Goodbye Rodo de Barà
When we arrived in Roda de Barà the first thing we did was provisioning. We walked over to the Lidl Supermercado to buy everything we needed for a few days.  Provisioning is very easy in Roda de Barà. A few big supermarcado’s to choose from and only 15 minutes walking! We had dinner that night with Franck and his girlfriend. And the next morning we left Roda de Barà to sail to Barcelona. Franck and his girlfriend and future wife!,were coming with us! Really nice the guys could share their experiences with each other. We left early, the weather was beautiful! The sun was shining, the temperature was great only the wind conditions were not so perfect … I do not know what it is in the MED but we never ever have thought we had to motor so many hours. Again we sailed maybe for half an hour chasing the changing winds and then had to motor again! Grrrrrr!  We tried to catch a fish, no luck this time, and had a relaxed lunch outside! We arrived at the marina in Barcelona at about 18.00. The sunsets were again beautiful. In Spain, in winter it’s already dark ‘early’, around 6 already. Carlos from Harken Spain arranged for us a berth in Marina Vela, in the new part, not in the ‘old’ part of the marina. We had a drink together and said goodbye to Franck! Thank you for coming with us and hope to see you somewhere around in the MED or the Caribbean or the Pacific! It was great having you on board! Robbert and I had a stroll through the old marina and looked at all the huge motorboats ….. we were truly amazed. It’s said the Peurto Banus in Spain is the marina where you can find the most expensive ships but Barcelona is soooo much better. The 110 meters motor yacht Dilbar was moored in the marina. And so many other big boats. Really nice and the ambiance is so relaxed. The end of another beautiful day!

We now only had 1 day to prepare for our trip to Sicily. Arrange the shipment from Holland to be delivered at the jetty and unpack it. Take a rail from Harken Spain with us as this is a very expensive thing to ship because of the length (6 meters). Mark en Marijke from Cat Great Circle were joining us this trip and they arrived on Monday 10th of December. So much better to sail with 4 as we also had to do some overnighters and than it is easy with the nightshifts and lots of fun as well!  The next morning first the engines needed their 400-hour service!! Yes 400 hours, can you imagine? In 17 months we had been motoring 400 hours already! Waaaaaay too many hours! It is not for nothing that the abbreviation of MED is: MOTORING EVERY DAY!!

The city
Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia. A vibrant and exciting destination. Famous for its culture, architecture, design, beaches, nightlife and, of course, the Catalan cuisine. Barcelona has so much to offer. From luxury retail stores along Passeig de Gràcia and the boutiques of the Born district to the Gaudí monuments scattered around the city. Walking through the city’s diverse neighborhoods and in the meanwhile discover the gastronomic delights from traditional Catalan and Spanish cuisine to modern fusion prepared by world-renowned chefs. We did not have much time to explore the city. We walked through the marina area which already has so much to offer!

Cruising areas
When it comes to sailing there are a lot of possibilities when starting from here. 2 hours to the South there are the long sand dune beaches of Castelldefels, protected as a nature reserve for their fauna. Continuing south, Sitges awaits with its old fishing village charm – and that is not the only similarity the town has with St Tropez. Since long, the village has been a favorite hangout for celebrities, footballers and free-spirited artists, offering a range of excellent restaurants from the exclusive Fragata to enjoy the traditional gastronomic experience.

The Balearic Islands, offering a fan of holiday options stretching from the wild and bohemian party scene of Ibiza with its quiet little sister Formentera for recovering, to Mallorca with its many bays and beaches, mountains and plains and delicate mix of festive exclusivity and rustic placidity, on to serene Menorca for quieter family time and lazy days.

North along you will find “the strong coast” called Costa Brava offering excellent cruising through coastal villages with their beaches and marinas such as Blanes, Tossa de Mar, Cadaqués (summer home to Salvador Dalí and hangout for artists from all over Europe).