At first glance, we quite like Ayamonte. Admittedly, everything is a little dingy and you have to be careful not to step in any dog footprints. But the place exudes a charm all of its own. In the pedestrian zone and around the Mercado de Abastos, there are lots of lovely old houses and little shops to discover. Unfortunately, we haven’t quite internalized the opening hours yet. Whereas in Portugal all the stores were actually always open, here there are days off and lunch breaks. Our visit to the market hall is also only moderately successful, as there doesn’t seem to be any fish on offer on Mondays. Of course, we could have guessed that there was no fishing on the previous Sunday. Instead, there are fresh oranges, strawberries and monster-sized spring onions. We take the bikes to the Mercadona supermarket, saving the Lidl next door for another day. After we have brought the shopping on board, I cycle off again. This time I head towards Isla Canela. A cycle path leads right up to the Atlantic beach, through largely untouched-looking marshland. In the meantime, we are completely unaware of the power cut that is affecting the whole of Spain. La Ola is powered by solar panels, there are hardly any traffic lights and we were able to do our shopping beforehand. Of course, we still follow the news and can only be glad that we can’t see any chaos, panic or anything else in sleepy Ayamonte. Ayamonte simply remains calm and sleepy. Meanwhile, the three water houses on the jetty opposite are being cleaned and prepared for visitors. We can’t wait to see whether guests will move in from May 1st. The season doesn’t seem to start any earlier. We also hope that the gourmet food stalls right by the marina will also open then. Unfortunately, they are currently closed, but have received very good reviews from last year. The attentive reader will have noticed that we are planning to stay in Ayamonte for a few days. The nearest golf course is 10 minutes away by bike, we would also like to explore the hinterland and along the Rio Guadiana (again) and we are also tempted by the odd tapas bar. What’s more, we’re staying here for just €21.41 per night, including water and – if the power grid works again – electricity. And luckily we’re not in a hurry. In the afternoon we enjoy the sun in the front cockpit with a glass of wine, in the evening we have a baguette, Iberico ham, salami and cheese. That’s all it takes to be happy. Well, for Spain and Portugal we want the energy supply back as soon as possible!!! Not because of us, but because people on land simply have a huge problem with their fridges, food supply etc. without electricity at 25°C outside. Quite apart from the fact that without working telephones, cell phones and the internet, people have no way of knowing what is actually going on. Even television speeches by the president are unlikely to help, because who is supposed to receive them without electricity? Experiencing the same scenario in Barcelona or Madrid would certainly not be quite as relaxing. We keep our fingers crossed that everyone will soon have power again and decide for ourselves that a certain degree of energy self-sufficiency should always be our goal in the future, even if we become land-based again. An interesting side effect of the power cut – it gets dark in the evening! Sounds stupid, but it’s really, really dark in the evening. Hardly a light illuminates the windows. No traffic lights (there’s only one here anyway…). No billboards. Nothing lights up the night. Only the lights of passing cars remain. And a single sailor in the marina has forgotten to switch off his anchor light. The Rio Guadiana flows through darkness, neither Ayamonte nor the neighboring Portuguese town of Vila Real de Santo António have their lights reflected in its waters. The lone sailor walking along the jetty with his flashlight suddenly shines brighter than all of New York. Such darkness is rarely seen in densely populated Europe. The stars shine all the brighter because they don’t have to fight against the widespread light pollution. Power cuts also have their nice sides. Other interesting side effects can probably be seen in the birth statistics in 9 months‘ time…At first glance, we quite like Ayamonte. Admittedly, everything is a little dingy and you have to be careful not to step in any dog footprints. But the place exudes a charm all of its own. In the pedestrian zone and around the Mercado de Abastos, there are lots of lovely old houses and little shops to discover. Unfortunately, we haven’t quite internalized the opening hours yet. Whereas in Portugal all the stores were actually always open, here there are days off and lunch breaks. Our visit to the market hall is also only moderately successful, as there doesn’t seem to be any fish on offer on Mondays. Of course, we could have guessed that there was no fishing on the previous Sunday. Instead, there are fresh oranges, strawberries and monster-sized spring onions. We take the bikes to the Mercadona supermarket, saving the Lidl next door for another day. After we have brought the shopping on board, I cycle off again. This time I head towards Isla Canela. A cycle path leads right up to the Atlantic beach, through largely untouched-looking marshland. In the meantime, we are completely unaware of the power cut that is affecting the whole of Spain. La Ola is powered by solar panels, there are hardly any traffic lights and we were able to do our shopping beforehand. Of course, we still follow the news and can only be glad that we can’t see any chaos, panic or anything else in sleepy Ayamonte. Ayamonte simply remains calm and sleepy. Meanwhile, the three water houses on the jetty opposite are being cleaned and prepared for visitors. We can’t wait to see whether guests will move in from May 1st. The season doesn’t seem to start any earlier. We also hope that the gourmet food stalls right by the marina will also open then. Unfortunately, they are currently closed, but have received very good reviews from last year. The attentive reader will have noticed that we are planning to stay in Ayamonte for a few days. The nearest golf course is 10 minutes away by bike, we would also like to explore the hinterland and along the Rio Guadiana (again) and we are also tempted by the odd tapas bar. What’s more, we’re staying here for just €21.41 per night, including water and – if the power grid works again – electricity. And luckily we’re not in a hurry. In the afternoon we enjoy the sun in the front cockpit with a glass of wine, in the evening we have a baguette, Iberico ham, salami and cheese. That’s all it takes to be happy. Well, for Spain and Portugal we want the energy supply back as soon as possible!!! Not because of us, but because people on land simply have a huge problem with their fridges, food supply etc. without electricity at 25°C outside. Quite apart from the fact that without working telephones, cell phones and the internet, people have no way of knowing what is actually going on. Even television speeches by the president are unlikely to help, because who is supposed to receive them without electricity? Experiencing the same scenario in Barcelona or Madrid would certainly not be quite as relaxing. We keep our fingers crossed that everyone will soon have power again and decide for ourselves that a certain degree of energy self-sufficiency should always be our goal in the future, even if we become land-based again. An interesting side effect of the power cut – it gets dark in the evening! Sounds stupid, but it’s really, really dark in the evening. Hardly a light illuminates the windows. No traffic lights (there’s only one here anyway…). No billboards. Nothing lights up the night. Only the lights of passing cars remain. And a single sailor in the marina has forgotten to switch off his anchor light. The Rio Guadiana flows through darkness, neither Ayamonte nor the neighboring Portuguese town of Vila Real de Santo António have their lights reflected in its waters. The lone sailor walking along the jetty with his flashlight suddenly shines brighter than all of New York. Such darkness is rarely seen in densely populated Europe. The stars shine all the brighter because they don’t have to fight against the widespread light pollution. Power cuts also have their nice sides. Other interesting side effects can probably be seen in the birth statistics in 9 months‘ time…
Sometime between 6 and 7 in the morning, the power is back on. Just as well, because the sky is very cloudy today, so our solar panels won’t be able to provide as much power. It’s also quite stormy and uncomfortable outside. So we stay on board and just cycle to Lidl to buy ingredients for dinner. Everything looks normal and we don’t see any effects of the power cut. Back on board, we have delicious vanilla ice cream with strawberries and while away the rest of the day doing nothing. It’s drizzling outside and we’re glad once again that we have our conservatory so we can still sit outside. I get out my ukulele and practise a little. I’m not even sure if I’ve mentioned that I’ve been practicing quite diligently for two months. Slowly, nothing stands in the way of my next career as a professional musician… Well, at least the neighbors don’t complain and Axel puts up with the strumming quite bravely. But it will probably be a while before the first gig. In the evening, we have delicious Nachos-Schulz and, given the weather, the last Tatort from the ARD media library.Sometime between 6 and 7 in the morning, the power is back on. Just as well, because the sky is very cloudy today, so our solar panels won’t be able to provide as much power. It’s also quite stormy and uncomfortable outside. So we stay on board and just cycle to Lidl to buy ingredients for dinner. Everything looks normal and we don’t see any effects of the power cut. Back on board, we have delicious vanilla ice cream with strawberries and while away the rest of the day doing nothing. It’s drizzling outside and we’re glad once again that we have our conservatory so we can still sit outside. I get out my ukulele and practise a little. I’m not even sure if I’ve mentioned that I’ve been practicing quite diligently for two months. Slowly, nothing stands in the way of my next career as a professional musician… Well, at least the neighbors don’t complain and Axel puts up with the strumming quite bravely. But it will probably be a while before the first gig. In the evening, we have delicious Nachos-Schulz and, given the weather, the last Tatort from the ARD media library.
Wednesday starts with overcast skies and a fresh breeze. Somehow we had imagined the weather in Spain to be different. It’s currently warmer and drier in Germany. What did we actually install air conditioning for? Perhaps we need to completely rethink our travel plans? The Baltic Sea is supposed to be quite beautiful too… No, no, joking aside. The weather here is a little less stable and less sunny than expected, but still nice and good compared to „normal“ April weather in Germany. The sun comes out again in the afternoon and we go for a short bike ride. This time we head to Isla del Moral and back along Isla Canela. Both villages are still in hibernation, the tourist season has obviously not yet begun. The hotels are still being renovated and only a few of the swimming pools are already open for holidaymakers. Most of the numerous beach bars and restaurants are also not yet open. What a shame, otherwise we would certainly have had a refreshing drink. So after a look at the Atlantic beach, we head back to the marina. There Axel assembles his latest 3D printed piece. A hose holder attachment for the champagne bucket holder. This means that the holder serves a good purpose even without having to have drinks in the cockpit all the time. I always use the hose and the water from it when maneuvering at anchor to remove salt water and silt from the anchor chain and anchor. In the evening, we grill a delicious steak and then the day is already over.Wednesday starts with overcast skies and a fresh breeze. Somehow we had imagined the weather in Spain to be different. It’s currently warmer and drier in Germany. What did we actually install air conditioning for? Perhaps we need to completely rethink our travel plans? The Baltic Sea is supposed to be quite beautiful too… No, no, joking aside. The weather here is a little less stable and less sunny than expected, but still nice and good compared to „normal“ April weather in Germany. The sun comes out again in the afternoon and we go for a short bike ride. This time we head to Isla del Moral and back along Isla Canela. Both villages are still in hibernation, the tourist season has obviously not yet begun. The hotels are still being renovated and only a few of the swimming pools are already open for holidaymakers. Most of the numerous beach bars and restaurants are also not yet open. What a shame, otherwise we would certainly have had a refreshing drink. So after a look at the Atlantic beach, we head back to the marina. There Axel assembles his latest 3D printed piece. A hose holder attachment for the champagne bucket holder. This means that the holder serves a good purpose even without having to have drinks in the cockpit all the time. I always use the hose and the water from it when maneuvering at anchor to remove salt water and silt from the anchor chain and anchor. In the evening, we grill a delicious steak and then the day is already over.
May 1st is also a public holiday in Spain and we start the day in a correspondingly calm and leisurely manner. We have breakfast in the cockpit in the beautiful sunshine. With an egg, of course, for the holiday! Then we do a bit of boat maintenance and saddle up the bikes again around midday. Today we head north along the Rio Guadiana. We turn right at the salt pans and make our way up a small hill. Unfortunately, the Antiguo Castillo de Ayamonte is closed, so we use the hotel next to it for a panoramic view. We head downhill towards the south-east and into the marshland. We pay a visit to the ancient Molino mareal. Unfortunately, it is also closed, so we can’t take a closer look at the watermill and the museum. So we take the small paths back to the marina. After searching in vain in Boulogne-sur-Mer last year, Axel finally finds a few gymnastics bars for pull-ups. Well, what can I say. Gravity seems to have increased significantly in recent years. We continue on foot into the town, where we have lunch in one of the many restaurants. The food is a little disappointing, but perhaps we shouldn’t have chosen the first tourist restaurant we came across. There’s certainly something else. Back on board, we continue to enjoy the sunny day in the cockpit and listen to the radio report on the DFB Cup final between Bayern and Werder Bremen. Unfortunately, the underdog Bremen loses to Bayern, but the runners-up title is a great success! At the end of the day, a glass of champagne in the sunny front cockpit. Well chilled from the new holder. While we are still enjoying the sparkling drink, clouds quickly gather on the horizon and the threat of rain finally drives us indoors. April weather in May.
It blows hard during the night and showers pass through the harbor in the morning. So we prefer to stay on board in the morning and dawdle about a bit. The washing machine is used again and I’m glad once again that I have it on board. And the dryer function is also worth its weight in gold in the changeable weather. The wind stays with us in the afternoon, but at least we can do some shopping without getting wet. By now we also know that some of the stores in the city center don’t reopen until 5 p.m. after the lunch break. So we set off accordingly late. The city is teeming with people and there are small cafés, restaurants and tapas bars on every corner. Fortunately, you won’t find the big shopping chains among the small stores. There are lots of small boutiques with nice clothes, which are unfortunately all a little too small for us. They don’t seem to cater for German sizes here. Back on board, Lucky complains that he hasn’t had dinner yet and we also get a delicious chicken wok.
How wonderful it is when you’re sitting in the cockpit with your first coffee in the morning and a loudly squawking flock of flamingos flies overhead! Swallows, starlings and a few other exotic-sounding birds are also chirping. Africa is not far away. The town, on the other hand, is still very quiet at 8 a.m., with only the occasional rattling of the door to the marina jetties. We are early today and head to the market again. The fish stalls are also busy there today and we spontaneously decide to buy some langoustines. We also buy salad ingredients, baguettes and oranges. Then it’s back on board, just in time for the next rain showers. The rain doesn’t make the choice of today’s leisure activities any easier. We actually wanted to go golfing, but we don’t feel like it when it’s raining. The same goes for cycling. So we read in the cockpit and practise the ukulele. Luckily it clears up a bit in the afternoon and we use the break in the rain for a bike ride. We cycle into the marshland again, but have to turn around again at some point as a thick priel blocks our way. Nevertheless, a lovely excursion through the flowering meadows. There are even wild artichokes and samphire along the way. You could certainly have made a delicious salad out of them. But we’ve already done the shopping and are preparing a delicious salad with the langoustines in the evening.
In fact, we’ve already been in Ayamonte for a week! And we haven’t even been golfing? The weather should be better. And it should be more stable. We want sunshine and warm temperatures. Rain showers do not please us. So now we gather our lightsabers and use the Force to make it better soon. Happy Star Wars Day!
Well, have we been able to use the power? New week, better weather? Unfortunately not, we’re probably not ready yet and the lightsabers were once again not charged. So back to the reality on board and the changeable weather in Andalusia. A region where temperatures normally reach 35° C as early as April. Well, we don’t necessarily have to have that, but 20° C would be good to have again! Enough nagging! It is what it is and it comes as it comes! And: It would still have been jot jejangen! The Spanish summer will come at some point and until then we are looking forward to being in Ayamonte. It’s such a wonderfully relaxed town with friendly people – if you speak Spanish. Fortunately, it works better for us than Portuguese, and so many a grumpy Spaniard turns into a friendlier person with our efforts. To be honest, it’s only right that you try to communicate in the local language. In Germany, we like to vehemently and reproachfully demand this of newcomers and immigrants. And that’s exactly what we are here in Spain. Foreigners who don’t speak the language. In Portugal, we were really bad at learning the local language! In Spain, on the other hand, the basics are better. After all, I did learn Spanish at school at some point in the distant past. Still, it could be better! Enough self-criticism. We vow to do better and plan our departure from Ayamonte. The weather looks good for the middle of the week so that we can sail further east and probably motor again. After the sun comes out at midday, we pay a quick visit to the local ferreteria – a hardware store – but don’t find what we’re looking for. We then head into town, where we wander through the alleyways in search of a nice tapas place. We finally find what we are looking for opposite the harbor at Merkajamón, where the hams dangle temptingly from the walls. In addition to cheese and ham, we enjoy stuffed peppers and a glass of wine. If the stools weren’t so terribly uncomfortable, we could probably have stayed here for hours. As Merkajamón also has a small delicatessen attached, we buy some smoked tuna and a piece of Lomo Iberico to enjoy on board. Then it’s back on board as the drizzle sets in, where we while away the rest of the day.
Tuesday starts much sunnier and warmer. It can stay that way. The morning flock of flamingos also passes over us again and I’m delighted to be able to watch them. After breakfast, it’s time to work on the computer. Later, we start the washing machine and then do our daily run-in. We’re supposed to take the bikes to Lidl, but my eBike is acting up. The motor locks up, I can’t cycle with electric assistance or push the bike backwards. Yes, I can go forwards with muscle power, but Lidl is at the top of the hill. It’s too steep and too long for me to want to or be able to pedal up there on my heavy eBike. And of course we don’t want to make the problem any worse. So we just walk to the Superco around the corner. We get everything we need there, but of course we can’t browse through Lidl’s weekly range. Unfortunately, my bike has to go to Decathlon for a service. It’s annoying that there are already problems with the engine after such a short time! But at least we still have a guarantee. We spend the afternoon relaxing on board, book a round of golf on the Isla Canela Old Course and a cab to take us there. But not until tomorrow. We’ll continue on Thursday. Let’s see if the weather cooperates… In the evening we’ll cook a delicious meal again. I grill chicken breast, Axel makes a delicious salad with rocket, blue cheese and pear. Delicious!!!Tuesday starts much sunnier and warmer. It can stay that way. The morning flock of flamingos also passes over us again and I’m delighted to be able to watch them. After breakfast, it’s time to work on the computer. Later, we start the washing machine and then do our daily run-in. We’re supposed to take the bikes to Lidl, but my eBike is acting up. The motor locks up, I can’t cycle with electric assistance or push the bike backwards. Yes, I can go forwards with muscle power, but Lidl is at the top of the hill. It’s too steep and too long for me to want to or be able to pedal up there on my heavy eBike. And of course we don’t want to make the problem any worse. So we just walk to the Superco around the corner. We get everything we need there, but of course we can’t browse through Lidl’s weekly range. Unfortunately, my bike has to go to Decathlon for a service. It’s annoying that there are already problems with the engine after such a short time! But at least we still have a guarantee. We spend the afternoon relaxing on board, book a round of golf on the Isla Canela Old Course and a cab to take us there. But not until tomorrow. We’ll continue on Thursday. Let’s see if the weather cooperates… In the evening we’ll cook a delicious meal again. I grill chicken breast, Axel makes a delicious salad with rocket, blue cheese and pear. Delicious!!!
The cab picks us up right on time at 9:30 am. Five minutes later we are at the golf course. We could have easily cycled there with a working bike. We are allowed to start straight away and are pleased that the course is quite empty. Just as well, because the first few holes are quite narrow and there is oncoming traffic. Nevertheless, we like the course, which borders directly on the nature reserve on the second 9 holes and is lined with lots of flowers, palm trees and olive trees. Unfortunately, it also has the odd watercourse running through it, so we have to send a few balls diving. The golf course is part of a vacation resort with lots of nice-looking apartments, villas and hotels. It’s certainly a nice place to spend a vacation. Back on board, we first recover from the sporting activity before getting back to cleaning. Vacuuming inside, washing outside. So we’re well prepared for the trip.
Ayamonte – Mazagon 33,4 nm
After exploring Ayamonte extensively for over a week, we continue east on Thursday, May 8. Due to the tide, we don’t head out until midday and first have to struggle against the current out of the Rio Guadiana. Once out on the open sea, we make better progress. We set the genoa for support and make good progress under motor sail. However, the genoa makes it much more difficult to navigate through the many fishing flags. It’s a bit like driving a slalom. Meanwhile, the weather improves from overcast gray to cloudy to sunny. A beautiful sailing day, although unfortunately there is too little wind for pure sailing. In the late afternoon we reach the entrance to the Rio Odiel and moor right at the beginning in the marina of Mazagon. If we had continued along the river, it would have taken us to Marina del Odiel, but we don’t want to go there until July. A huge marina awaits us in Mazagon. We asked three times if there was room for us. Three times our question as to whether we needed to make a reservation was answered in the negative. Now we know why. Entire jetties and rows of boxes are empty and we get the entire jetty L (whether it stands for Lagoon or Luxury, we didn’t find out) to ourselves! You don’t get that often either. Instead, we have to walk around the entire harbor basin in the evening to eat a few tapas in the only open harbor restaurant, Docklands. It doesn’t hurt, because firstly we haven’t gotten much exercise today and secondly the tapas selection we ordered is so heavy on potatoes and mayonnaise that a few more steps can’t hurt. Back on board, we enjoy the evening sun in the front cockpit for a while before it gets too chilly despite the blanket and we move inside.
After an absolutely peaceful night, we wake up the next morning, first with a hangover, then with the sun. We take a relaxed approach to Friday. I work first, then we go on a discovery tour. Even though my bike can’t be repaired on board, we set off on our bikes. Behind the marina, the road climbs and I start to sweat – due to the lack of e-assistance – and then I have to push. We cycle through the town to the El Jamon supermarket just outside the town gates and buy provisions for the next few days. Unfortunately, the range of goods on offer is not overwhelming, but at least there is fresh fish. Once we have stowed all the food back on board, we set off again on our bikes. We head in the direction of Matalascañas, i.e. out of the marina on the right. We pass beautiful beach houses and a plethora of very pretty and obviously still new toilet blocks. Tiled in Andalusian style, each individual toilet block is lovingly designed differently and decorated with different motifs. There is one every 200 m or so, with a total of 15 along the road. Sylt and the rest should take a leaf out of their book! At the end of the road, we climb another hill, which I again only manage halfway by bike. I urgently need to do something about my fitness!!! Or get a lighter bike. We take a cycle path along the pine forests and actually want to go to Duna Alta Mazagon, but end up on the wrong path and end up at the sewage treatment plant. Not a great photo opportunity, so we head back to Mazagon. Back on board, we take a siesta and plan the next few days. Tomorrow we want to continue on towards the Rio Guadalquivir. We’ll anchor there for a few days and then head to Rota. So that we don’t have to nibble on the new supplies, we go to Las Dunas around the corner in the evening. Unfortunately, once again we didn’t read the small print of the opening times. Food is only available from 8pm. So to the beach bar opposite? But even there we are told that the kitchen is closed and they don’t serve cocktails for a sundowner as an alternative. Would we like a coffee? So we head to the galley and quickly make a currywurst with chips. That’s always a good idea and we’ll save the nice sea bass for tomorrow evening at anchor.
