Joie de Vivre

A month has passed since we first set foot on La Graciosa, and what a wonderful month it has been. After our less-than-enjoyable passage here, a few weeks to wind down and relax on a pretty much deserted island was just what the doctor ordered. We decided, upon arrival, that we would have a proper 'holiday' before starting any of the boat DIY or looking for online contracts, and that is exactly what we did. It may seem odd to some, the idea that we would need a holiday… after all, we haven't worked for over six months now… how much more of a holiday do we need?! But, whilst we haven't worked in the traditional sense, for the most part we have been busier than we ever were when we worked full time and, when we aren't busy, we are feeling guilty about the never ending to-do list that begs for our attention. So, our holiday began.

The captain made light work of this humongous chocolate pastry

The morning after our arrival, Warren and Faye invited us for coffee and pastries on the waterfront. Given our love of fresh coffee, and the alternative being to begin tidying up the destruction that had taken place inside Firebird on our passage, it was an easy invitation to accept. We whiled away a good few hours chatting and enjoying the sunshine – it felt so good to be safe on dry land and be wearing shorts and flip flops! We met a Swedish friend of Warren and Faye's who works as a tour guide on the island, and were all invited back to Moonshine for some lunch following a brief tour of the essential shops and amenities in the village. The next couple of days continued along this theme, with us barely spending any time on Firebird at all. Finally, we decided that we simply had to buckle down and get her ship shape, so that we could once again relax and feel at home on her.

Firebird remained in this state for a few days after our arrival

Exploring the Canary Islands is really great fun. As well as exploring our immediate surroundings, we decided to take the local ferry across to Lanzarote for the day, on a mission to find two things; 1) a local Spanish SIM card, to enable us to use the internet and 2) an English breakfast. Of course, with Mr Mitchell on board, the mission priorities were soon reversed, and we set to work hunting down a breakfast that had been recommended by Warren, in Puerto del Carmen. The ferry journey across to Lanzarote was rather rough, as the wind had been picking up a lot over the course of the week, and the return journey even more so. In fact, the following day, all ferries to and from Graciosa were cancelled, so we were fortunate to have been able to get back on what was the last ferry of the day. Whilst on the ferry, climbing up and surfing down some pretty huge waves, both Alex and I remarked on how glad we were to be on the ferry rather than in Firebird (watch a video of the return crossing). At €20 return per person for a 20-30 minute journey, the ferry is probably a contender with the Isle of Wight ferries for being the most expensive per mile travelled. However, we both felt that it was money well spent on that occasion. We returned safely to Graciosa with SIM card in hand, following a successful mission and pleasant introduction to our neighbouring island.

Waves are much better when enjoyed from the safety of a beach

Even though we were still on holiday, there were some chores that really had to be done, such as the tidying of Firebird. Additionally, we desperately needed to thoroughly clean the interior walls, which had started to grow mouldy due to the amount of time we had spent condensated over the past couple of winter months in Spain and Portugal. It wasn't something we were much looking forward to but, actually, pottering about on Firebird on a nice sunny day was really quite enjoyable and we decided that we would give ourselves time off in lieu for our efforts. Another task we wanted to get done was investigating our engine troubles, especially as Warren had kindly offered to help us determine the cause of our problems. Once again, we actually really enjoyed this ‘chore’ as both Alex and I love to tinker with engines anyhow, and it was great to be able to learn so much from having Warren there with us. Even though the problem turned out to be nothing to do with the engine or fuel system, we felt very smug at having completed half of the scheduled engine service, with just the oil change remaining before we can be on our way again.

An interesting local plant, with Playa de las Conchas in the background

As always, we have been meeting a lot of new people whilst in the Canaries, many of them through Warren and Faye and a surprising number of them being French! One evening around Moonshine, the prevailing language being spoken was French which was quite tiring for me, given my French is very much limited to the level at which most of us Brits can converse upon school leaving age. And, of course, nobody was asking my name, age, or directions to the local bakery, so I was pretty much stuffed! However, I actually surprised myself as the evening went on with how much I could understand… I just wasn't really able to contribute to the conversation. Thankfully, Alex's French was on top form, and by the end of the evening he was explaining the difference between AC and DC to another yacht owner, and arranging to take a look at some battery issues she was having – honestly, nothing can keep him away from his love of batteries!

We have nicknamed this mountain Coffee Cup Mountain, as the pattern
on it looks like the one a barista might make on your latte

We have really begun settling into life ashore on this rugged, yet beautiful, island. Following our rather awful trip to get here, I suddenly feel like we have a new lease of life. I guess describing our trip as a 'near death experience' is rather over dramatic but, honestly, at the time when we were out there in such unknown and frightening conditions, I did question whether we would arrive safely and it was the most afraid I have ever been. On the back of that, I feel compelled to make the most of every day that I have, and it’s so much fun. We have started learning Spanish by listening to CDs every morning as we make breakfast, as we intend on being in this archipelago for a good while and would love to be able to converse properly with the locals. Alex has also been playing his harmonica more, and is getting rather good! Most evenings we cook our dinner on our awesome little BioLite camp stove, using wood that we collect from around the island.

Alex managed to bake a banana cake, using a frying pan on the BioLite

We have signed up for a run on Lanzarote in March, with Alex doing a half marathon and me a quarter marathon (just over 10k), so have been running around the island in training for that, as well as working out at the local "gym" (children's play area). Even the cold showers don’t seem quite so bad any more – when I'm shivering and cringing with just my head under the water and the wind giving me goosebumps, I remind myself that I'd rather be here than back in the midst of an Atlantic storm. And, of course, once you force yourself to plunge your entire body under the spray by lathering it up in soap, it is actually quite invigorating.

Alex works his guns on the swings. The kids who turned up
later to play looked highly unimpressed with us!

Our holiday is over now, but we are a bit sluggish on our return to 'work'. February is reputed to be the worst month here, weather-wise, and so we haven’t attempted to do any boat DIY. Of course, when I say the weather is bad, it is nothing in comparison to the UK. Temperatures are still 15-18°C at all times, it just gets quite chilly when the wind is blowing and the clouds cover the sun on their way past, occasionally offloading some of their water content as they go. We are still very much free from condensation and able to wash clothes outside on sunny days, and Alex refuses to change from shorts and flip flops into jeans and trainers, despite my weakness at returning to them at the first breath of wind. We have been making the most of the colder days by getting our hands back into development and updating our online profiles, in preparation for finding some remote work in the new financial year. It has been really enjoyable to get our heads back into some technical work, on our own terms and for enjoyment and the hope of making a bit of money, rather than because it’s what we have to do, 9-5 every day just to make ends meet.

A selfie on the beach. We considered asking someone else to take the shot,
but most people around us were naked so we chickened out!

We have a great deal to look forward to, in both the short and long term. We have been invited to sail to Lanzarote on Moonshine with Warren and Faye, which is extremely exciting, as we can learn a lot from their experience and will enjoy sailing on a larger vessel. We have friends and family coming to visit us on the islands of Lanzarote and Tenerife, so we will be on the move in Firebird again which will be fun. We have also been reading about the other Canary Islands, such as La Gomera and La Palma, which sound fascinating and definitely worth a visit.

A view from the beach to the marina on Graciosa

Beyond this, we have no firm plans, and we are perfectly happy with that. It feels great to be so content where we are right now, making the most of what we have and enjoying our time together. Our dream was to break free from the rat race and set sail on our boat, heading for Greece but seeing the world on the way. Almost on a daily basis we remind each other that this is it – we are living the dream! We have learnt so much on our journey here, and will no doubt have many more experiences ahead of us, from which we will learn more still. The most important thing is that we are here, enjoying life and making the most of every opportunity that comes our way. 

A panoramic shot from the northern breakwater at Caleta de Sebo