...just getting the boat ship shape and ready to leave - the rally starts at 1pm tomorrow...
we spent this week exploring Gran Canaria which isn't at all as I was expecting - I thought it would all be pasty/red British tourists drinking beer, eating chips and watching footie...sure enough there is some of this in evidence, and maybe there'd be more if we came in summer, but generally the island seems pretty quiet. C drove on some v tiny windy roads on Weds ('stay on the right!!!') and we went to the centre of the island - up the biggest hill - 1900m and stunning views and rocks to climb...but not a patch on a Munro - we drove nearly all the way to the top and just walked the last half hour! We did do it in shorts and sandals though which is a slight improvement on usual Scottish hill walking conditions.
We've also been to a few parties here - too many according to C :( and we've met some great people already - including a couple of Scandinavians - drinking with them is dangerous!
Our crew is slightly depleted today - we're down to 6 as the Germans have left (safety concerns apparently) and the skipper has broken his arm! C and I also have a few worries...but the rest of the crew are v experienced and v friendly (we came all this way, and it turns out one of the crew is from Glasgow!! the others are Swedish and Italian.)
Anyway, that's enough from me - really better go and look busy - stow some ropes or something?!!
Next post will be from St Lucia...
Hxx
Saturday 24 November 2007
Monday 19 November 2007
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
¡Hola! We are in Las Palmas :) This will be a short post as the library is about to shut for siesta!
Today is sunny and weŕe happy.
We finally found our boat after a bit of a hiccup (couldnt find her when we arrived so some friends from England we ran into in a bar out here put us up for the night in their yacht) and we are now installed in our palatial suite on board. Its the master suite and itś bigger than our bedroom when we were in Edinburgh! The owner is on his own so he said it made sense for us to have the master bedroom – we have a double bed with a duvet instead of sleeping bags, a writing table, two easy-chairs, two wardrobes, an en suite bathroom with shower and bath and enough floor space to dance and for C to do his pilates. Wow. And the galley has a microwave, an esspresso maker and a dishwasher!!
The crew seem pretty friendly, although we are all living up to stereotypes – Marco, the Italian, drinks lots of coffee and makes great pasta, and the new German crew wanted to clean their room before unpacking!
Anyway, not much more to report – just going to investigate the old town and have lunch. C might get to go up the mast this afternoon too...
Today is sunny and weŕe happy.
We finally found our boat after a bit of a hiccup (couldnt find her when we arrived so some friends from England we ran into in a bar out here put us up for the night in their yacht) and we are now installed in our palatial suite on board. Its the master suite and itś bigger than our bedroom when we were in Edinburgh! The owner is on his own so he said it made sense for us to have the master bedroom – we have a double bed with a duvet instead of sleeping bags, a writing table, two easy-chairs, two wardrobes, an en suite bathroom with shower and bath and enough floor space to dance and for C to do his pilates. Wow. And the galley has a microwave, an esspresso maker and a dishwasher!!
The crew seem pretty friendly, although we are all living up to stereotypes – Marco, the Italian, drinks lots of coffee and makes great pasta, and the new German crew wanted to clean their room before unpacking!
Anyway, not much more to report – just going to investigate the old town and have lunch. C might get to go up the mast this afternoon too...
Friday 16 November 2007
Cheshire Cheese
Helen: Just back from a lovely evening at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese with all our nearest and dearest - it's a great wee pub just off Fleet St that was re-built in 1667 and it was encouraging to see that it hadn't been Wetherspoonised since we left London. There's about 6 floors including a cellar - everyone who met us this evening seemed to have tried every floor apart from the one we were on first! Thanks to everyone for coming to see us off - was great to see you all - but sad to say goodbye :(
I got lost trying to get to the pub tonight - feel v provincial now back in the big smoke after nearly 4 years in Edinburgh. I've forgotten where everywhere is and there are TOO MANY PEOPLE! I'd also forgotten that pubs close earlier south of the border, so was v surprised that we got booted out at 11pm. We're now at Euan and Laura's flat having tea and toast (with marmite) before turning in for our last night in the UK for a while (when C has finally finished blowing up the inflatable matress).
Got to be at Gatwick by 12 tomorrow - we must be getting old though as our leaving do didn't go on all night and we're not v drunk now - travelling with a hangover is just not fun though.
Night night xx
I got lost trying to get to the pub tonight - feel v provincial now back in the big smoke after nearly 4 years in Edinburgh. I've forgotten where everywhere is and there are TOO MANY PEOPLE! I'd also forgotten that pubs close earlier south of the border, so was v surprised that we got booted out at 11pm. We're now at Euan and Laura's flat having tea and toast (with marmite) before turning in for our last night in the UK for a while (when C has finally finished blowing up the inflatable matress).
Got to be at Gatwick by 12 tomorrow - we must be getting old though as our leaving do didn't go on all night and we're not v drunk now - travelling with a hangover is just not fun though.
Night night xx
Monday 12 November 2007
Tuesday 6 November 2007
PacMan, Irn Bru and Thank yous
Not sure I like the black background to this blog - looks all sinister to me. C says it's supposed to look like Tintin - I wouldn't know though as I spent my time playing with My Little Ponies and Rainbow Brite when I was younger rather than reading boys comics - I also missed out on the A team much to Steve and Deryk's dismay last week. Feels odd not having seen those pair for 3 days now - they've been a major feature of my life for the last couple of months!
Anyway, not much to report - just wanted to say we're here, and we survived packing and unpacking (C says we're never moving again, ever, just like the last time we moved). We decided that unpacking at my parents' house was a bit like PacMan - you have to weave your way through a maze of junk to get anywhere, and you have to try to avoid my father, as if he corners you you might get stuck talking about second world war gun implacements for half an hour when there's a whole garage's worth of stuff to deal with!
Final note should be a big thank you to Lucy and Kenny for the Irn Bru and the Sun/Mirror for the van - it did the trick and C was v pleased that the other truckers thought he was one of the club and flashed their lights at him when he was trying a (low speed) overtaking manoevre. Also huge thankyou to Mike and Lizzie for feeding us on our last night in Edinburgh, when we were massively late and good for nothing, and thanks to Jackie who arrived home to find a very odd looking (but nonetheless treasured) pot plant on her doorstep with a note saying it wouldn't fit in the van but please would she look after it!
Hope my ramblings have made sense....I'm off to bed too now.
Hx
ps. We're seeing a man about a boat tomorrow...will let you know how it goes...
Anyway, not much to report - just wanted to say we're here, and we survived packing and unpacking (C says we're never moving again, ever, just like the last time we moved). We decided that unpacking at my parents' house was a bit like PacMan - you have to weave your way through a maze of junk to get anywhere, and you have to try to avoid my father, as if he corners you you might get stuck talking about second world war gun implacements for half an hour when there's a whole garage's worth of stuff to deal with!
Final note should be a big thank you to Lucy and Kenny for the Irn Bru and the Sun/Mirror for the van - it did the trick and C was v pleased that the other truckers thought he was one of the club and flashed their lights at him when he was trying a (low speed) overtaking manoevre. Also huge thankyou to Mike and Lizzie for feeding us on our last night in Edinburgh, when we were massively late and good for nothing, and thanks to Jackie who arrived home to find a very odd looking (but nonetheless treasured) pot plant on her doorstep with a note saying it wouldn't fit in the van but please would she look after it!
Hope my ramblings have made sense....I'm off to bed too now.
Hx
ps. We're seeing a man about a boat tomorrow...will let you know how it goes...
Finished packing and unpacking!
Well here we are in sunny Lingfield.
We know that we own 6.5 metres cubed of stuff and that it (mostly) fits in the eaves cupboards at the very top of Helen's parents' house (thanks Susan and Guy!) and that 6.5 metres cubed of stuff weighs just less than the maximum load that your average Luton van will carry. We drove 450 miles at 60mph. Funnily enough we managed to stay just in front of all the traffic I could see in my mirrors.
I thoroughly recommend 5th gear van hire as it was £250 cheaper to hire a Europcar van from them than it was from Europcar direct (how does that work then?).
We still have a few boxes to go through, but at least they're not heavy or big and they can stay in Lingfield. I am MUCH more relaxed than I was at 9am on Monday. I am very very tired and grubby, but I think I might just go to bed grubby.
C
We know that we own 6.5 metres cubed of stuff and that it (mostly) fits in the eaves cupboards at the very top of Helen's parents' house (thanks Susan and Guy!) and that 6.5 metres cubed of stuff weighs just less than the maximum load that your average Luton van will carry. We drove 450 miles at 60mph. Funnily enough we managed to stay just in front of all the traffic I could see in my mirrors.
I thoroughly recommend 5th gear van hire as it was £250 cheaper to hire a Europcar van from them than it was from Europcar direct (how does that work then?).
We still have a few boxes to go through, but at least they're not heavy or big and they can stay in Lingfield. I am MUCH more relaxed than I was at 9am on Monday. I am very very tired and grubby, but I think I might just go to bed grubby.
C
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)