Last night

We had James and Lesley over for some wine and a nice all night chat last night. A very nice couple from UK/Australia. They live six boats away from us on the same quay, and are visiting Barcelona for some months before they set off to a summer Med cruise and thereafter on the ARC in November.

By the way: today is a special day. It was six months ago me and Alex met each other the first time and it is from today six months left till we'll set off for our world tour! Six months could be considered to be really nothing yet it is everything, if that makes any sense./ Taru

Our Sunday in pictures

Blue sky, sunshine, 26°c and we were sailing downwind from Barcelona to El Masnou in a very smooth and wonderful ride. Fishing a bit, tanning a bit, philosophizing and just relaxing on the most beautiful day this year has given us so far. It was perfection!

Alex was taking care of the sails while I was tanning most of the time..

Until he asked me to "at least throw out the fenders, you lazy woman, we're arriving at the harbor!"

So I did. Which seem to have been very amusing..? Should do that more often.

And we arrived at El Masnou.

Which is a small little city around 30 minutes driving with car up north from Barcelona. That's 2,5 hrs sailing.

We had a long walk through the colorful picturesque town in search for an open supermarket, for no reason really. We seemed to have forgotten that we actually are living in Spain and EVERY SHOP is closed Sundays. Very old fashioned and something we never really get used to. Anyway, it was a nice little walk at least.

After an experimental meal in the harbor we headed back to Barcelona.

At some point the wind died out completely and we had to, unfortunately, sail with the engine on for almost half of the trip back.

Nevertheless we could arrive home just in time for the sunset. Simple day but oh so fantastic. Already looking forward to next weekend. The beautiful Costa Brava is on the schedule for that one. /Taru

Featured on Sperry Top Sider

Sperry Top Sider has featured a note about our circumnavigation on their blog, this week. Check it out!

Happiness is:

Two days of break from the intensity of work (or at least in a bit slower tempo). A clear blue sky. The sparkling blue sea, and the fact that our mainsail is back in good condition. Finally. We haven't been out for two weeks!

A quiet sunset

Saturday night

Santé from the boat! We're wishing you all a very pleasant end of the weekend.

The harbor by night

Few things are more relaxing, night time, than the sparkling view of the harbor from a distance. A cup of tea or a glass of wine on the deck - just before bed time, is a simple yet beautiful pleasure.

200

An Indian curry lunch on deck.

Now only 200 days left till we leave this harbor.. That's 199 too many! Thank God we both have insanely much to do, work wise, so time flies faster. Yeah I guess if we wouldn't had, we would have left already. In one way, the 200 days feels so much when counting and longing for the adventure. On the other hand, it seems way too little when contemplating all the things that are needed to get done before we can set off. But as always: is there enough will, there is most probably a way. Patience is one thing we would need more of though, both of us.

Sail problem part II

Fuck! Even though the HR352 is a fantastic boat in many ways, she is definitely NOT a race boat! There goes the main sail. And ten days of waiting until it gets repaired. IF it is possible to repair? Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Energy saver and another way of cooking

Though I'd try out the new cooking invention that we received from Remoska. An electric oven that is ideal to use onboard. Especially for long distance sailing and when you want to use as little electricity as possible.

She enjoyed my vegetarian dish, my beautiful woman. But no surprise, she usually likes everything that is served. Never seen anyone enjoying food as much as she does. Double score when the food is prepared in an eco friendly way. Thanks Remoska for the products, they will be used with much pleasure, throughout our tour. /Alex

Nudos, alguien?

Since I'm still a rookie in this sailing world with only a six months of experience, I am given private sailing lessons by Alex every once in a while. (Or once in a while is misleading since we recently moved aboard, so more fair would be to say that everyday is like a new sailing class for me). Anyhow, he brings home book after book to make me study what is considered to be important to read about to become a skilled sailoress. And to somehow be prepared for this long tour we are planning.

What he seem to forget is that not everyone speaks fluent English, Spanish AND French as he does, and you can never be prepared on which type of reading he brings back home. Will it be a technical book about rigging in Spanish or all about the Caribbean islands in French? Like this book about sailing knots he wants me to read. Seriously, I am just in the process of building up my Spanish language skills - on a normal term - and now he wants to believe that I'm ready to learn how to sail in this language as well. It's not enough with one? English, i.e? Or why not Swedish? Finnish?

But thank you my love for the multi-stimulant pedagogics. I am sure I will master all of it when we are done with this journey. /T

Inspiration

"Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that all was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous people, for they may act their dream with open eyes and make it possible." –T.E. Lawrence

This quote comes from one of all the inspiring sailing blogs we've found out there. Gar and Nicole are an other couple sailing around the world, they are out there for five years, exploring the world from the sea and also working on raising awareness around the important environmental problems that affects the oceans. Besides of the environmental awareness that sailors often has - we love also the positivism, optimism, happiness for little and the strength that sailors all over the world seem to posses. A genuine combination that is not always easy to find on land.

Photo from their website.

This borrowed earth

Impressive what happened with the sky earlier today. Sunshine all day, and when I turned my back to it for half an hour and then back again, this was what I had in front of me. Crazy rain, thunder and a sky totally black - and thirty minutes later it was all blue as ever again. Like nothing had happened.

We were recently discussing the natural forces of the world. Most people don't seem to reflect about the fact that this world isn't ours. We are here only for a short time, borrowed time. Also we do not possess the strongest of powers, even though many humans wants to believe so. Our high level of intelligence doesn't last long in comparison with the powerful extreme forces of the nature, which we all have seen prove of. Lately more than ever. The day when mother nature totally gets fed up of how we ignorantly destroy the planet, we will have no chance to escape from it's strong forces.

Many of us seem to have forgotten, or never been taught, what is really natural in life and what is not. What we shouldn't take for granted. It is terribly dangerous to think that the world is something we own and therefor can do whatever we want with. We should all have more respect for the things that are not ours. And learn to be more appreciative to the beautiful things we have been given. /T

One of those nights

Oh madre. The more time we spend out on sea, now when weather starts to be milder, the more we want to leave the shore for our long tour. The natural experiences are sometimes so much more dramatic and beautiful and breathtaking than any other "normal life experience", materialistic satisfaction or what money can buy. And to be just the two of us somewhere on the water without sight of land, far away from the reality under a sky that seems to be on fire - it is just beyond words. How we wish for October to come fast, so fast that we are considering totally moving out on the boat until we leave. Who needs a closed apartment anyway when you can have this in front of you every single night and fall asleep with the peaceful sound of the waves in your ears. The best sleep there is for sure.

Now only six more months to go...