La Coruna V and final day

Thursdays Child
Robin & Joanna Minchin
Sun 31 Aug 2014 18:26
La Coruna, Marina Real

It is 7.30pm and still roasting hot, Isabelle isn't convinced she wants it to get much hotter... oooops she is on the wrong boat!

Bol went up the mast and found a dodgy contact so the navigation light at the top should be working now.  Whilst he was doing that, the children wrote their diaries, 4 days in La Coruna which was a bit of an epic but with a serious reward available on the horizon they did a good job. They are starting to understand the significance of writing and recording things, and are beginning to enjoy reading back to St Mawes and other places earlier on in the trip, so diary writing is getting easier. The reward was to visit the Aquarium followed by a ride in a buggy.

The Aquarium is superbly and dramatically placed right on the edge of the headland not far from the Torres de Hercules lighthouse, the ocean swell crashes against its outer wall. It was well presented and provided a really good opportunity to see fish and rays and other horrors that have spikes and bites, viewed behind the safety of inch thick glass. Many of the creatures will be swimming in Caribbean waters so hopefully the children will remember to stay well clear of scorpion fish, stone fish, eels and sting rays having seen them close up today.  

Isabelle's highlight was to see the seals being fed. Each seal had its own named cooler box of fish (one seal was called Lucia which pleased Isabelle Mary Lucia). Each seal flopped onto a floating pontoon and they were well trained to wait their turn. The children then spent some of their well earned 'brownie points' in the Aquarium shop.

Harry then got what he really wanted; to ride in a buggy. Isabelle was too hot but Harry had half an hour charging up and down the promenade, overtaking as many people as he could. It was 'fun and fast' and very very hot.

So we are now preparing for an 8am start, turning left out of the harbour and heading west to Ria de Camarinas, 50 miles / 10 hours away. The forecast predicts 20 knots from the NE so we are hoping to have a good sail with tide under to begin with.

I feel we have completed Leg 1, Yarmouth to La Coruna and are now looking forward to exploring the Atlantic west coast of Spain.
We have four weeks to get to Bayona which is currently about 140 miles away so can be achieved with day hops.

Thank you for store cupboard recipes, Sue Sutton I found a tin of artichoke hearts so will give your suggestion a go! Thank you xx





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