Hola los espanoles...

It is always an adventure heading into a new country even if there are no borders and as we hoist the Spanish ensign we are enjoying a great sail through one of the several marine reserves that dot the coast.  These reserves bring out strong feelings in yachties we have noticed as bays become out of bounds for anchoring and buoys block up others.  To us though the bays are fair weather day anchorages at best anyway and sealife has to have a refuge somewhere so we are content to sail through and just enjoy the views.   

El Port de la Selva is our first port of call in Spain and we anchor up in the bay.  The town is located right next to a Parc Natural so the next day we opt for a night in the Club Nautico and take a long hike into the hills. 
Fabulous country to explore and great resource for everyone.  Lots of tracks, trails and mountain bike routes.  Luckily it starts off a bit foggy so our ascent is not as hot as it could have been and the skies clear by the time we hit the peaks so we get some great views.  After a long sweaty descent we take a moment to enjoy an Estrella and a plate of fabulous fried squid.  No offense France but the Spanish could teach you a thing or two about cooking and at a reasonable price…

 

 

Next day we head off to Cadaques.  No one seems to know if you can anchor in the bay as it is out of season and the rules there are very “particular” we are told – whatever that is supposed to mean??!  We decide to take the risk and anchor in amongst the mooring blocks that have nothing attached to them and no one seems to mind.  It’s a really pretty bay and the town is lovely but it seems a little exposed so we walk over to Dali’s house in Port Lligat to see if the shelter is better there. It is but the bay is full of moorings.  We resolve to find out if it is possible to pick one up.  Sure enough after some persistence pays off we track down the mooring buoy owner a get to pick one up for free, although it very nearly costs us a boathook and involves the first swim of the year to retrieve it – wow wee the water was cold!

It’s a lovely spot despite being slightly scruffy so we decide to spend a couple of days kicking back.  It is also right on the doorstep of the track to Cape Creus so we enjoy another long walk through the olive groves and parc natural.  Bramble is really enjoying the countryside but luckily she doesn’t spot the enormous black boar that gallops past to raid the gull nests on the nearby island.  A huge beast it would have had the pig hunters in our valley drooling!

 

Food here is slightly cheaper than France so we decide to indulge in a seafood and rabbit lunch.  Really tasty and the owner was charming so we can highly recommend “Casa Nan” under the quirkily named “Waiting for Richard” clothes shop in Cadaques!

 

We have been walking on the Camino everyday now for the last week or so (if we continue this way we may have clocked up as many miles as you, Sonya, before we leave Spain!), so it is no surprise when we cruise into our next port of call to find it running along the edge of the cliff for us to explore.  As a result of all this activity we have thankfully all lost our winter weight.  Bramble had previously suffered the indignity of being frowned at by one French vet before he rather unceremoniously poked her chubby love handles and exclaimed snottily that she was borderline tubby – cheeky sod, if only he could see her now!

With all this anchoring off we are starting to feel very relaxed and Mediterranean and have even steeled ourselves for daily swims despite the less than tepid temperatures.  Spain is proving to be much more welcoming than the southern French coast and the people seem to be the hippies of Europe with their relaxed manner, funky dress sense and liking for facial piercings and it makes a nice change to be greeted by friendly faces and giggles at our attempts at Spanish and Catalan. 
We haven’t seen many signs of the recession yet but everyone is keen to point out we are in the touristy areas, still I think at this point it will take a few less top end brand new cars zooming about and a more empty restaurants and bars to convince us it is as bad as it could be.