We have been sailing for one year already – we left Port St Louis the 31st of January 2009. Life on board Wanda seems strangely normal now. We have learnt to live quite simply and we have everything we need. Everyone is happy, school is going very well, and there is so much still to see….
We are now in Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria in the Canaries. We are here to do some shopping and take care of some administrative stuff before we go back to Africa.
We saw just about all of Lanzarote thanks to our wonderful friend, Lali, who is from there. She drove us around for days and showed us the magnificent young volcanic landscape with its underground and underwater caves. There we discovered the beautiful art and design of César Manrique including the house that he built into a volcano – each room was a lava bubble with stunning 1960s furnishings. Max said that seeing Manrique’s art has changed his “style” for life!
On the 27th of December we sailed the short distance to La Graciosa, a very small island with few inhabitants, gorgeous unspoilt beaches, dominated by three little volcanos just the right size to explore. There we met up with friends from Morocco (two boats) and made many more. It was the festive season after all! The children too had a social time – at one stage they were a dangerous gang of eight kids from the same pontoon between the ages of 8 and 12. They were free to wander about the village with its roads of sand and very few cars. At the beaches they set up camps and played until dark. It was sunny and mild enough to swim in the sea (even Caro!). So it was with some sadness that we managed to leave La Graciosa after 40 days.
This week we plan to return to Morocco, the southern part known as the Western Sahara, where the Sahara desert meets the sea. We have a date in Dakhla on the 22nd of February for an international festival of music, culture and water sports. Here is a link for that…. www.dakhla-festival.com
There we are looking forward to a visit from Erika, Jack and Max’s beloved grandmother (Martin’s mum).
2 comments
Luika says:
12 February 2010 at 18:10 (UTC 0 )
Hi you guys! and girl!!!
So nice to hear from you! Enjoy the sun, the mild temperatures and the easy-beasy life! Here, we are having the hardest winter of all times! There is snow everywhere, and it won’t go away! The cold (minus 7 degres for the last 4 days!) is really taking all motivation of going skiing or even for a walk. I really just want to push the “fast forward”-button and wake up in april!
If you need anything from France, school books or other, please tell me, I can still order them via amazon.fr and get them in time to give the along. Otherwise, please (!!!) give some ideas what the boys or you might like/need?!?
Big Bisous to all of you!
Luika & Co.
Stella d'Ailly says:
31 March 2010 at 21:19 (UTC 0 )
Dearest sailors!
We are finally back home. In those two weeks the snow that touched our window sealsz (jee can’t spell it!) have disappeared into the ground. In this little time Jim have learned how to roll, sit up, crawl and today pull himself up to standing. He was very kind to us to save this until we’re back home. Now securing the apartment, whilst that is in progress today he NEARLY ate a part of the toilet, pulled electric wire and pushed a massive glass table over himself. It was lovely to see you and an inspiration to see Jack and Max’s art. Thank you so much for your sweet goodbyes at the port! Saw Max and Jack waving from the boat. Did you pick that pie up? We spent our last two weeks back in Graciosa. Made e-mail relationship to Brice and Alice briefly before they sunk it. We liked that island so we will probably be back. Maybe even next winter…
Very curious about how life in Africa have turned out for you!??
Lots of love
Stella, Carl and Jim