Sadness, Horror and delight

On April the eleventh we had the not unexpected news that Miggy’s Dad, David Wilson, had died. Miggy feels sadness and a great sense of loss. The sad day of David’s funeral was transformed into a happy and memorable day by the presence of family and friends. The service at St Bartholomew’s was dignified and beautifully conducted by Johnny, Miggy’s brother in law. David was buried in the churchyard in the beautiful and tranquil setting at the top of Chosen Hill, Gloucestershire. The gathering of family and friends at Betsy’s house was a relaxed and enjoyable affair and the entire day was more a celebration of David’s long and fruitful life rather than a mourning of his death.
On a more cheerful note the fifteenth of the month was our thirteenth wedding anniversary. It is amazing how quickly the years pass. They have been happy and productive years with little exception. A lot has happened during that time not least of which was our retirement and the launch of our adventure to the Mediterranean. Our successes include the creation of a thriving and well respected sailing school and Miggy’s continuing excellence in giving first class care to her patients. Amongst our sad moments are the deaths of Bill, Gret, Derek and Kevin in Neal’s family and very recently David as we have mentioned above.

We left Almerima soon after our return from the UK and sailed east. It was not long before we said farewell to Andalucia and lowered the regional flag that had flown aloft for seven months. We have enjoyed Andalucia immensely and the highlights of Rota and our trips to Sevilla, Jerez, the Pueblos Blancos, the Alpujarras, Cordoba, Granada and the Alhambra will stay in our thoughts forever.

We are now travelling in the region of Murcia and along the British playground of the Costa Blanca. Apart from the odd resort around Garrucha, Aquilas and Mazarron the coastal scenery all the way to Cartagena and beyond to Cabo de Palos, just south of the Mar Menor, is spectacular with sandy coves nestling in the hills of the Sierra de la Almenara that rise directly from the waters edge. There is wide-ranging birdlife on the cliff faces and the many Moorish castles built in impossible places high up on the peaks are truly remarkable.

During one of our passages a languishing turtle came to say ‘hola’ and swam lazily away not at all fussed by our size or the noise of our engine. Miggy took the hint and that evening whilst anchored swam for the first time this season in nineteen degrees.

Only the nudists on the beach interrupted the splendour and solitude of an anchorage in a beautiful bay just west of Cartagena surrounded by stunning hills. Yes, unknown to us, we had anchored directly off a naturalist’s campsite! The natives were friendly, however, and came out in their canoes to greet us.

Our pleasant coastal passage from the previous night’s idyllic anchorage was abruptly ended as we rounded Cabo de Palos to be confronted by the horrors of La Manga and the high rise resort strip between the Mar Menor and the open sea. The difference in scenery within such a short distance along this coast is extraordinary. How could man do such damage to this wonderful planet! Despite the horror of the landscape, the Spanish equivalent of the ‘Red Arrows’ performed a magnificent display for us.

We anchored in Torrevieja, which can be roughly translated as ‘the pits’, but had the pleasure there of meeting Ray and June Baines, late of Lymington and now living close to here, for an extended lunch.

Onward along this coast with the delight of seeing Striped Dolphins and Mediterranean Spearfish and more horrors such as Alicante, Benidorm and Calpe nestling, if you can call it that, in the dramatic and beautiful backdrop of the hills of the Valencia region and across the Greenwich meridian until we moored in Morayra, a jewel within all this madness.

We have finished our trip along the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca and will set off for the Balearics from here as soon as we victual ‘Bella’.