Spain

Ancient castles and windmills rose up out of the mist, as we coasted into an approach at dawn after a two day sail from Sicily. It had been a marvelous passage under fair skies and following seas.Will guided us into Mahon, navigating us through a narrow channel to an open bay where we anchored in the shadow of the Fortress of Isabel II, once the battlegrounds of the British.

The fort was originally built in the mid-1800’s after pressure by the British, who were threatening to return to the island in order to use it as a base in their defensive operations against the French. The two countries were disputing naval control of the Mediterranean. Mediterranean waters had never been peaceful after the end of the Napoleonic wars in 1815, and competing sea routes for trade caused conflict.

It is said that the winds of Menorca modify the personality of people. We certainly found it to be windy - go for sailing! Menorca certainly had a stronger sense of purpose and personality, different from Mallorca and Ibiz. The Romans labeled Menorca as the "minor" island, due to its almost virginal interior and ancient historical remains.

On passage from Menorca to Mallorca, we ducked into Port Colom for refuge against the high winds and seas that had been forecasted. Amidst darkening skies, we took walks along the quayside, sampled local cuisine, and snorkeled in the sapphire-blue waters in the harbor entrance, that were flanked by giant boulders. Warren and Adam took turns diving off, as we studied the pretty fish below.

Fishing is one of the main occupations in the Balearic Islands. The fishermen would gather in the early morning hours to repair nets beneath a jury-rigged sun canopy, while chatting animatedly with a friend. At one time, these islands were a base for pirates during the 8th century when the islands were conquered by the Moors, who preyed on the ships in the Mediterranean, but James I, king of Aragon, expelled them in 1229. Today, the islands are well-known resort areas.

Hidden in the depths of the bush are mud flats, rumored to contain rich healing properties. Beach goers paraded into the thicket at all hours of the day, to sit and massage the gooey red mud into their skin. Like the tourists we were, we planted ourselves at the flat’s edge to do the same. Adam and Warren went deeper into the flats, slipping and barreling into each other in trying to reach the dry lake’s center: We shared uproarious laughter at their antics. Soon though, a burning sensation ensued from our mud-caked bodies, and we raced back into the ocean for relief. Still, the smooth skin that had repaired our previous sun-damage was worth the effort!

Jeri and Michael on “Aphrodite”, a St. Francis 50’, met us at the Salinas Beach anchorage. They’d come halfway around the world to meet us, having started from California. Jeri is Peter’s cousin, and childhood friend from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, so we shared many good times together before their departure to the Spanish mainland.

Ibiza is a world-famous resort spot, a playground for the rich and famous. The beauty of the beaches for long hikes, perfect kite-boarding conditions for Adam and Warren, and crystal clear waters kept us entertained for many days while recuperatiing from our transit from Italy.

Formentara is a small fishing village, relatively undeveloped. We anchored with "Aphrodite" near town in a pretty anchorage that was fringed by a long white beach, and set alongside a National Park: perfect for early morning walks.

Because Formentara was frequently raided by barbarians, Moors, and Scandinavians (returning home from the Crusades), the island lay abandoned for a couple hundred years after the downfall of Rome. Once inhabitants returned to the island, piracy was still a problem, and on occasion, the villagers turned to crimes of the high seas themselves. In 1806 they captured the British 12-gun "Felicity" and sailed her into Ibiza.

We spent our last night anchored off the Spanish mainland at Terife. The next day was our Atlantic Crossing start - Tina's 2nd, Peter's 3rd, Adam's 2nd.

Terife is known as the the world’s most renowned site for international windsurfing competitions. While Adam and Warren popped into town in search of used sports gear, Peter and I relished the four mile long beach walks with Bella. All to calm our jittery nerves before the long crossing across the Atlantic.

Adam and Warren took to the outer bay in Ibiza for some serious kite-boarding in high winds, amidst an entourage of Ferry and yachting traffic that whizzed by. Mother Tina sat placcid and in panic mode inside the cockpit of "Scud", as Bella yelped in a joyful panic everytime they kited by in a blur and high wake. Made us want to pull out our passed off old windsurfers, let to dust with the younger folk in our last Australean port.

Ashore on the beach, others organized their kites, hobi cats and jetskies, ready to join the high life on the high harbor seas. Skinny Spanish girls in skinny bikinis glowed under a patina of sun oil, posing for American tourists with new portable cameras and studded in spotty sunburn.

Lying 100 nautical miles, southeast off the rugged coast of Spain, are the exquisite Balaeric Islands: Menorca, Mallorca, and Ibiza. Many legends exist about the root of their interesting history of early inhabitants. Word has it that shipwrecked Boeotians were cast nude on the islands, and remained until the Phoenicians clothed them with broad-bordered tunics. In other stories they were naked only in the heat of summer. Other legends float: the islands were colonized from Rhodes after the Trojan war.

We all on "Scud" wonder if the early inhabitants were nude because of the hot summer climent. Regardless, the boys found much nudity (to their delight!) on the prettiest beaches. Whatever reason, it made for an interesting display of people watching.

Ingredients for 4 persons
• 1 medium chicken
• several shrimp or clams
• 2 medium ripe chopped tomatoes
• green beans or peas
• lima beans
• 1 level teaspoon of saffron
• 3 cups of spanish rice
• 8 cups cicken broth
• olive oil •salt
. 1 teaspoon of sweet red paprika
Brown fish and chicken to fry unitl til lightly browned. Add vegetaables. While simmering, make a clearance in the middle of the pans to fry the chopped tomatoes until pasty, then quickly add the paprika. Stir immediately, adding broth until it is almost to the top of the paella pans edge.

Cook 20 minutes, then add the rice, assuring all is covered with liquid. Refrain from stirring rice afterwards. Let rest 10 minutes after cooking. Garnish with wedges of lemon along the border and fresh herbs in the center.