Email : anne@burcom.co.uk
| Stories |
| 1998 |
| 1997 |
| Welcome to Paradise ! |  |
Well, you could be forgiven for thinking that we have now reached the darkest depths of Papua New Guinea or the Solomon Islands but this is Espalmador ( a tiny uninhabited island between Ibiza and Formentera ) and the natives are friendly if a little eccentric !!!!
The complete lack of modern day tourist entertainment can lead to bizarre alternatives for those too restless to simply relax and enjoy the warm sunshine, to walk on the pure white sand or maybe swim in the warm, crystal clear waters gently lapping the shore...............zz..zz ..sorry I was just drifting off there !
Ah no - for the intrepid newcomer there is a strange ritual that must be performed !!
First of all it is necessary to wander aimlessly around the island, barefoot and barely clad under the scorching rays of the sun searching for the magic lake !!
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Found it at last !! Now it is time to lower the body into the sulphorous, stinking, warm, slimy, oozing mud........................( Our skipper knows how to have fun ! Lucky me, I'm in charge of the camera to-day ! ) |
| Then it is necessary to make one's way back down to the beach and bake the muddy body in the midday sun until resembling a clay statue that has been too long in the kiln !!! |  |
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Finally a nice refreshing swim to rinse off the mud.... and hey presto the skipper should have the soft smooth skin of a youngster again now ?! Well, he's had a bit of a spotty rash on his shoulders ever since, I don't suppose it could be teenage acne ?!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
1997...............
Beware the Sea Hedgehogs !
The trip down the canals was really a fascinating experience and a world apart from cruising from port to port at sea. It was a wonderful opportunity to discover the heart of true rural France at a deliciously slow pace and no seasickness ! Unfortunately though we were later than planned and set off at the beginning of August in temperatures often in the nineties fahrenheit so by the time we arrived at the Med we couldn't wait to take a dip in the crystal blue waters.
At last we arrived at the coast at Agde and hurried along to
the beautiful sandy beach to enjoy our first swim, myself sporting my cotton
espadrilles rather self consciously after constant warnings from the skipper
of the dangers hiding in those inviting Mediterranean waters.
The skipper sped in barefoot and macho ! Suddenly there was a screech and a foot held aloft for me to examine - His big toe and ball of the foot were punctured with numerous sharp black needle like objects - We made our way out of the water and luckily noticed a first aid hut.As we approached the hut the bronzed adonis emerged to offer his services ( just my luck it was the skipper who was injured !) he took one look at the patient and went back in his hut for a nice sharp needle to extract the black spines. I asked him what they were and after struggling for a while to find the words he announced " 'Eet is ze sea hedgehogs "
As we made our way back on to the sandy beach to rest and recover we looked around us and everywhere were these enormous signs stating in 3 different languages " Beware the Sea Hedgehogs " !!!!!!! Do you think they might have meant Sea Urchins perhaps ??????
You'll be pleased to hear that the skipper made a full recovery !
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Waterfront cafe at Agde |
Bye for now
Anne (First Mate)