old quarter which is packed full of history that we are only beginning to explore.

    Ronan and I decide it is time to have a summit meeting about our travel plans. Up for discussion is the possibility of travelling on to see a few more places for another month before returning here to spend the winter . We go to the cafe holding our cards very close to our chest only to find on turning them over that we have the same hand. We both want to stay here and not travel further until the spring time. There is the possibility that come January or February we will regret not having stayed out sailing for longer. We decide to risk the regret and go with how we feel now.
    Ruby and Colm are happy too. They have made a few friends and are enjoying the new routine here of school work in the morning and hanging out with their new pals in the afternoons.    Read more

  • Doteyboaty
    Staying inside the traffic separation systemThis liittle flying fish didn't make itArriving into CartagenaOur winter berth in Cartagena

    Costa del Sol to the Costa Blanca

    October 2, 2021, Western Mediterranean ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We journey eastward passing Benalmadena, Torremolinos and Malaga. These names are so familiar to me, yet their geographical location is only dawning on me as we sail along the Costa del Sol. We stop in at a little port we have never heard of called Puerto Caleta de Vélez as we hope to meet up with a friend from home. Unfortunately our little rendez-vous doesn’t work out and we go for a meal and a walk around. The consensus is that our evening here is are quite unremarkable.
    We leave the marina in the early morning to go east and then north to the Costa Blanca. As we sail out into the rising sun I wonder if we have been unfair in our judgement of this place. Our lack of enthusiasm might have very little to do with the town - whose name we have already forgotten. It might instead be a symptom of travel weariness.
    Our next port of call is Cartagena which is where will be spending the winter. We are looking forward to seeing it as we have heard nothing but good things about the city and it’s marina.

    30 hours at sea should get us there. We are in touch with the crew of Yacht Allegrini who are also in transit to Cartagena and it’s no coincidence. The wind is forecast to pick up later today which should make for good sailing. Tomorrow evening when both Regal and Allegrini should be safely tied up at Yacht Port Cartagena, a strong northerly wind is due to blow.

    Steve and Helen started this journey from a marina further east so they have a 40 mile head start. For the moment neither boat has any wind as we motor along on a flat sea.
    Ahead of us we see some fins very close to each other moving in circles - we think it might be two blue sharks so we motor closer to get a better look. It is a big sunfish over a meter in diameter. He is swimming in circles lying on his side - That is why we could see several fins. I hope he is just having a good time in the sunshine, Colm and Ruby, who listen to every word their Auntie Clare, the vet says, determine that the unusual circling behaviour is due to an inner ear infection.
    We see some flying fish skimming the water and as the day goes on it becomes very hot in this October sunshine. We use the shower at the back of Regal to cool down.
    A WhatsApp message from Steve says their wind has filled in and shortly we feel it and roll out the headsail. It doesn’t last long and soon we roll it in again as the sail is only flapping about. We roll it in and out several times during the day, the wind that is forecast seems to be delayed or maybe it won’t show up at all.
    We see several ships to our starboard as we motor between the coast and the traffic separation zone at Cabo de Gata. When day turns to night we are a lot closer to land than we are used to. It is disconcerting as there are so many lights visible on the coast to our port and there are lights from shipping to our starboard. There are red, green, white and yellow dots shining or flashing in the darkness. It is hard to figure out what everything is and when you are heading towards these lights it is important to know what they are. The AIS and chart-plotter are a great help but there are some unidentified dots. We have a father Ted moment when we can’t tell if a white flashing light is small or just far away. We alter course to avoid it and now think it might have been a small light on a big tuna net.

    There is also light from phosphorescence. The normal water disturbance from the propeller turns into something magical as great big green bubbles belch out from our stern. Dolphins come and as they shot past towards the bow they have ribbons of green phosphorescence trailing behind them.

    When Ronan is on watch he hears a little thud on the side deck. It is a flying fish, who has inadvertently landed onboard Regal. Ronan throws him back in the sea. Things don’t go as smoothly for me when a flying fish flies out of the dark and in through our open spray hood window. I catch him but he slips out of my hand onto the sliding hatch. I catch him again and he shoots out of my hand down the stairs . I run down after him and eventually catch him in Colm’s room. I throw him back into the water a little worse for wear.

    The wind comes with the sunrise and we motor sail for the morning. The swell is increasing as well as the wind and we are impressed to meet Lasers as we approach the bay of Cartagena. When we arrive at our berth in Yacht Port, Helen and Steve are there with the Marinero to take our lines.
    The wind continues to increase and when halyards are whopping around marina it is a comforting sound. We are glad to be tied up safely with friends close by in this lovely place.    Read more

  • Doteyboaty
    Body board doubling as a sun shade on this hot day

    A Fuengirola Birthday

    September 30, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Fuengirola is a massive tourist town and every kind of activity is available on our doorstep.
    We pass the water sports centres everyday at the marina and see their gaudy advertisements - pictures of people having a whale of a time out on the water. And so we are sucked in and we book Parasailing to celebrate Ruby’s birthday.

    She turns thirteen today and she has the whole day planned to perfection including booking Parasailing at 12 pm. This, she tells us, will allow us enough time to digest our breakfast pancakes before being thrust skyward.
    The day goes perfectly according to plan and she gets a few surprises too.
    After breakfast we give her the cards and gifts that have been smuggled on board by Nana and Grandad when they visited - she is thrilled with the love that has been sent from home.

    Next stop is parasailing with 6 other tourists rigged-out on the fun boat. The ride is bumpy and there are varying degrees of trepidation onboard. A few others go first and then Ronan and Colm. Next Ruby and I harness up and take off from the back of the boat. As we are lifted by the wind in the parasail the noise and motion of the boat dissipates and all is quite, slow and serene up in the air and yet simultaneously thrilling. It is magical and we are all delighted with the experience.
    Next up is ice-cream and fun in the waves with our body boards. We are back to the boat at 3.30, as per the schedule, to watch ‘Cruella’. This movie is courtesy of Steve and Helen who put several movies on a USB stick for Ruby and Colm back in Rota. It is roasting on the boat but the kids don’t notice as they are so engrossed in the movie.
    After a birthday zoom with the Schull cousins we go out to cafe Bing for Sushi . All is going according to Ruby’s plan as she wants to continue the tradition of going for Sushi for her birthday. It is not however in our young teenager’s plan to be the centre of attention in the busy restaurant. And so we send a little surprise her way in the form of a singing waiter who brings her cake and sings happy birthday.
    On returning to Regal, the final item on Ruby’s agenda is ticked. We eat her real birthday cake - The Raspberry cheesecake she made yesterday. A sweet end to a perfect day.    Read more

  • Doteyboaty
    A nice view at the kitchen sink washing up after breakfastFishing but no bitesMorning traffic in GibraltarFog

    Into the Med

    September 27, 2021, Alboran Sea ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    We leave the marina in La Linea just as the sun is beginning to rise over Gibraltar and the views are stunning. As we travel east around the rock the Spanish, British and African coasts are simmering in the sun and the sea is busy with shipping and wildlife - there is so much to look at. As we motor out of the bay we see a seagull narrowly escaping death as a big splash comes up from underneath him; a fish making a grab. We think it might have been a tuna as there is a lot of tuna fishing and tunny nets in this area. As we pass by several ships at anchor, a pod of bottle nose dolphins come over for a quick hello at our bow. They are so much bigger than the common dolphins we normally see. Common dolphins are around too and we see them several times - living up to the name they have been given. We see some flying fish zooming by and a tuna repeatedly jumping out of the water. A 6ft blue shark sidles up to our bow and then shoots off as if he had got a terrible fright. Our most unusual sighting of the day is what look like giant translucent sea cucumbers who are drifting below the surface as we sail past. We pass more than a hundred of them; some are as small as your hand and others are like curled up snakes and over 10 feet long. We look them up on the google and find out they are Pyrozomes - These are not individual animals as they appear to be but each one is a colony of zooids who work in unison to propel the colony through the water. During our research we also learn that a Portuguese Man - o- war is similar - it’s colony of zooids and not a jelly fish at all! What a great and unexpected biology lesson we all get.
    At mid-day a fog starts to come in and our circle of vision reduces gradually until we can hardly see 10 meters beyond our bow. We have our electronic charts and AIS on our phones so we know where we were going and what traffic is about- this reduces the fear factor that is normally associated with sea fog but the eeriness of it remains. We are in the thick of it for an hour before it slowly begins to dissipate and our field of vision expands until finally the coastline emerges blurry at first and then it sharpens in the sunshine.
    We arrive in Fuengirola marina and have our first experience of Mediterranean mooring.
    There are no finger pontoons so boats sit side by side in a row, their sterns tied off at a long pontoon and their bows attached to mooring lines which are out from the pontoon.
    Ronan reverses the boat back to the pontoon and the Marinero hands me the start of the mooring line. I walk with the line up along the boat, dropping muck everywhere as the ropes are filthy from lying in the marina water. I tie off the rope on the cleat at the bow. Job done, I turn around to see a big kerfuffle at the back of the boat. The Marinero and 4 other men on the pontoon are pushing our boat off and Ruby and Colm rushing for fenders while Ronan is on the helm and trying to throw and retrieve ropes. I had unwittingly tightened the wrong end of mooring rope and Regal’s stern was pinned to the pontoon. No amount of men pushing her stern is going to fix this so we have to drop all the ropes and leave the berth to come in again. We have a large audience for our second attempt - there is nothing Boaties like more than to watch others make a mess of things. Some wonderfully disapproving looks come our way from people sipping wine in their cockpit.
    The second attempt is better. We are securely tied up but all hot and bothered so we escape to the beach- A swim cools us down, erasing any bad feelings and we have a great evening in cafe Bing    Read more

  • Doteyboaty
    SkywalkView of the marina from inside the RockView across to Morocco

    The Rock of Gibraltar

    September 26, 2021 in Gibraltar ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    When we open the hatch and look out side this morning the rock of Gibraltar is there looking right back at us. It looks just like it does in all the pictures it is surreal to have it as the backdrop to our breakfast in the cockpit.
    We only have one day to see Gibraltar as we are leaving tomorrow morning. There is Easterly wind due to blow from Tuesday onwards so we want to get around the rock and further east before that kicks in.
    We are still in Spain so we put our walking shoes on and head for Britain. We skip past a tailback of of cars waiting to cross the boarder and quickly realise this boarder is no joke and we have to go through two passport controls and pass by customs with our backpack full of water and sun cream.
    The road into Gibraltar passes through the airport and over the runway. When a plane is due barriers close the road to cars and pedestrians just as like a railway level crossing. So we walk across the runway to get into the city. Gibraltar reminds Ronan of Australian cities - there is very much a British feel in the architecture of the old town but also the influence of the sun in the overall design.
    We don’t stay too long in the town as we have our sights on the Rock. We book at shared taxi tour which is expensive at 40 per person. It turns out to be well worth it.
    When we are about to hop into the taxi I have my usual panic about the possibility of getting hungry - it being nearly lunchtime. The driver says we can bring some snacks so we stock up with about 3 days worth of provisions. He warns us that we leave the bus to see attractions, we must leave the food along with all bags in the vehicle which he will lock. The apes on the mountain love to open bags and steal food and have been know to open car doors.
    We were already a little nervous about meeting the Macaques and now we find out they are thieves.
    At every stop we diligently leave our bags in the van. There are no apes at our first stop; a viewing point which looks out over the Straits. Morocco’s mountains are vividly clear as the sun shines down on us.
    The next stop is St Michael’s Cave and there are Barbary Macaques outside going about their business as we all rush to get our phones out. Our tour guide is under time pressure and tells us that this is ‘cave stop’ and not the ‘Ape stop’; We must ignore the Macaque lying across our path and go into see the Cave.
    Inside the Cave is incredible. There are enormous stalagmites and stalactites, several storeys high. There are huge caverns within the caves so there is room enough to stand back and enjoy the sound and light show that is projected on the Rocks all around. One of the caverns has been converted into an auditorium and hosts concerts.
    We continue on the bus uphill until we get to the Skywalk. This is a spectacular viewing platform with a glass floor suspended out over the mountain and takes all our nerves to walk and enjoy the view all around and under us. The Macaques are here too sitting pretty for photos, probably just waiting to rob some unsuspecting tourist.
    We go further up the hill again (so glad we didn’t walk) and come to the Ape stop. This is where the Apes are fed so that they don’t travel down the mountain in town in search of an easy meal. There are Macaques here and also lots wasps because of the food so we are happy not to stay too long.
    The taxi tour is now on the downhill and the next stop is to see Great Siege tunnels. They were dug out during in the 1780s when the Spanish and French tried to recapture Gibraltar from the British. The British dug out tunnels so that they could transport cannons to the other side of the Rock. These tunnels are miles and miles long and as we walk along, every so often we come to cannon which is placed at an opening in the rock. You can look through the opening down to the city, airport and sea.
    This is the last stop on the tour bus which is heading back to the city. We take the driver up on his suggestion to disembark here to walk down the rest of the way in order to visit the remaining attractions. He happily waves us off leaving us holding our massive bag of food. The Macaques are eyeing us up - so we dash into the cave and hurriedly eat everything in the bag.
    On the way down the hill we visit the World War 2 tunnels, the Moorish castle and a few more bits - we are bleary-eyed from sight- seeing. We hail a taxi but of course he can only drop us to the boarder so we walk the rest of the way home.
    When we look up at the rock now we see it differently - we can now see all the holes in it.    Read more

  • Doteyboaty
    Jebel Musa Mountain in Morocco - one of Hercules' PillarsYacht Allegrini, Sunrise and CadizSaturday Angling competition

    The Straits

    September 25, 2021, Strait of Gibraltar ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We leave Rota at 8am in tandem with Yacht Allegrini heading for the Straits of Gibraltar. The weather suits to go through the Straits as the wind is slack and westerly. There is Easterly wind due in a few days time and that can make the passage through the straits difficult. We are leaving Rota a little sooner than we might have liked but we prefer easy passage making - especially when we are passing Tarifa - the windiest place in Europe and on going on through the strait.
    It is lovely to have Yacht Allegrini for company and Helen and Steve stay in touch on VHF radio and phone during the day. The are ahead of us paving the way and alert us to any hazards- like the angling competition we have to dodge around.
    It is very exciting to see the first glimpse of another continent. Africa reveals herself much earlier in our journey than we were expecting. She appears just like any other headland we have seen on the horizon, in the haze of distance. As we move closer she becomes larger and more defined and we are certain it is herself and not just another bit of Spain. I don’t know how many times I say ‘ That’s Africa’ over the hours that we have her in our sights -

    We have the sails up and are motoring, the increase in wind we are expecting never comes so the engine has to stay on. It helps having the Allegrini crew to share in this disappointment. The kite-surfers of Tarifa are having a rare day off as we motor past.

    I continue to say ‘that’s Africa’ as we round the corner and enter the straits proper- it is hard not to, as the Mountains of Morocco are unbelievably close. There are lots of ships in the straits but we are are unruffled as they move in a predictable straight line in the traffic separation system. We stay outside of that and hug the Spanish coast, grateful we don’t have to cross these shipping lanes.
    There are several ‘Pan Pan’ calls over the VHF radio during this passage and we see a few high speed rescue vessels, we assume these are for emigrants attempting the crossing. The advice given to sailing yachts should they come across a vessel in distress is to make a ‘Pan pan’ call but not approach under any circumstances. This makes for a sobering reflection and as we eat dinner in the sunshine.
    We see Yacht Allegrini ahead of us turning to port - they are entering the bay inside the rock of Gibraltar, excitement is building as we will be there soon. It is a dramatic entrance; with the British rock looming to starboard, Africa astern of us and the Spanish bay is buzzing with shipping.
    The sun has nearly set by the time we are at the Spanish Marina, La Linea, just over the boarder from Gibraltar.
    Steve and Helen are there to take our lines when we come into the pontoon. We are grateful to have connected with such lovely people and to have shared the experience of sailing through the straits of Gibraltar for the first time.    Read more

  • Doteyboaty
    1This is something we do quite a lotA watchtower in the seawall

    Cádiz

    September 24, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    We have a bus-man's holiday and take the fast ferry from Rota to Cadiz. We visit the Cathedral and go all the way to the top to see the view out over the city. We are right under the bells when they ring out 11 o clock.
    We have warm Churros and thick hot chocolate near the market and then wander through to see stall after stall of fresh fish. It’s busy - full of locals buying their dinner and tourists like us taking photos.
    Next we wander through the city down to the sea walls for which Cadiz is most famous. The walls are wonderful and there are also several unexpected pleasures along the way; gardens with topiary trees, fountains and the amazing rubber trees and a beautiful art installation made from plastic bottles. The final tourist attraction we get before we catch the ferry back to is the ruins of the Roman Theatre…
    Our feet will have plenty of time to recover from all of today’s walking as we have a full day of passage making tomorrow.    Read more

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