Kiting at last!

It's 29th May and I landed in Santander on the 16th, so just under two weeks travelling. I'll now stay at Murtosa as long as there is wind.

The conditions here are great, waste deep water right across to Torreira the spit of land separating the inland tidal water from the Atlantic. It's a cross-shore wind so a broad reach takes you right across a km or so of shallow water. That's if you don't fall off, because then an out going tide sweeps you down towards Avario and the estuary. I lost my board here last year, with the combination of tide and wind, the board disappears in seconds.

I take a 12m kite, start upwind and make a few runs to the right but lose so much time recovering my board I've already drifted past the school and have to body drag upwind for an hour or so. Exhausted I land, pack my gear and go to bed.

For the next four days I have lessons. improving my kite control and learning to carve the board upwind. Andrejo insists I should start slowly, stand up and head downwind to gain speed before turning upwind. I'm working on that. Beatrice says I need to keep my heels down and carve the board more aggressively. I'm working on that too.

The facilities here are basic. There is a toilet and outdoor showers. Sometimes the bar is open. Other than that it is a field where the kites are rigged and just a short walk to the water. The showers are great, perhaps 'refreshing', but just right for the climate. The biggest irritant are the flying insects; flies of all sizes, bees and moths. Have been bitten a few times but not by mosquitos thankfully.

Mainly Germans here but they all speak English. The night I arrived my neighbour handed me pasta for supper since I clearly hadn't had time to cook.

Monday and Tuesday no wind so I did some shopping and sat around reading. Adriano was around today cleaning his car/boat and gave me a power supply so I could charge the batteries. I knew the leisure battery was low but didn't expect the engine battery to be flattened. Must remember not to run the battery so low before charging.

Storks on church steeples I've heard of but storks on power lines, that's new.

So after a week of rain and a week of sun the battery lasted two weeks, although that included a lot of charging by the alternator, I was driving a lot for the first week. I'm still convinced I'm not getting enough from my 300Ah PV panels which got battered in the hail storm when I was in France. One of my neighbours (Oliver) seems to know a bit about solar energy, I may ask him to help me check the output.

Wednesday I'm invited to dinner with Adriano and Rose along with my German neighbour Oliver. An excellent evening. Rose cooked a salt cod dish with potatoes, yummy!

If there is no wind tomorrow (weds) the batteries should be back in use and

I'll take a trip to find a laundry, hate it when there is nothing clean to wear! When I got back Adriano had the rib out and we went for a trip down to Averio.

This is an old cod boat which used to sail to Norway. In those days the fish was salted leading to the local custom of salt fish dishes - see above. These boats are being restored for luxury cruising.

Thursday the wind was light in the afternoon and the tide was in, not the best conditions. Adriano thought it would be risky if I was unable to launch the kite off the water in the light wind, another trip out with the tide, so I packed up and cooked supper, Singapore noodles. I made loads so Oliver joined me.

No wind forecast until Monday so have been busy organising a flight to Bristol for Andrew's party. I'll leave for Lisbon on Friday and put the bus in a van park at the airport for the week.

Friday I took my bike to the local restaurant/bar,

The route is along a strange cobbled road across fields in the country. The bar is situated at the end of an inlet with moorings and dock gates. It was due to rain at 9:00pm but guess what, it rained at 5:00 and I had to ride back getting soaked in the process. Lashings of rain and howling winds shaking the van all night. Still it stayed warm and everything dried in the morning in the pale sun shine.