Lisbeth at the helm, toward Cabo Verde, in high-ish seas. She was whistling or singing, mostly! Phot by John Bryden
We sailed from Gran Canaria Sunday October 28th, waiving goodbye to Tia and Marco, who were also visiting the island the same time as we were. The first couple of days the wind was not satisfying us, although we did managed to get the parasail up and sail with it for a couple of hours until we realized that it had been tore on the anchor, and had to take it down again to be fixed. However, we were lucky the coming days, the wind got stronger and we were blown forward with great enthusiasm. Then the waves got bigger and we had some turbulence with John trying to bake bread down below, twice the flour went on the floor and we also saw John flying through the air, which was a bit worrying, but he did manage in the end. He is now saying “We must simplify the cooking”. At night the flying fish flew on board, the piles grew bigger every day, and by the time John gather them together to throw off again we had nineteen flying fish lying around. One evening Kim and I also had one landing between our legs while eating dinner, and we thought we just might add it to our dinner, but were merciful enough to let it into the sea again so it could tell its friends what a terrible life the one on land was, all its flying fish friends lying around dead onboard. By the time we got to Sao Vicente, after six days, we were, I must admit, quite tired. John and Kim enjoyed a drink and we all went to bed, happy to for once get a whole night sleep.
Photos by Lisbeth Refsgaard. Kim at the helm; John and the Helm; small volcanic island at entrance to Mindelo harbour.
Coming from the Canary Islands, the life here in Mindelo and on the island of Sao Vicente is quite different. It is not nearly as touristy, which we enjoy as it gives the place a more authentic vibe, and it has its own twist of African and European mixed society. The music scene is great, we have seen the museum of the famous Cesária Èvora, where we mostly heard of the clothes she wore different places in the world, but having gone out in the evening listening to the live music we discovered the greatness and beauty of this music. Its rhythms, its softness, it has some kind of Brazilian touch to it, but in some songs you can also hear there’s sorrow in it. I would definitely want to go back here to discover the music scene even further.
Yesterday we hired a car to go around the island. Monte Verde, the biggest mountain, was beautiful and green and the first place to see that they are farming the land, growing corn. We had lunch in a disappointing place, serving more American fast food than the local cachupa that we have tried earlier on, and we got to see beaches and volcanic areas. Other than this we have seen the local markets, which always is a pleasure and people here are in general very helpful and welcoming. I will be sad to leave this island, it is a name on the map not known by many people, but a place worth going to, and also to leave the boat, where I now have been for nearly two months. Despite the seasickness I have enjoyed a lot of the trip, the sailing, exploring new places and learning more about sailing and am wishing to come back with a lot of energy for Christmas and New Year.
Photos by Lisbeth Refsgaard: Farmer with Donkey in the national Park; view of national park with farming on the high slopes (maize etc); John and Kim near the top; John on North Beach; Kim on North beach.
Sailing with Svalen 