25^th April   SANTA POLA

38 11.2 N    00 33.8 W

Charlotte and Nigel joined about 5 last night. I picked up the springs, rope, chain and shackles from the chandler, and we went off to the tapas bar I found yesterday. I nipped off to get some sunglasses – my £5 fake ray Bans having broken, and we ate well watching Chelsea’s highly improbable performance, rather a late night for me.

This morning was a mill pond, wind variable 0-2 max, we went up past the Mar Menor on the motor, and arrived at Santa Pola about 17:00, I had phoned ahead since guides said it didn’t take transients, they were very helpful. It’s a very modern marina, staff were very good, the showers superb and you can go straight into town – which is not as bad as the pilot guide makes out. Texted Chris and Bev, who had also left Cartagena, heading in the same direction, to say it was a good place but relatively expensive – they replied they were one stop back, at Marina las Dunas, which was cheap, but there was nothing there…!

We found this place called Hotel Patilla which was pretty full, and had a range of tapas – the waiter counselling us re over ordering as quantities were large. This time it was Bayern vs Real Madrid on. Cdn’t stomach grinding through extra time and penalties, figured out the Germans would win, so left and had another late night.

Today did 58 NM.