So we bought new fenders for the boat

 

We hired a little matchbox car for the week - small with a dodgy fanbelt - but it gets us around. This particular day we had our French friends, Mary et Thierry with us, plus all the shopping. The only place for the new fenders? As you can see above we were thinking outside the box :O)

Worked a treat and we laughed until we cried...

Mary trapped inside the road boat...I've tried to upload the video of us driving along the only main road through Menorca, crying with laughter, but it is taking too long to upload on this signal. Naturally we attracted a great deal of positive attention - kids pointing and laughing, men doing double-takes, lorries flashing their lights and sounding their horns. English tourists overtaking and giving us the thumbs up and shouting things we couldn't hear. We realised they probably thought we were making a statement about the local driving conditions! In fact the driving in Menorca is very good. We were very pleased that everyone joined in the fun with us and that all fenders arrived on the boat safe and sound :O)

FIRST VISIT TO CUITADELLA MENORCA

I feel I would love living in this town - these old stone walls whisper : 'stay here.'

 Cool white walls and shades  relieve the heat. As does cold beer!

A  traditional Menorcan wooden fishing boat with sail and oars in Cuitadella harbour - more about the building in a future post.

Toni loves Myed

A shop selling Menorcan cheese - we bought a whole one. If you get a chance to try Menorcan cheese GO FOR IT without reservation!

When someone said I was delusional I almost fell off my unicorn :O)

First day at anchor Cala Galdana Menorca

We had good winds crossing from Mallorca to Menorca. Second half of passage the wind dropped off and we used our Code Zero to maintain five knots. The swell was just over a metre and dropping as we approached Cala Galdana. We found out later that the boats already at anchor had been bounced around in 2 metre swell the previous night. We used the kedge (Popeye) anchor again and have been sitting pretty. The main problem here is not the wind or swell; it's the charter boat 'sailors' and I use the term loosely. For the most part they are a nuisance, they have no clue what they are doing - this means everyone else has to be on constant alert because of their antics. The first morning three yachts dragged anchors and caused alarm to their neigbours. Just across from us we watched this debacle unfold between a French yacht ( anchored properly) and a charter 'sailor' with a Catamaran and a problem:

The dingy is acting as another fender! Eventually the french yacht had to up anchor and motored around the harbour while the Catamaran crew tried to untangle their anchor from another one. They came over to us and asked for bolt cutters saying they were going to cut the other anchor chain to free themselves ( can you believe this?). They asked Greg to help them : 'No way are you cutting someone elses chain,' says Greg. He then hops in the dingy to see if he can help free them.

Greg (in hat) and charter 'sailor '. Eventually the chains are unlocked, the Catamaran sails off to create havoc someplace else and the French yacht returns to re-anchor! At lunchtime the French couple, Thierry and Mary, invite us onboard for a good glass of French wine :O) Such fun communicating in pigeon French, but as you know - a smile and a good intentions go a long way :O)

Thierry et Mary on SY Anahita

Galdana bay on the south coast of Menorca.

Lerryn Lady at anchor in Cala Galdana ( on left picture) see the orange trip line buoy behind us for the kedge anchor. The main boom is out to Port to keep shadows off the solar panels. Greg has since rigged them up on top the Mizzen boom.

And just so you know I am not just sitting in the sun - I made these courtesy flags for the next two legs of our journey - Sardinia, Sicily and Greece :O)

Cuitedella Sant Joan Festival a MUST SEE!

 we did this yesterday - have taken loads of video and pics - cannot download so here's a youtube link in the meantime - please watch it is AMAZING!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaJKqXdCusg

Techno Flop

Geez, sorry to tell you our Internet contract has gone AWOL for some weird reason - actually no 'reason' that we can make out. So until we get it sorted I cannot continue with the Blog. The great thing is this - we continue to see amazing things, meet lovely people and take lots of photgraphs - so, when the time comes, you will be inundated with more Blog updates than you probably care to shake a stick at. Hope it won't be too long - no promises. Lots of love in the meantime xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Figs are pretty

In my opinion the inside of a dried fig is really attractive :

Today we had local cheeses, figs and salad for lunch. I've just had a look in the fridge in order to give you the names of the cheeses - but can't find them, someone has been 'organising' again. Anyway, the cheese on the left is a delicious Menorcan Cheddary ensemble with a paprika skin, made in Mahon. The one on the right is lightweight in both taste and texture but has masses of oregano in it and is delicious also. The one at the back may remind you of those pineapple cream cheese rings you can buy in England - similar, except it's goat's cheese with crushed almonds - gorgeous - even Greg's coming round to goat's cheese with this one. In the middle I sliced the figs crosswise  to admire their design :O)

Lost oar - no laughing matter

By accident we lost an oar from the dingy - this is bad news. After searching with the dingy ( motor powered) we donned snorkels and fins VOILA it had sunk vertically, blade up. Jane dived for it, here's her triumphant salute!

Bless her!