Gibraltar - three days become a week

 The excited arrival in Gibraltar was described in a previous post. A sense of a landmark, achieving a first goal, and excitement about the future… The gateway to the big world!
Adding some some pictures of the entrance to Gibraltar:

Gibraltar can be reached comfortably on a huge passenger ship
Which even provides an amusement park on the roof

We arrived at a proper marina which we booked ahead of time, and changed the arrival time about ten times. No one is concerned, because you know it's like that when you're at sea. No determination is final, and yet the experts suggest reserving a place. I don't quite understand what the point is, whatever it may be…

The clerk in the marina office, takes details, fills out forms, all the usual procedures, and then asks: Seven nights ?? And we answer, no, no, two, three max, we will decide later… So probably what for us takes two days to find out, she already knows in advance…

Marina under the cliff

Maybe you need to book a place in advance
because of the seagulls on the empty piers😊

It is rare to meet a cat on a boat.
It turns out that the guy also knows how to swim

First evening, a sailboat enters the dock at sunset

We arrived on Thursday, we did not drive the day before to the charming village on the mountain (see previous post) as the forecasts pointed to Saturday morning, as a window of departure from Gibraltar to the Canaries, and one should hurry to get there and get organised. When crossing from Gibraltar to the Canaries, we look for a 5 day window with comfortable winds that will push us with sails from north to south. The further away from the recommended season (June to August) the harder it is to find such a window. That's why we ran the Mediterranean. We left the house on 8/8 and exactly a month later (8/9) we arrived in Gibraltar.

Apart from the direction of the winds and their intensity, when crossing the straits, one must take into account the tidal hours, which directly affect the strength of the current in the strait. If you make a mistake in the calculation, the current combined with high and low tides, could lead to a state of zero progress and maybe even dragging backwards. Udi sits and studies, different sources claim different and sometimes even contradictory calculations. In the end, with the help of Boaz (a full partner to the journey, a telephone friend and a brother...) the right formula is found, which fits some of the sources that Udi has already memorised.

For the benefit of my scientists friends, a graph posted in the sailors' Facebook group:

Udi devoutly follows the weather forecast, and after 24 hours, the forecast changes, Saturday morning is no longer a good enough option. so what are we doing? Waiting for the next window, which now appears early Thursday morning. And that's the beauty of going out indefinitely. Not late for flight / work and other known restrictions. So spend time in Gibraltar, Esther delivers endless projects, and we enjoy ourselves…

Gibraltar is a strange place. For those unfamiliar, in fact the great cliff, and some more space at its foot, remained under British control, and one can understand why. It is one of the most significant strategic points in the world. Most of the inhabited area, including the marina where we are anchored, belongs to Spain, and the city is called "La Linea", but no one has heard of it, even though it is located in exactly the same place. In the evening, we go out to sample one of the restaurants he clerk at the marina mentioned , an excuse to go out to the "big city". This turns out to be not so nice, later revealed as slums, making no appeal. When you get to the center, it is a little less depressing, some nice squares, lots of cafes and restaurants. It seems that the Spaniards, like the Greeks and Italians, are not giving up on life. In fact, we are like that, the Israelis, as soon as they give us a crack of permission to return to life, we do it big time. The restaurant we arrived at, like the city, was disappointing, but thanks to it we discovered the place really worth it in La Linea, where there was a queue of locals waiting for a table. I, without hesitation, went in to book a table for the next day. There is a waiting list, so we will wait…

A good reason to come to Spanish Gibraltar(La Lina)

The next day we went out to sample the marine shop near the marina. This is our "shopping". We walk around these shops like kids in a toy store. Some things are necessary, some are half necessary, and sometimes just fun. This time we were spoiled with two toys, two folding bikes (we had such in the past, worn out, I dreamed of getting new ones), and two upholstered and portable sea chairs, which make sitting in the cockpit a healthy pleasure. So here's the justification for the spending: bikes for the gym, and chairs for the back 😃

Udi modelling the greatness of the new chairs
 can be sat facing each other
filmed on the canary crossing.
Udi is not worried, just tired ...
more on the crossing in the next post

In the evening we get a spectacular fireworks show, one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, which lasts more than half an hour, without exaggerating (three hour with exaggerating - Udi's joke…). I'm happy, like a little girl, the excitement from fireworks has not diminished over the years… We are surprised, we have no idea what's going on, and it went on and on, until the neighbors from the boat nearby told us they were surprised to discover during the day that it was Gibraltar day! We thought it was a joke, but it turns out that the cliff is celebrating something, because they have no independence. Anyway, with a quick decision, and thanks to the two  bikes we purchased today, we jumped into the British part to see how they celebrate, and were not disappointed…

5 minutes bike ride from the marina, a real border crossing, lucky we thought of taking our passports. These are stamped and another 10 minutes of riding brings us to the heart of England. The first thing we saw right after we tied up the bike, is of course an English pub, crowded and happy, drinking dancing and singing, and we join in the celebration. Suddenly I realize that the corona was left outside the pub doors… In the eyes of the corona era, we came to a mass infection lair. I remove the thought at the flick of an English beer, and hope the vaccine does the job…

Fireworks through masts

Three dressed in Gibraltar Day colors
all locals in red and white

Giving respect to an 80-year-old boy who is a little drunk

surrounded by supportive young women

The next day we do projects on the boat. Udi spends 8 hours working on learning to weave a loop of rope into itself. After hours of frustration and failed attempts he succeeded!. Now the loop rises to the top of the mast and holds the main sail firmly. Unfortunately there is no picture because I was also very busy ... installing a pump that will collect the water from the two showers and pump it out of the boat. To this day, the water with the dirt has drained freely under the floorboards to the pool at the lowest point, where a pump is installed, which sounds an annoying buzz every time it pumps. The reason is that a leak inside the boat is considered improper, water coming in from the sea or dripping from one of the systems. I learn from a YouTube video about the pump and its installation, some tutorial from Udi, and "I myself" deal with plumbing and electricity until the work is perfect and the pump works! My Independence Day! Now no one hears when  I am "stealing water" for a shower 😀 I am very proud…

In the evening, we check out the tapas restaurant, each dish a delicious surprise, and at the end a small bill compared to prices in Israel. We'll be back, the menu is long…

And so another day passed for us pleasantly and with a sense of satisfaction.

One of the dozens of types of tapas ...

The next day we plan to climb the famous cliff to meet the even more famous monkeys. But rain that keeps pouring for two and a half days keeps us in our little house, for another two days at ease. In the meantime we meet some Israelies , with us on the same pier. Very nice people: Odi (Oded) a veteran sailor, who owned several kinds of unusual boats, each with its own crazy history (a troop carrier he bought from the army, a boat made of concrete and more and more), founder and owner of the fish farms in Eilat, and who directed the establishment of the farms in Mikhmoret, Ashdod, Albania and more. There will be those who will smile to themselves, when I say that it turned out that we studied in those years in the Faculty of Agriculture (there are those who think I make up connections with people). With him Tzafrir, a member of a sailing competition team. The next day another Israeli boat arrives, new and well equipped (we did not see it but heared) with two, the owner Adoram (yes, as you heard) and with him Dan Torten. There is a chance that the old ones among you will remember the name: He and his brother, our representatives on sailing in the Seoul Olympics, were within touching distance of an Olympic medal, when they were returned to Israel under pressure from the ultra-Orthodox parties, as they competed in the semifinals on Yom Kippur. And so world fame passed. But the guy did not stop: he finished medicine studies before his army service, then decided he wanted to be a pilot, and completed a glorious career in the Air Force as commander of the Hazor base. In the evening we took everyone out to our in-house restaurant, and the conversation of course blossomed. Udi and Dan have quite a few acquaintances and stories in common, as the Israeli Air Force is not a big one.

The foggy day, ahead of tomorrow's departure, allows for a tour of a marine "toy store" on the British side (more professional and less indulgent), on the way encountering another of Gibraltar's wonders: because it is so small, Gibraltars' airport runway is crossed by the main road leading from the Spanish part to the colony . In this lane, cars traverse in considerable traffic, because every time a plane takes off, the road is blocked for long minutes. An unusual experience to see a plane take off within touching distance. 

Crossing the runway

Waiting for the plane to take off

And some of the sights of the British part:

We have arrived to England!

The town on the slopes of the cliff

This will be done for the first six floors of an ugly parking lot

The three Israeli boats plan to cross to the Canaries (otherwise they would not have reached this point), and we all come to the same conclusion, that early morning on Thursday is a good time for crossing the Gibraltar straights. A good time in terms of current, and the forecasts are consistent and predict a perfect wind for five days.

In the end we did not climbed up the cliff (rain and poor visibility) and also - we did not see the Gibraltar monkeys. The friends who visited them reported a dubious experience that I was happy to save myself. No more monkeys in the wild, but those accustomed to human presence, aggressive and spoiled. As in all kinds of areas in nature, that man manages to poop. And so we became the only tourists who came and did not go to the cliff top, and the truth is, I do not think I will return here in retirement B.

On the other hand, I took advantage of the breaks in the rain to get guidance on SAP from the experts, and free access to use it whenever I want :-)

Last night, right, we go out to the Tapas place, raise a glass and wish for a pleasant crossing and "fare winds", the usual blessing of sailors on going out to sea.

On the right is Odi (owner of the Northstar sailboat) and on the left is Tzafrir

We are excited!!

 Since I uploaded this post, you can guess that we arrived safely to the Canary Islands.

I add a picture ahead of the next post showing the baptism in the ocean, five days, two in one boat crossing to the Canary Islands.

Veronica, Adorams' sailing boat, at sunrise in the Strait

Ester in the Strait just before raising a sail
courtesy of Dan Torten on Veronica

Along the Spanish coast - From Dania to Gibraltar

 

We say goodbye to Ruth and Dania, finish organising and continue on our way south. Just before sunset, and we are anchored in something closest to the bay along the Spanish coast. The Spanish sea strip, like the Israeli, is not sloping with bays, and therefore not really on the sailors' map. In contrast, dramatic and impressive mountains descend to the sea. I did not expect .. a wonderful surprise that makes you want to come to the area for hiking, in Pension B. Again a shaky night passed over our forces, the place only half protected. Another long day of sailing, and we are anchored at the recommended spot, in response to my query in the Facebook group of Mediterranean sailors, a water park called Cabo de Gata, The most similar place to Sinai I have met. Just before reaching the mooring point, granite cliffs, small sandy bays, everything is pristine, there are no roads, only small paths that descend steeply to the shoreline, and here and there a few tents.

Some pictures from the Spanish "Sinai":

Snacks after docking

Cabo de Gata, a nature reserve, and above it rises a lighthouse. We're right below him. The spectacle at night of a towering tower, makes me almost happy like fireworks… An evening snorkel, reveals why the place is a nature reserve. In addition to the landscape above the water, there are plenty of colorful fish, flocks of flocks, sea caves, steep rocks, soft corals, starfish, hedgehogs and "sea tomatoes" a kind of burgundy sea roses. Not Chinese but the closest I have seen in the Mediterranean! The evening experience inspires me to get up in the morning and have time to snorkel on the other side of the cove. On my way there, I come across one of the strangest and most wonderful plays I have encountered during the glorious years of diving, in different places in the world. Precisely in the sandy area, Snir taught me that he could be a super interesting, small stingray (what is called in the vernacular a kitten), hovering over the sand surface, followed by two small "soles" (for those who do not know, flattened and thin, sole-shaped fish). I have met these two before. What was surprising and new was the interaction between them. Both soles are lit after the stingray, and whenever he tries to dig in the sand with his wings, they try to push and dig in the shadow of his wings. He does not seem to have "died for it" and so the chase continues. After 5 minutes of watching I say goodbye to them. Unfortunately, there is no certificate… Nir, my diving partner (and also a former boss ..), a certified marine photographer, is not with us on the boat 😔 On a six-month cruise with the children, join us for a week, thanks to him we also have an underwater certificate, you can be impressed In the chapter devoted to him in the previous blog. Hope to find time in the crowded hazelnut to join again this time, invitation is open!
Later on, the snorkel also meets Avnon, and other colorful bands, but time is pressing and swimming back to Ester is still long…

The next evening we decided to spend in Almeria, a city and mother in the province of Andalusia, nevertheless on New Year's Eve, we deserve a meal in a good restaurant! Happy New Year to the children, family, friends, and I am free to locate the restaurant for the celebration. We are already right at the entrance to the marina, when Udi glances at the weather forecast map and turns the bow of a boat back to the sea. Expect strong winds later this week that will not allow us to continue towards Gibraltar. Bassa .. The mucus has already covered the lips, but to the one in the sky other plans. The gourmet meal made way for ravioli in tomato sauce prepared in particularly harsh sea conditions, waves, wind and a swaying stove, and without a drop of wine, this is how it is when you are at sea… If you sail and have to hold shifts, do not drink… So happy new year to readers And the wine was on your table.

On the other hand - we are heading towards Gibraltar, and hope to start the new year with a new sea, very soon.

There were no fish, but there were fishermen

The night of New Year's Eve passed in a storm, bringing with it new insights, about current winds and sea salt that washed the boat. We have narrow sails, a fairly strong wind, and the boat "flies" at a speed of 7-8 knots. This is a lot in terms of a boat, whose average speed is 5-6 knots. At some point the wind calms down, sails roll, engine starts, and as we get closer to our destination Gibraltar, a sea of ​​ships around us, all drain in and out of the only strait that connects the Mediterranean to the big world. Aside from the abundance of ships, which require vigilance, as you progress, the boat slows down. Slowly the insight permeates, that the current known for its intensity that enters the Mediterranean, does not end in the producers but continues deep into the open sea, and is felt well even two days sailing from the strait. We have an engine at full power, which is supposed to bring us to a speed of five knots, and are advancing at a turtle rate of 2.5 knots, which means that we will spend the next year on the way to Gibraltar. Well, I exaggerated a bit, but very frustrating. While on duty, I decide to get closer to the Spanish coast, assuming there the current will be weaker. At one point Udi and I do an exercise, turn on our axis, record direction (degrees) and boat speed. There is no doubt that we are in the heart of the current directed from Gibraltar, and decide on a sharp face north, almost 90 degrees, back to shore. All of this is documented both in the note we wrote down, and on a map that follows our path. Boaz, Udi's brother, who follows (but very closely) the signal that Ester is transmitting, demands an explanation and solution to the riddle of the meaningless round he saw on his map…

I'm at the wheel, Udi resting from a not-so-simple night, and then in the distance, on the side of the mountain I notice a stain of white houses sitting on a mountain dome. We are in cellular reception range, I open a map and discover a beautiful village called Ojen, which can not be given up, the bow is tilted a little north of the point they intended to reach (the captain sleeps ..), towards Marbella's marina below the village. The plot in my head, tomorrow morning to rent a car, visit the village and a little walk in the mountain park in which the village sits, and if so also a restaurant in honor of the eve of Rosh Hashanah Monday (after all, our ancestors in exile did). So there is a plan, and a mooring place, everything looks perfect.

Again, the weather has its own plans. The crossing to the ocean is accompanied by an intensive exploration of the weather along the sailing route from Gibraltar to the Canaries. Udi in his interrogations suggests that the optimal time, leaving Gibraltar on Saturday morning, dictates also leaving the visit to the village that promises a second pension. And so the list goes on and on, ensuring that we do not get bored in the next decade 😊

And so a very final day opens on reaching a destination also called Europa Point, the largest at the mouth of the Straits of Gibraltar, with the impressive cliff towering above, the southwestern point of continental Europe. The excitement grows as we get closer, and so does the flow of photos…

We are in Gibraltar, on Rosh Hashanah, exactly one month since we left Israel!

More about Gibraltar in the next post ...

Ships are waiting to cross the strait

Approaching Gibraltar 

Meeting after 31 years in Dania south of Valencia

 

Excited meeting

We arrived in Denia in the afternoon and decided to anchor outside the marina which did not look particularly tempting.
The sea is relatively calm, one sailboat is moored outside the marina, and we settle not far from it. The darkness descended, and it was not long before we realized that a great mistake had fallen on our part. The calm sea became more and more wavy. Not really waves, more so-called "swell", soft waves that drain into a bay, which is not protected at all from the direction of the waves. Admittedly small but venomous… keep shaking us all night and we feel inside a washing machine, rattling to the sound of the ropes whipping in the mast that goes straight down to our bedroom. This mistake at this point is no longer worth trying to correct. Entrance to a marina crowded with boats and unfamiliar on a dark night, a recipe for trouble. So we chatted, not really sleeping, and at the first opportunity the next morning, tired and frayed, we made our way to the mooring in the marina…
Tie ropes, pay and relax…

Arrive at Dania

Ruth, a friend of my youth, will come to pick us up at noon. In the meantime we grab a nap, arrange the boat, make a shopping list, and pack a small bag. If all goes well, we will stay at Ruths' one night.

A few words of my relationship history with Ruth:

We met when we were 16 or 17 years old in the glorious youth movement "Dror the Immigrant Camps" (still patriotic, blue shirt with buttons). I do not know how many of you know it and if it still exists. It was a relatively small youth movement, where I spent many years of my childhood and adolescence with great joy. I'm in Be'er Sheva, she's in Jerusalem. We met on one of the common trips, which were not with many participants. Regardless, at the same time, our fathers, Amiram and Yehuda, met on matters of the Be'er Sheva Theater, and a quick and close connection was established between them. Later, the relationship developed into acquaintances with the spouses, Margalit and Yehudit, and then it turned out that my father, Amiram, studied with Yehudit at a high school in Tel Aviv. I went into detail, as it seems to me that such a coincidence is worth a few words. The family bond grew stronger, in our visits to the great hut they had in the German colony in Jerusalem and joint trips, and at the same time my bond with Ruth, who has a life of its' own. During the army, I'm at Achziv field school, and Ruth at Kibbutz Shamir in the Hula Valley, we kept in touch and visited each other.

Over the years the bond loosened until it was completely gone from our lives. Each turned to a different path, a different way of life, different continents. Ruth and her partner Avi, with Lilo (their partner) developed the "Avi Greenberg" method, which combines physical and mental therapy to cure various problems. The understanding that body and mind are related was less self-evident 35 years ago. They have established a network of schools and students across the globe, mainly in Israel and Europe. Their seat was not fixed, and at some point, as they wandered in Europe, they looked for a place to settle. The last time we met was 31 years ago in Jerusalem, I after a doctorate in biology, four years in Edinburgh and my first child, Shye, one year old. Ruth, a free-living bird living a life that seemed very far from me at the time. Few connection points.

The corona year reconnected us, when Ruth's mother, Judith, moved into Nofim sheltered housing with Ana (Udi's mother). Thanks to their early acquaintance, when Jerusalem was small enough, my phone goes to Ruth. She makes contact, and since then, for the past year and a half, we have been bridging gaps in long and close video calls, dreaming of meeting when we embark on the great journey.

So dreams sometimes come true :-)

A first touch on the Spanish coast at Denia also makes sense for our route, a half hour drive from Oliva, Ruth's house on the beach.

Ruth in the kitchen at Oliva

One of the four cats on the king's throne

Aside from the house on the beach, 18 years ago, when the trio (Ruth, Avi and Lilo) decided to settle in Spain, they bought an area of ​​70 acres in a mountainous area half an hour drive west of Oliva, at the ridiculous price of one Euro per square meter, the funny prices we all heard about. So it's real!

Wonderful area, spectacular mountain views, old farmhouse, olive grove, ancient cisterns. Since then they have been cultivating and planting, ornamental and fruit trees, and in recent years also an abundance of vegetables, using advanced green farming methods. No more neat rows of uniform vegetables separated from each other, but a mixture of a variety of seeds before they are sown. Needless to say, everything is organic and plentiful. Apart from these, also some chickens (free of course) that lay about seven eggs every day, enough to support them and the volunteers who live on the farm and help develop it. In recent years they have built themselves a crazy house, waiting for an internet connection, which for work you can not do without. Not a simple matter there in the mountains, a few farmhouses are miles apart, there is no cellular communication, and as at sea requires a creative / satellite solution.

At the entrance to the new house

Admire a sophisticated wood heating system

With Avi in the kitchen - a dream of every cooking enthusiast

And some more pictures from the farm:

There is also a music room with charming percussion A type of xylophone

The old farmhouse has become a magnificent workshop

At the entrance to the vegetable plot

Soaps: another use of olives

We were all invited to lunch supervised by two chefs who studied and worked in Michelin restaurants before coming to the farm to understand "how vegetables are born"… and so, in the heart of the mountains, a remote and spectacular hole sits nine, five young and charming volunteers from around the world, and four , And enjoy a gourmet meal of fine risotto and wonderful fish!

A look from the volunteer kitchen, this is the inspiration

Chefs in action in the volunteer kitchen

Young and old around the table

Excellent fish risotto

The way back is accompanied by torrential rain, which fell on the window in huge drops, the like of which I have not seen. Something was answered to Avi's prayers, to rain on the plot, which was sown in abundance of wild flowers from the Holy Land yesterday…

Back in Oliva, and without much difficulty, they manage to convince us to stay for another night. Pleasant and homely to us. The three occupants of the house are generous, warm and interesting interlocutors. We girls (Lilo Ruth and I) sink into a conversation until the wee hours, and fall into bed. Morning, and despite the short night, Udi puts us all up for a farewell ceremony, not before we are equipped with all the good produce of the farm. Ruth accompanies us to shopping, the most worthwhile organic supermarket around, a marine equipment store, and anything else we need. We say goodbye on the pier, and promise that we will not wait 30 years until the next meeting…

Organising the refrigerator in all the good we have brought with us takes time and is not simple at all, but worth every moment, when the rest of the journey is accompanied by fine and healthy food!

Blessed god for the fruits of the farm

Refrigerator before

Refrigerator after
 now try to get eggs out of level minus 3

Notice the glasses over the sink that were filled with herbs

The mint has found its place
Now there are three under my responsibility: basil, mint and captain