Once again up early preparing for the swim to Africa. Eggs for protein, hot tea for the core warm, stretching, lots of fluids. Everyone was in good spirits and determined that today the swim would happen. Down to the port by 11. Love this Spainish time frame. Seems too late to be swimming. But here it all depends on the tides and what the currents are doing. The swimmers the other day said they couldn’t believe how fast the currents ran and getting across them was the difficult part. 

I was going along with Jordan and Paul, Chris G’s partner. Yves wanted to go as well and the boats captain said only 3. So I made the decision to let Yves take my spot. Not because I didn’t want to be in a rocking boat for 6 hrs in the wind, but because Yves has much more experience as a support person when it comes to feeding the swimmers, supporting them, and dealing with any emergency. 

So sadly I waved them ( and the key to my bedroom) off. Good luck my boys. 

To fill in the time I went with Dan, John and Lisa to Gibraltar to see the apes on the Rock. Great fun but I was so nervous all day waiting on news. We could see across the channel to Africa and it looked a long way off. 

We had a ship tracker so when we could get reception we could see when the boat was. 

Just after 4.30 I heard from Yves. They had finished!  They swam 17.50 km. ( the other group two days before missed the first landing point due to currents and swam 23km) they did a great time. Awesome men. What I didn’t know till we met them at the port was that Steve had missed the last 500 metres. He hit the wall and couldn’t stay in the water. It’s against the rules to assist, otherwise wonderful Rob would have carried him to the rock. It was difficult to accept that decision because the support dingy had broken down and they missed their last feed and were pushed to the limit. Rob, Cameron and Chris G had stayed with Steve the whole time until the boat captain said he had to leave the water. But in every bodies eyes he had finished. He was metres from the rocky shore of  Africa. 

Legends. 

After a two hr recovery time in our rooms, we met for Moët at the white beach cafe to watch the sunset and celebrate. What an achievement. 

Then a lovely dinner at a great restaurant Rob had booked. 

Great friends, great  fun, great night. 

Disappointment this morning. We arrived at the port and there was a lot of discussion and finally Rafael and the boat captain said it was way too windy and they said it would be too dangerous. So the swim is cancelled. 

  
Rob hearing the bad news and trying to talk Rafael into going.

 But no………. Perhaps Sunday when the wind has gone. Real anticlimax for the red team. Yellow team were disappointed for them but I think secretly happy they went first yesterday. 

So off to the White cafe for coffee/ breakfast. Steve ,Rob, Cameron and Chris had a swim at the very cold beach and it was painfully cold Steve said. 

  
Rob and Cameron all creamed ready to go. 

So more apprehension as we now wait till Sunday! I guess we always knew it could be a wait. But to have one team finish is making it hard. Oh well. 

Now we are planning what we’ll do for the next day or two and get ready again! 

I got up fairly early for here – my nerves are on edge I think. I just want it over. 

I went for a walk to find eggs ! It’s hard to know how much they want to eat before such a big swim. They need a fair bit but neither like to eat much before a swim but they will be going for 5 hours or so. I just hope the currents haven’t got worse and they get swept too far along the coast. 

The walk through Tarifa this morning was lovely. It’s quiet and peaceful. Unlike at night. Tarifa is a typical Spanish town that comes to life at night. We haven’t been eating till 9.30 and that’s early by comparison. We see families just arriving when we are on our way back home. I have a feeling that when the swim is done Rob and Jordan will join the partying people. Perhaps not the ones who walk past our window at 1am on their way down into the town. The bars must close around 7 am because we hear them returning  as we’re waking up. There is a lot of singing, calling out Hola Hola! This is the price you pay for staying in the old town, but it’s the best place to be. So alive,  so colourful,  so much fun. 

  
This is the boat we’ll take off on today. Wish us luck! 

OUR  first whole day in Tarifa was spent reuniting with the swimmers we met 3 years ago in Sardinia. Brothers Chris ( London) and Ben ( USA)  , Dan from the USA,  Yves from  Swimtrek and Chris G from London. It’s also great to be with Lisa and John Donati, Jordan’s parents and Cameron Rob’s friend from Brisbane.

We met and there was a lot of discussion about logistics of the swim. Which swimmers would make up the two teams. We thought it was settled, but the next morning it changed again and finally the teams are Yellow- Chris and Ben, Yves and Dan. Red team Steve and Rob, Cameron and Chris G. It’s hard because they are different speeds but for the swim they must stay together.

Steve and Rob will probably be the only father and son to do the Gibralter swim which is pretty special. They had a meeting with Rafael who is the main organiser of the swim. He is very particular which I guess you have to be when it’s such a difficult swim. It all depends on the currents and the pilot of the boat will give them instructions on when to push harder  and use the current. There are 3 possible landing points in Morocco. If the currents sweep them too fast and they miss the first then they add a km or two to their journey. Oh boy. It’s sounds so hard and there are a few nerves around and that’s just from the supporters. We keep looking across at Morocco and asking WHY!

The day finally came for the yellow team and we all went to the port to see them off. I even became “Miss Vasolina”  and got to rub the vasoline in to prevent chaffing. Quite a job on all those muscles!

Rubbing Yves with Vasoline.

The Yellow team. Yves, Ben, Dan and Chris.  
The day then became a waiting game and using ship tracking watching where they were. We started waiting –  at a very nice cafe by the beach. Everything was white. Really restful and beautiful.

The white beach cafe. Very pleasant. Check out the breakfast with a view. Not bad at all.

To fill in the time the girls went shopping and I bought a very nice maxi dress and a top. All very reasonable. Had a delicious tapas lunch, they were still swimming ……..  a short nap……… They were still swimming  Went for a walk …………they were still swimming.  Until finally at 4.33pm I got the message from Yves. They had finished. Yves and Dan did it in 5 hr 35 mins and Chris and Ben the brothers did 5hr 42min. The last kilometre they can do a sprint ( as if you’d have any energy left in the tank!) 
So we went to the wharf and waited and waited and at nearly 6pm they arrived back. Smiling. Also  a huge effort by John Donati who went on the rubber duck as the support person and did the feedings and water bottles   – a job I’ll be doing tomorrow. Jordan will also come along and take photos. 

 

The jubilant yellow team. Do they look any different? They were tired and happy it was over but brimming with stories of fish – tuna and huge fish they thought were sharks but weren’t.

So tonight a celebration for them and a waiting game for our team. Wish Steve and Rob, Cameron and Chris good luck and let’s hope they aren’t in the water for 5 and a half hours. Rob is figuring on about 4 to 4 1/2. Fingers crossed.

Chris M from today’s swim wishes Chris G on tomorrow’s swim the best of luck.

One big bonding session.

We made our early morning flight to Gibraltar and were in our riad by lunch. It’s just a lovely oasis in a busy little seaside town where young people seem to dominate possibly because it’s the wind surfing capital if the world. Fortunately the wind is not so “UP” at the moment so will be good for the swimmers. 

 

 
  
Rob and U.S. Ben getting kitted out 

   
Jordan. Chris , Steve, Yves and Chris G getting the team shorts and checking maps. 

  
Morocco is that way. And the water is cold

  
Cameron and Rob make a splash. 

  
One of the smaller beaches in Tatifa. No wind breaks here. Just lots of tanned skin. 

  
Tarifa street scenes

  
Main esplanade. 

    
LUNCH ! 

A beach day in Jersey: We treated ourselves to a slower start this morning as we were staying on Jersey to do some exploring. As usual it started out cloudy but as the day wore on it fined up beautifully. We caught the bus to the Living Legends: The story of Jersey an interactive kind of show with holograms and characters telling us about the history of Jersey. It starred the Inspector from Midsomer Murders which only reinforced the feeling I got on Sark. 

We then had a bus mishap and changed our plans to visit the vey north and opted instead for the beaches bus. We ended up at Ouen Beach, which also has a War Museum – in a bunker and is a collection of things German and told the story of the occupation of Jersey. There were narrated stories as you wandered the rooms of the bunkers. These were very interesting – especially the one about a poor man who had tied a message to a pigeons leg only to have the pigeon end up in enemy hands. They executed him!   The man not the pigeon. 

  
We stopped on the way back at St Brelade’s Bay. Gorgeous afternoon and all the action was at the beach. Picture this: White deck chairs supporting white and red bodies in various states of sunburn, cricket games like in Australia, people of all ages licking Jersey soft ice cream – a local favourite, people at the beach side bars drinking wine, kids running, people with handkerchiefs knotted around their heads, some people swimming but many lined up to have a ride on the Aqua planes being towed. Generally a typical Australian beach scene. Steve braved to cool water as it looked so inviting. Her swam around the bay past some yachts moored in the bay. Such a beautiful scene. 

Late lunch time for us at a Cafe overlooking the sand. We wondered about starting a desk chair rental business at Kings beach. They sure are popular here. 

Late afternoon we packed up and returned to the hotel before dinner which turned out to be a search. 

 

 
 

  St Brelades Bay

 Tried a few places but they were closed. Found one overlooking the harbour with plenty of tables but at 8.15 the manager said they were too busy. A little annoyed we went back down the stairs through the bar area where a man sitting in the courtyard asked were we wanting food. We answered yes and he said try up stairs. We answered we had just be turned away from there. Turns out he was the owner! He didn’t look happy and apologised and then wanted to take us up himself and get us a table, but we declined and he pointed us across the square to the yacht club hotel where we both had a great meal. So all good in the end. 

  

Just had to quickly share our dinner tonight. 

We were feeling a little tired so didn’t want to go far from our hotel,  so checked out the restaurant nearby. It was Portuguese. So in we go and a very nice man welcomed us. Turns out he’s  Portuguese and told us there are up to 15,000 Portuguese living on Jersey! 

The food was good and reminded me of our New Year in Portugal,  the year we spent Christmas with Pete and Rob in Lisbon then travelled around the country. We had New Year in a small place called Viseu. I had one of their kebab type thing which comes out on a big skewer on a big hanging frame. Tonight I ordered the same thing. See the photo 

 

 
Just as the waiter was bringing it out,  the door to the small restaurant opened and in walked a fully kitted up Policeman ( police station is just up the road ). He walks in and nearly bumped the waiter carrying this deadly looking skewer ( see skewer with chicken on it ! ) . Mr Policeman sidesteps,  then knocks over a chair. Everyone looked. He apologised and the waiter , who by this time was at our table with the skewer replied. “Anymore of that and I’ll call the Police”. Well everyone just broke up! The Policeman laughed then asked for the order he’d phoned in from the station. When it wasn’t ready he said he’d have to report him if it wasn’t ready soon and now he wanted extra chips. Policeman left and returned 15 mins later to a small round of applause. 

Another earlier start and a quick trot to Albert Wharf. We joined the queue for the tickets only to be serenaded by a choir. This time not the retired life boat seniors but a group of young guys ( turns out it was a 21st) dressed in Sark caps, shorts, some held up with braces , blazers,   holding bottles of beer ( 8am remember ) and water bottles  which appreared to hold not water but something much more swiggable ! Oh it was to be a fun journey. 

Arriving at the wharf in Sark you can pay 1£ to go in the tractor train to the top of the hill and the village. It’s a very steep climb so the tractor got my knees vote. Sark is unique and quite lovely with some of e very best views you could see. It’s also like stepping back in time. 

 
  
The place is special because it has no cars. A few tractors , horse and cart and bikes. It’s so lovely and quiet. No paving. All dirt lanes zig zag across the green fields with sweeping views and glimpses of ocean. Lots of little stone cottages and with a population of 600 a few shops, cafes, PO but nothing too touristy. 

We wandered along leafy lanes rounding corners to find sheep or a horse. We took a horse cart tour and loved the feeling of clip clopping down the quiet lanes. We met a couple on our cart who have lived in Jersey, an hour away, for their whole lives and had never been to Sark before. First time for everything. Sark is also unique because it is a dark island meaning they have no street or public lighting. Star gazing would be amazing. 

 

 
  
  
  
  
We happened upon a soccer match on the village green and it was like a scene out of Midsomer Murders. 

After lots of walking and our cart ride we made our way back towards to wharf for our 5pm return. We hadn’t seen anything of the birthday boys and the few girls they had managed to find but then we heard them. In the beer garden closest to the top of the village. Not sure if they get further in or not.  They were very second hand by then and we had to laugh when we heard one hapless lad Josh had done something worth reporting to the Police. They were at the pants pulling down stage when we saw them. They did make the ferry though and were really not bad at all on the way back. 

We spotted much healthier lads  at  Sark harbour  – crews who had rowed over from Jersey 22 km away. They came rowing in as we were about to board. Much clapping and I’m sure a few drinks were coming their way.  Steve was starting to feel a bit apprehensive at the thought that by next Wednesday he could be in the water swimming an almost equal distance ! 

 

 
  
So back on the boat and now out for dinner. It’s exhausting being on holidays. 

 

 
   
 
  
  
  
  

We had the morning in Jersey then headed off for Guernsey. The ferries only run certain days to the islands so it pays to check. Steve bought our tickets online and we were in club car! A bit like premium economy. It’s worth it as the ferries are busy this time of year. 

The safety message was the best ever heard. It was done as a rap between 3 characters. The Captain, purser and hostess. Very catchy, very funny. 

Guernsey is smaller than Jersey and has a lovely harbour full of sailing boats. It must have the most enormous tides. The harbours stone walls are very high and we saw the evidence of the tides when we left in the evening and lots of the moored boats were sitting on mud. 

After picking up a bus timetable we set off exploring the island. We’d heard that catching buses was the best way go. So onto the No. 92 going anti- clockwise round the island. First stop Pembroke Bay. It’s a wide bay and as the sun came out was beautiful. Blue water, pale sand, rocky backdrop and lots of coloured portable windbreaks. We take an umbrella to the beach here they take their own windbreak and deck chair! 

There was only 1 restaurant/ cafe so we snared a front table near the sea wall and enjoyed lobster salad for me and lobster club sandwich for Steve. Washed down with Rose. Yum

We watched the swimmers and Steve was a bit envious as he hadn’t brought his swimmers, thinking it was looking too overcast in the morning. Amazing how it warms up. We spotted two women wearing lolly pink caps, breast stroking from one side of the bay to the other. A long swim. We ate our whole lunch – about an hour – while they swam. We chatted to them as we made our way back to the bus stop for the next part of the ride around the island. They swim all year. Water temp 16 at the moment. Brave ladies. 

We continued getting on and off as the views struck us. A beer here, a walk there, a coffee, a chat  but still no ice cream. 

Arrived back late and tired. Settling into our new hotel listening to the jazz pianist downstairs in the courtyard. Very pleasant.