We are now a bit more than half a year underway and after visiting Beatriz’s birth grounds we find ourselves in de Mediterranean. This first month have been very much about getting to the warmth of the Mediterranean. But now that we are here we have all the freedom to go anywhere at any pace we want. We question ourselves what kind of liveaboard do we want to be.
In Cartagena we were welcomed in a thriving liveaboard community, including a weekly ‘bring you own food barbeque’ in the harbor. Mostly followed by some ‘special coffee’.
Beatriz also enjoyed the yoga class given 3 times a week by one of the liveaboards. Many of them stayed here since October, after enjoying the summer season in the Balearics. Some are doing this already for several years, winterizing in some warmer climate popular liveaboard harbor and then sailing in the summer. As one said: “no matter how nice the anchorages are, you do want some social life too”.
One of my friends sailed around the world in de past 10 years, avoiding the Med as he believes it is for many people a trap. Nice sailing, a lot of places to visit, easy to go visiting your family when you want…after some time you wonder why you would go challenge yourself with long ocean crossings, paperwork to visit other countries and all the hassle and risks that comes with it. While you can find it all in de Med….or not? I followed his blog the past 10 years and he is a great example for me.
The different ways of being a liveaboard is something we will have to think about in the coming time.
Cartagena was also in other terms a revelation. Because of its natural harbor in a strategic place in the Med it has a very long history of different cultures, wars, rise and decline. It is not touristic at all, mainly because most of the roman historic sites have only been excavated less than 30 years ago and still going on. We bought one ticket to visit 5 museums and enjoyed all of them.
During a bycicle trip we passed something that looked like a kind of slum. But after some investigation we found out that the Algameca Chica community is actually already there for some 100 years. Living a basic life without electricity or running water We tried to get something to eat in the restaurant, but as they do not have electricity, you have to reserve in advance so they can buy and cook exactly for the people that reserved. Some days later we visited again and had a wonderful lunch.
After 2 weeks in the harbor it was time to move on and we went out of Cartagena to anchor in a bay with some friends we met in Cartagena. The company was excellent, especially during the 4 bbq’s we had in 2 days! Beatriz tried out our paddleboard and I tried my old drone. It did work for 5 minutes, then it decided to go back to its take off point.
As I am typing we pass Cabo de Palos, the most south-east point of Spain, heading north towards either France or the Balearics (we don’t know yet).
Zeker in de winter is het een van de prettigste plaatsen om te verblijven. Als je dat dan kunt combineren met zeiltochten en BBQ’s, waarom zou je dan nog wat anders willen? Maar ik begrijp ook dat een tocht naar een nieuwe bestemming ook trekt. Goede vaart
Wel, that’s hopefully the less of your dilemmas on trying to create a ‘liveaboard’ ‘ 😃!
And you’re giving me new ideas of visiting places in the South of Spain; I never was in Cartagena 🧐. Keep on travelling and posting nice ideas 🥰!
We learn that Spanish cities without a sand beach are much nicer than cities with a sand beach!