As Glenn has said elsewhere, the weather has kept us from advancing beyond Gibraltar, and too much time has now passed to enable us to continue – at any rate for the present.  Even yesterday we had hoped to go up to Cadiz, but the westerly winds clicked in again and we had to go the other way.   

We had a lovely couple of days sailing though –  first some sail training with spinnakers and another exotic species, called a gollywobbler.  This is a huge sail which is flown between the two masts of the schooner.  It looks about the same size as a badminton court, and enabled us to go like a rocket downwind.  We overnighted in Estepona – I had a recollection that this was a major hangout for Brit villains dodging the Old Bill but I guess the European Arrest Warrant has rumbled most of them.  All I could see were a few Diamond Geezers taking a stroll with the Old Dutch.  Very pretty place, Estepona, and we got a free bottle of wine from the marina man.  And an exhilarating and slightly  hairy reach back to Gib today in 30+ knots of wind.

We are now parked in the posh marina back in Gibraltar, and I will shortly be frying some monster steaks that have been in our impressive deepfreeze.  The whisky supplies have dwindled to zero, so this evening’s sundowner will be in a bar and not on deck.   Food kick-off is at England v Brazil half time.

In our non-sailing moments I moseyed around the Rock and had some dialogue with the local wildlife.  These are Barbary Macaques, tailless monkeys (not apes) but some are quite large.  I saw an alpha male walk slowly up the road from the Trafalgar Cemetery, ignoring cars and people. Then he climbed up a tree, and a wall, and ended up on the ridge roof of some local resident’s house where a lady friend was waiting, and they performed The Act.   And this was about 10am wouldya believe it.  The human residents of the Rock seem more restrained.

Next port for this crew is Luton Airport.  GG