Hello friends, thank you for tuning in again. In the previous blog we explored the small fishing town of Roquetas de Mar and visited a bullring that was still in use. We traveled to Almeria by bus and explored the Alcazaba.
But as a sailor we keep moving and on Dec 03 we set sail further West towards Motril.
The (rare) Easterly wind took us on a smooth daysail towards Motril although it drizzled most of the way and at dusk we dropped anchor at “1”. Protected against the swell by the short mole we had a good night sleep. However the following day the wind would shift to the prevailing Westerlies as forecasted, and increase in strength to 5 – 6 Bf for at least a week. That was the main reason why we anchored here in the first place; shelter against the Westerlies. We re-anchored to “2”, launched the dinghy and went into the port. “3” Commercial port, now in use to unload and store windmills. “4” Fishing port. “5” Ferry terminal. “6” Marina. “7” Cay for bulk transshipment.
In the marina we asked if we could leave the dinghy for a while so we could explore the town. We were taken aback by the welcoming and friendly attitude of Roberto Jr. He made no problems, didn’t ask for money and even offered us the use of the marina’s bicycles if we wanted to go to town. Wow…… We spoke to a few liveaboards in the marina who all were very satisfied with the place. It made us thinking; Although the anchorage was safe, the dinghy ride back and forth to the marina was cold and wet. Christmas and New Year were around the corner and we appreciate the coziness and the special atmosphere of the season. During the journey from Tunisia to here, the “to do list” for boat projects had grown. Skilled tradesmen were available in the area, so why not stay here over the winter? We negotiated a long term rate with Roberto Sr. and decided to stay. It was the right thing to do as you will find out further in our blog.
The Motril Alcoholera site is the place where the Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza Sugar Factory was originally located. This factory was built in 1855 by the Larios family and it was dedicated to the manufacture of sugar, brandy and alcohol, employing 300 workers and 1,500 day labourers. The company imposed such unfair prices on the farmers that it caused their uprising resulting in the arson of the factory in 1901.
We were working below deck and could suddenly feel the boat moving and jerking. A shadow moved over the windows. Rushing outside we saw that this bulk carrier mist our neighbour at about one meter. Before we got our phone to film it, the nearest point of approach had already past.
This was a VERY scary moment.
Since we were no longer sailing from one anchorage to the next we had the possibility to prepare a lavish dinner for Christmas. Granted, Liza did most of the culinary work but Frits cooked the main course and openend the bottles.
Now that the boat is in a marina for a longer period we had time to tackle some boat projects. We had a light but continuous diesel smell in the owners cabin but could never find any leak in or around the fuel tank under our bed. By cheer coincidence we found on the Fountain Pajot owners page on Facebook that fuel hoses have a rating for permeability, the so called A-rating. The A rating of the filler hose under our bed was A2, not suitable for living spaces, and the hose had to be replaced by a hose with an A1 rating.
We invited a few fellow live-aboards on the boat for New Years’ eve. In the Netherlands we eat “oliebollen” a kind of doughnuts on the days around New Year.
Enjoying the get together with fellow boaters. Almost everybody was doing major boat projects during the winter stop in preparation for the onward journey. Antje and Peter were restoring their recently bought catamaran for the onwards journey to the Med. Ramon and Lotte were replacing their main engine for their ongoing journey to Central America. We learned a lot from each other AND had a good time.
We booked a table in restaurant Espacio IME (https://espacioime.es/en/) to celebrate New Year’s day and to look back on a successful and adventurous 2023.
About the Electric Daisy; It feels like a light electric shock when you bite the flower. Your salivery glands get activated followed by a numb feeling. It tastes a bit sour and the sensation is over after 10 – 15 seconds. Amazing!
This is not a Michelin star restaurant and we honestly do not understand why not. The chef is very creative and only uses Spanish ingredients. The food was delicious and the explanation given by Anna made it an unforgettable experience. A must visit when in Motril.
The Spanish are proud of their Jamon, and rightly so. It is the cured leg of a pig, and no chemicals, other than ordinary salt, are used to cure and preserve the meat. We bought a completer ham when we traveled from West to East. Now on our way back from East to West we bought a complete shoulder ham. After New Year they are on sale, so a good deal can be had.
Carnaval was celebrated in Malaga the first week of February. A week of festivities with parades and the climax being the announcement of the winner of street musicians. A big difference with the carnaval parades in the Netherlands or Germany is the absence of carnival floats (praalwagens). Here it is about the costumes, the groups and the musicians. Below a clip of group 22.
Taking a break from boat chores we pay a visit to picturesque Frigiliana, “Spain’s most beautiful and well-preserved village” according to the tourist brochure.
As is the case with many other villages, Frigiliana dates back to Roman times but owes its urban design to the Moslem occupation. The lovely architecture and the cobble stone streets stem from this era. After the reconquista the morisco (Moslem converts to Christianity) were allowed to stay in the area. Before long, the morisco rebellion which swept the whole of the region, was receiving strong support in the Frigiliana area. It took reinforcements from Granada, and over 2,400 rebel deaths to crush the uprising. By 1570, the expulsion process which banished the moriscos form Frigiliana and its surroundings was complete.
The House of the Counts, was built at the end of the 16th century by the Manrique de Lara family, the Lords of Frigiliana, in 1508. Materials from the destroyed Arab castle are used for construction like, balconies, iron grills, sundials, as well as the markings on the front and two niches that were devoted to San Raimundo and the Virgin of Carmen. It currently houses the only cane honey factory that exists in Europe.
The Church of San Antonio of Padua dates from the time of the Christian reconquest, which can be seen in its Spanish-Muslim architecture. For example, the colour of the façade shows the customs of the time of not staining its walls in any colour but leaving the brick’s colour. Also, on the façade, you can see two Doric-style pilasters that frame the coat of arms of the Bishop of Malaga.
We are at the end of the very enjoyable and interesting walking tour through the village. Time to look for a place to have dinner.
Thank you for reading our stories. We are not finished in Motril yet. More boat projects and excursions to follow in the next blog.
Warm regards, Liza and Frits.