To Puerto Calero, 28:55.05N, 13:42.06W

Serenity of Swanwick
Phil and Sarah Tadd
Mon 2 Nov 2015 11:32
We delayed our departure for Puerto Calero by a day.  We took a walk out to an old fort housing a contemporary art exhibition on Tuesday morning.  Sarah found the fort interesting, but wasn’t so keen on the artwork, though it is said to be the major collection of contemporary art in the Canary Islands.  On the way to the fort we found a little cluster of boat related shops including two excellent ferretaria/chandlers, and a shop selling solar panels - and we were looking for additional panels to supplement our power generation.  A bit of on line research back on the boat showed that we were unlikely to find better, so we stayed an extra day and now have two more 50 watt panels.

The delay had another benefit, because Tuesday had been flat calm, but Wednesday had a brisk northerly wind, so we flew down the coast to Puerto Calero.  This is another resort a bit like the one we stayed at on Madeira, but where as Maderia was closing down for the winter, this is still in full swing, with lots of bars and restaurants and fashion outlets.  There aren’t many visisting yachts here, but when we arrived our German friends on ‘Saga’ were in port, and we have had the chance to talk to a British couple who have spent the last couple of months sailing round the Canaries, to get ideas on where is good and where not to go.

The supermarket in the resort is not very good on fresh food (you are expected to use the restaurants) so we are struggling to get fruit and veg.  We saw that the neighbouring resort of Puerto del Carmen had a market on Friday, so walked the 3km along the coast.  When we got there the market turned out to be a tourist market selling souvenirs and clothes, and the supermarkets were only marginally better.  The place was full of English, Scottish and Irish bars, and being English half term, English holiday makers.  When we went into a café and ordered coffee we were told they only had Nescafe!  A fair summary of the place.

We are now waiting for delivery of some radio equipment from England we believe came in on a flight yesterday, but has to be cleared through customs by an agent.  In the meantime we have been for a walk in the mountains (fairly bleak volcanic peaks) and will probably hire a car for a day to get to a supermarket before we move on to Fuertventura.
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