Well, that’s it for now. Pandora has been hauled in Almerimar where she will be until we return next spring to begin cruising the western Mediterranean.
Somehow, after a week of getting things ready, it was still a scramble to get Pandora over to the lift dock for her 08:00 appointment.
I won’t try to itemize all the things that go into putting a complicated boat like Pandora into storage but I can say that it took days to accomplish all of it.
The good news is that while it is very hot in Almarimar right now, by September and throughout the winter it will become a lot cooler so perhaps she will fair well.
I have hired a mechanic, “boat sitter” who will keep an eye on her and arrange for repairs and routine maintenance that needs to be done as well as arrange to have her launched in advance of our arrival in April.
He seems knowledgeable and was recommended by the manager of the leading chandlery in town so I am fairly confident that she is in good hands. He met us on the dock and assisted with handling Pandora into the slip to be hauled.
Brenda took a few photos of her being hauled. She was happy to be far away from the action.
Her sad rudder. At first glance it doesn’t look like a big issue to repair but they may have to pull the rudder, post and all, which is a big deal. To pull the rudder involves a good amount of internal disassembly. And she has to be positioned over a deep pit so that they can lower the rudder and shaft down enough for the shaft to come out.
Also, the vane steering shaft is bent and that will require disassembly, not counting new parts.
Well, at least labor rates in Spain are less than the US. Actually, rates just about everywhere is less than the US with the possible exception of those in Bermuda.
After Pandora was safely on the hard we left for the six hour drive to Madrid where we are now enjoying nearly a week of sightseeing. Our hotel is in the heart of the historic district and central to great dinning and more museums than we have time to see.
Along the way to Madrid the terrain changed from near desert, where nothing will grow, to semi/mostly arid with olive farms that went on for as far as the eye could see.
The terrain was remarkably rugged with tunnel after tunnel cut through the cliffs.
With our little Fiat 500, I had to constantly downshift to keep moving as the grades were pretty steep and in spite of my best efforts, wasn’t able to keep to the 100 KPH speed limit except when the road was flat or, better yet, downhill. I am fine with little cars but did feel quite exposed on the highway when surrounded by the tandem trucks that were constantly around us.
The location of our hotel is lovely, festooned with flags over the entire street. The view from our window on the second floor. The hotel is the Posada del Dragon, a very charming place.
We have enjoyed spending time in small street cafes and with the 100 degree temperatures, it’s more fun to sit and watch the world go by during the heat of the. Somehow a glass of sangria makes everything seem ok.
It’s fun to wander down side streets looking at menus and picking a place to eat. This scene, where we ate one evening, looks more like a still life painting than I realized when Brenda took the photo.
As we strolled back from dinner one evening the light was magical from inside this 100 year old gourmet market.
All the vendors lining the aisles.
Lovely little side streets.
Dining really doesn’t get going until after 9pm, way past our normal bedtime.
And speaking of nighttime. Brenda got tickets to a Flaminco dancing show last evening and it was just terrific. There were 4 dancers, two singers and a guitar player. We had amazing seats, literally three feet from the dance floor. To watch these dancers up close while drinking a sangria was very special. This photo, of one of the dancers captures the drama of the moment pretty well. How she tossed her long skirt as she twirled made me wonder how often she ended up landing on the floor during practice. Check out this very short video of her finale.
Each day we have toured historic buildings, including the royal palace and I have to say that the over the top Rocco gold gilt everywhere in these buildings made me a bit sad as it reminds me of what has become of the Oval Office in recent months.
Each room, if the word “room” is sufficient to describe such a space, is over the top.
Perhaps some design ideas for the new ballroom for the Whitehouse.
On that subject, when I was returning the rental car to the airport the other day, I was struggling with the metro to get back to the hotel and was helped by a lovely young couple from Spain. We got to talking and they told me that they and others, when meeting an American nowadays, immediately see us very negatively.
This year in particular, we have run into this time and time again and have even been advised to be clear from the start, when meeting someone local, to make it clear that “we are not like that”. Sadly, the phrase “ugly American” has taken on a new meaning as we were never seen in a particularly positive light to begin with.
Anyway, we will see how it all turns out but I am not optimistic. One can only hope…
After months of moving Pandora north from Trinidad and into the Med, I am very glad that she is now on the hard until spring as I can use a break from the constant moving, dealing with the repairs that is life on a cruising boat and crew changes along the way.
I enjoy time aboard and am looking forward to exploring new waters next year with Brenda but not quite yet…
No need to think about all that now as Pandora is put to bed.