Sailing to Byzantium - 2

A print screen from a computer generated chart for use in our Spanish exit strategy

Our works are now complete however we are now held up once again. This time there is a local administrative issue to be dealt with and we are required to wait until Tuesday before we can depart. Planning a passage such as this has been less than predictable. This latest postponement however means we can start the passage with a full complement of crew when we leave Palma da Mallorca. Depending on a number of factors, weather included, we may still stop in Cagliari before continuing on our journey across the north coast of Sicily and passing through the straits of Messina.

A grib file weather chart for midday Tuesday 22nd April

The current grib file available for Tuesday suggests the winds will be favourable and freshening as the passage progresses. On current information we can expect a north-westerly airflow of up to 30 knots, which should make the 300 nautical mile passage to Cagliari a short but exciting one as we chase the sardine and mackerel filled seas going east.

The basket makers shop in Palma

After a long day yesterday, we treated ourselves to a break from the preparations and took some time off to wander around the back streets of Palma, where a whole host of specialist shops can be found including basket weavers, dressmakers, upholsters and woodworkers. A few days ago, I caught sight of a crusty old basket weavers shop, and we decided to go back and find it. Inside every available bit of space including the ceilings and floors of two small rooms was crammed full of and stacked with straw baskets, bags, boxes and lampshades.

There was little evidence of the digital age, apart from a token casio calculator possibly purchased in the early 1980s. The gentleman behind the well worn counter offered advice to a number of customers on topics ranging from baskets woven on mainland Spain to the specifics of weaving a chair seat from straw. The time passed with ease as we browsed around the shop and eventually a few items were selected and brought to the counter, where the gentleman carefully removed his handwritten price tags and added the amounts up on his impressive beige and brown desktop casio calculator.

It was still quite early and our next stop brought us to the San Oliver fish market. Many of the boats in the fishing fleet had returned to their dock, passing us as they went just before sunset. They quickly manoeuvred their vessels, eager to land their catch as quickly as possible on the dock. Saturday morning in the fish market is always a spectacular of how fresh fish can be; mackerel, sardines, anchovies, monkfish, hake and john dory never fail to impress bright and gleaming on many stalls. We sampled a plate of fried calamar and pulpo al fiera [boiled octopus with paprika and olive oil] at bar del peix before moving on.

A pair of john dory at the San Oliver fish market, Palma

We decided to head west and explore the west of the island at St Elm, a beautifully situated small bay which opens out onto the island of Dragonara. Unfortunately, what was once a nice small village has been somewhat spoiled by over development with the result that the little bay is dominated by holiday and tourist oriented buildings. You can only hope that the clear waters of the bay and the narrow channel between St Elm and Dragonara will not be tainted.

From St Elm we pressed on northwards in the direction of Estellencs and Valldemossa winding our way up into the mountain roads which gave great views over the sea and and rocky coves below. Five years ago I visited a small fishing village on the north coast called Port d'es Canonge and I was keen to reacquaint myself with this out of the way place. Desperate for lunch accompanied by some refreshing rose wine we eventually came upon the turn off for the village and began the dangerous descent to get there. I cannot stress enough the level of care required to make your way down along this narrow road, which in many places there is barely enough room for a bicycle to overtake a donkey and it would certainly be inadvisable to do so in some stretches.

The small cove at Port d'es Canonge

This small village is easily passed unnoticed by many and is unknown to most. It was practically unchanged in the five years since I had been there and the same slipways ran to the shore from ramshackle boathouses, which were intended to shelter the fishermen's boats from the northerly wind and swells. Lunch was had in restaurant C'an Toni Moreno and it was excellent fare. We tucked into a hearty bowl of sobrasada and sepias [cuttlefish], before enjoying a wonderfully rich arroz negro; this is essentially a paella stained with black squid ink cooked with squid and small clams. Desert was a light and creamy crema catalana with its crispy caramelised top. The wine was of course a rose; a lightly sparkling and coloured wine called Cresta Rosa from Girona.

The sweltering temperatures of the April afternoon had given birth to a cool sea breeze which came and went throughout the meal, but gradually the clouds ballooned over the mountain which was directly above the small village port. By the time we made our way up onto the main road there was a light covering of hail and snow melting away as we made our way back to Palma passing through the pleasant and pretty town of Valldemossa.

One of the many painted terracotta plaques on the walls of houses in Valldemossa