By Andy Lund

Ed. note - This is the twenty-fourth installment of a multi-part series by Andy Lund on his ocean-crossing journey aboard Resolution, the Nordhavn 46 he took delivery of in February 2004. This is the final installment for the cruising year while the boat winters in Barcelona.

Chapter 24

November 23, 2006

Greetings, and Happy Thanksgiving Day

I write this in warm sushine under blue skies here in Barcelona. It's about 65 degrees (around 19 C) and I'm wearing shorts! Mike went home Sunday for the holidays, and is enjoying his Thanksgiving in Seattle with his parents, and with clouds, wind and slashing rain, if the weather report I have is correct. I'm headed home 5 December, so I'll get my share of Puget Sound rain.

Our 175 mile overnight trip to Barcelona was quite placid, and we came into Port Vell late in the morning, in warm sunshine. By that afternoon we were settled into our winter home, on the north side of F pontoon, in the middle of the marina. Standard Med mooring, against a fixed concrete dock, but quite comfortable, with plenty of neighbors spending the winter all around us. We've met Canadians, Brits, Dutch, French and other Americans. The group is very social, with Sunday potlucks on the dock, and a daily chat session at 9AM on the VHF radio. We're right in the center of Barcelona, with the neighborhood of Barceloneta just up the dock. It has plenty of small shops, groceries, restaurants, etc. and is full of locals. It's also four blocks from the beach, although the sea has now gotten a bit cold for swimming. The busses stop a block away and the metro (subway) is two blocks away.

Mike and I signed up for intensive Spanish classes at a private outfit called Don Quijote. They have a network of Spanish language schools across Spain and Latin America. Mike took two weeks, and I am finishing up four weeks, of four hour a day, five day a week Spanish classes. My understanding has soared, but speaking is still tough, as I mangle the tenses of the verbs. My French and my four years of high school Latin have helped. The city is of a managable scale, with just a few tall buildings, all on the periphery. The architectural detailing is amazing, with exotic towers on rooftops, intricate carved cornices and balconies, tile wall facades in places, and all is in excellent shape. The city is obviously prosperous, and the city government spends their money on keeping the place really clean. It's thronged with tourists, but they seem to stay in the main tourist spots, so we don't feel overrun.

The weather has stayed sunny and warm for the most part, but I'm waiting for the "other shoe to drop". It's supposed to be cooler and wetter by now. The nice weather allowed Mike to completely finish polishing the boat, so she looks nice for the winter. We've found a young English fellow to look after the boat while we're gone for Christmas. We like Barcelona, and I highly recommend it for a place to spend the winter on a boat. Plan ahead though, as this marina is very popular with the winter-over crowd. This is the last chapter in the journal for 2006. You'll hear more from us in the spring.