Out and about in Norfolk

Serafina
Rob & Sarah Bell
Thu 17 May 2012 17:51

Tuesday & Wednesday morning 16th & 17th May

On Tuesday evening Greta very kindly invited us to their beautiful condominium (they previously lived nearby in a very large house – Greta tells me she cannot persuade Gary to get rid of anything, so the apartment is packed full!) for a meal.   Even better she was sensible enough to schedule this early before we started to fade for lack of sleep!   She then manfully takes on all our washing from the last two weeks (bearing in mind that we were getting through a lot of clothes, as you are on watch during the day – few clothes – and at night – just about everything we could lay our hands on!) including bedding from three beds as we had made up both the saloon pilot berths as well as the aft cabin, depending on what the seas and winds were like, depended on where we slept.   The condominium owners who lend us their dock space for free, refuse to gaze out at boats heavily decorated in washing, so their only stipulation is no laundry – which seems a very fair exchange to us.

So after a blissful night of sleep, we started more tidying up on the boat to hear Gary knock on the boat at 0900 presenting us with all our clean laundry – now that’s what we call service!  Later in the morning Gary takes us to UPS so that they can pack and despatch our invertor/charger unit to Fort Lauderdale.   If we get it there asap they will deal with it immediately, but if it arrives next week there will be a long delay.   It costs a handsome $254 to send!

We were then dropped off at the Mall so we (well me obviously) could have a good dose of retail therapy.

First we had lunch at a pizza place.   I was unbelievably sensible for me:  I had a half portion salad and yes it was big – but I had been so craving vegetables on the passage, it was perfect.   Rob opted for a pizza (larger) but equally delicious.   I even forewent the dessert menu (impressed?) – we were out to buy jeans, so did need to feel able to squeeze into something.   And I have a nasty feeling that the amount of OCC people we are expecting to meet plus the standard sizes of meals out here, may mean we are on the downward trail figure-wise!

After that, our first priority was to replace Rob’s Keen sandals – they have been hanging together by some judicious cobbling by me for the last 6 weeks.   This was easily accomplished.   And it felt just so strange to be able to wander around, buy exactly what you want – rather than endlessly looking for some form of acceptable alternative.  And also to be able do it in rather easier ‘English’ than Caribbean patois.  Although Rob and I were a little stumped by “emonno”?   This turned out to be “lemon or no” as in, in my glass of water.   We have already had a few comments about our lovely English accents and the way we talk.

We then carried on with the shopping, each buying a pair of jeans to cope mainly with the ferocious air-conditioning as much as the downturn in the weather.   And of course they were very cheap and in lovely soft American cotton.   Yes I definitely enjoy the western standard of living!   After that, it was somewhat aimless wandering around (Rob’s idea of purgatory although he was very entertained in a swish kitchen equipment shop – threatening to return for the purchasing of inane gadgets for my birthday….) but when we did decide to leave it was hammering down with rain so we opted for coffee before our walk home.

It really is a very beautiful neighbourhood – we’re not sure if we happen to be in a very wealthy area or this is what we are likely to encounter on the East Coast.   The houses are either in lovely old brick or clapboard with the ubiquitous verandas with rocking chairs, and Stars and Stripes flying above them.   The sidewalks are clean and bordered by well-tended gardens or strips of planting – and actually completely empty.   We didn’t encounter any other pedestrians, this is definitely the country where the automobile rules.   And many of the residential roads are surfaced with cobbles brought over as ballast in English sailing ships!

Today we have been completing the tidy-up and I discovered that the lower shelf in the locker beneath the anchor locker has taken some water.   Unfortunately this shelf is not visible generally, so Najad had not done their usual job of a highly varnished thing of beauty, but put in some marine ply.   This has not enjoyed the water, turning mildewed and splitting at the edges.   So we have turned out the locker to give it a good air (not as easy as in our previous location with the humidity here from all the rain!) and will varnish the wood once it has dried out from my attentions.

Just as dusk was falling we heard strange aircraft noise and we treated to an amazing air display of a helicopter doing loop the loops (didn’t know they could do this without falling out of the sky), nose-dives etc until he waved his tail prop and sped off down river.   Hopefully Gary is going to lend us some of his photos from his camera’s mega lens as our shots are a little underwhelming.

On Thursday morning we were joined by Gary and two other condo owners for coffee on board Serafina.   One of them, Frank, is captain for Tow Boat US and swiftly joined us up.   This is a great organisation:  if you go aground anywhere you radio them up and they tow you off.   If you don’t belong, each call out can cost $400+ but for a lot less than half this we are covered for a full year.   And we have heard many anecdotes indicating that we will go aground and will use them!

This afternoon we are hopefully being delivered to a grocery store (didn’t realise that supermarket is an unknown word here!) to stock up on fresh produce.   Sadly I am greatly looking forward to this.   I am always fascinated by other countries food habits.   I understand that the biggest challenge here is buying foods, such as bread, which is not stuffed full of sugar.