All posts by Katja Henke

About Katja Henke

Katja

Some things to do

To Vilamoura, close to Faro drove us, the largest city in the Algarve, that has unfortunately not own port. So we made today with the bus on the way. Almost a three-quarters of an hour we gondelten through various hotel castles and villages, Faro until we finally reached.

Our goal was the German Honorary Consulate. It was time again, somewhat annoying paperwork to do. When we found the address on the Internet, were we more than happy. Somehow we feared already, Once again as in the last year, having to travel to Lisbon.

According to the Internet research was our goal close to the railway station. A not really inviting district, There were houses on its streets more or less dilapidated. Not five minutes later we were faced with the specified address. If it is correct, were we at least ten years too late. Das Haus war zum Abriss freigegeben 🙁

Very strange. You explained to us in the neighbouring PC shop, that there should be a street with the same name even further outside. To keep our appointment, war jetzt ein Taxi angebracht 🙁 Der Taxifahrer wollte uns zuerst einfach wieder dorthin schicken, where we just had come from. But so easily we could not get rid of us.

So we can overtake directions in Portuguese for the cab driver directly at the Consulate. You will help, where you can :-). Und dann waren wir auch endlich auf dem Weg 🙂

Not half an hour later we had done everything and once approved us a second breakfast, before we walked back to the Centre. In contrast our way led to the railway station district but due to much appealing areas and the old city centre next to the small motor boat Harbour (not for sailing boats, Driveway is dry) was really pretty.

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But in the midday heat, we wanted to not stroll through the city. Also we had to go to the train station, to buy the tickets for our trip there to Lisbon Airport. Tomorrow we will make a little trip--and come back on Friday.

Wohin wird aber noch nicht verraten 🙂 Vielleicht veröffentliche ich Euch ja morgen mal ein Bild, dann könnt Ihr gern raten 🙂 Und der Grund unseres Ausfluges???? Da müsst Ihr Euch leider auch noch ein bisschen gedulden 🙂 Man soll ja nicht über ungelegte Eier reden 🙂

 

At home with the rich and famous !

Actually is not our favorite place in the Algarve Vilamoura, Lagos has much more charm for us. But since we have to do more miscellaneous in Faro and Faro from, has ended up here's us. Denn Faro ist direkt um die Ecke und bequem mit dem Bus zu erreichen 🙂

For many Portuguese seems Vilamoura but the resort 1. Choice to be. Hier trifft sich wohl alles was Rang und Namen oder Geld hat und es wird geklotzt und nicht gekleckert 🙂 Bei unserem nachmittäglichen Bummel über die Hafenpromenade waren wir auf jeden Fall beeindruckt 🙂

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Cavorted in the huge docks “multimillion-dollar” Beauties (If you like motor boats :-))

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Und zwar eine größer als die Nächste 🙂

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But one must Yes “the largest” haben 🙂

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One presented itself to land on the promenade: Immer nur vom Besten 🙂

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This little Lambo has a Leverkusen flag, hat aber wirklich nichts mit uns zu tun 🙂 Zufälle gibt, die gibt es gar nicht 🙂

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So also the promenade to the afternoon and evening pageant was always well stocked. To part with really stunning beauties, die ich aber ohne Erlaubnis nicht ablichten wollte 🙂

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Despite the holiday hustle and bustle and the exuberant party atmosphere it can be here really adhere. And in the evening calm returns to the port then. Even if some Kneipp therapy with karaoke curl and in various discos determined until dawn is celebrated, You robbed us until now never sleep.

 

A neat North wind

In the summer months North wind on the Portuguese Atlantic coast there is generally. Only in the last year, everything was different. That's why we had overcome the Portuguese coast in three major steps under engine driving. Last year days without the prevailing southerly winds were the only chance, to travel further South.

This year was all but again as usual at his place and the North wind would give us a nice and fast ride on the Algarve according to weather forecast.

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Punctually at nine o'clock we left Porto and the Douro Marina behind us. Not yet as so often was the wind “Operating temperature” and we had to help with the engine. But soon after we ran under Butterfly sails (two Headsail together look like the wings of a butterfly) between six and seven knots. The wave was kind to us and pushed us quite peacefully behind our goal contrary to.

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Altogether a great and relaxed sailing day. I regretted it not also, I dared, today even without “Seasickness patches” Sea. Although I was quite tired all day, but I'm also with patches. Sonst ging es mir prima 🙂 und das vorbereitete Essen schmeckte. Dietmar looked not so enthusiastic. Vielleicht hatte er auf die doppelte Portion gehofft 🙂

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Am zweiten Tag legte der Wind nochmal eine Schippe oben drauf 🙂 Bei Drückern bis zu 30 We ran nodes with gereffter Genoa and 30% the mainsail still have between six and eight nodes above ground. Unfortunately somewhat more wave had built up, in between properly beutelte the SUMMER and newly sorted our inventory closets. So the second night was clearly louder than the first, but since we would arrive at the next lunch in Vilamoura, tat es unserer Motivation keinen Abbruch 🙂

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Shortly before the finish, we then exchanged wind against fog. So musste die Maschine doch nochmal ran und auch das Radar musste eine Tagschicht einlegen 🙂

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Just as quickly, how the magic reappeared, He disappeared again and we arrived at Vilamoura in the bright sunshine.

The procedure of check-in took the captain last nerve, before him was a large group from different countries in the series and moved it all over an hour in length. This is also really frustrating, If it was a long way and is looking forward to a delicious lunch and then it takes and takes and takes…. 🙁

Aber irgendwann lagen wir dann auf unserem Liegeplatz fest und dem Mittagessen stand nichts mehr im Wege 🙂 Es wurde ja Zeit, by now it was nearly three o'clock in the afternoon.

Like most of the time after a long trip today not much with us was to start. After an extensive country shower we treated ourselves still a luxury ice cream (Really expensive, but also really tasty :-)) and represented us on the harbour promenade a bit the legs. Das war aber dann auch genug des Guten und wir freuten uns beide auf eine ruhige Nacht ohne Lärm und Geschaukel 🙂

 

Still not quite there and gone again

My first day back was on the SUMMER not as relaxed as hoped. In the morning after breakfast, the weather report showed a perfect weather window, um nach Süden an die Algarve zu segeln 🙂 Das hieß, that we would start early tomorrow. 330 Seemeilen und zwei bis drei Tage auf See 🙂

So brought things had to first be sorted and stowed. That is unfortunately quite a while, but around noon, which was then done.

After a probing look into the fridge was also shopping on the program. Could our inventories even more than “manageable” call. Und es sollte ja kein Diät-Segel-Törn werden 🙂 Bevor wir uns zum Supermarkt aufmachten, I quickly put on a bread dough. He could go up neatly in the meantime :-).

We stopped first at the Marina Office, to pay our Bill. Porto was one of the more expensive ports on our route and we expected a neat “Lid”: 25 Days a 47 € per day…..no cardboard style. But the friendly staff had a great idea, because 25 Days would be almost a month. Here we should pay better than the monthly price. Which amounted to 465 €. We thought not to trust our ears. That were just 40% and gave us a daily rate, He was comparable with Baltic prices. Quickly, we paid the Bill. Nicht dass sich die nette Dame verrechnet haben sollte 🙂 Bestens gelaunt machten wir uns auf den Weg zum Supermarkt 🙂

Heavily laden with everything, what the heart so coveted and went in the supermarket, were we in the late afternoon return to the boat. I swung myself right in the kitchen, What tasty for our trip to cook in. Das Brot war in der Zwischenzeit auf eine stolze Größe aufgegangen 🙂 und wurde direkt im Omnia (our new camping oven, the above can be on the gas stove, in order to save gas) properly baked .

In the PFM above the Marina, we enjoyed a delicious farewell dinner us. Von Porto hatte ich diesmal gar nichts gesehen 🙁 Das war eigentlich anders geplant gewesen. Because the tooth had made me a spanner in the.

Aber Porto ist immer eine Reise wert und irgendwann führt uns unser Weg sicher auch mal wieder hier vorbei 🙂

 

The last days….

I believe, It's just don't care, How long the furlough. At the end, time is getting short and there is always a few things, die unerledigt bleiben 🙁 Mir ging es auch diesmal wieder so, Although I so unexpectedly two weeks had more time in Germany available.

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The last week was again the sign of the horse. Already 2013 had I purchased tickets for the European Championships in Aachen, Germany with my mother, as our sailing trip was still not sure. So were four days from morning till night riding reserved and we live at all heights and depths, which have been extensively discussed in the press. And since this is a sailing blog, nur noch einen abschließenden Kommentar von meiner Seite 🙂 : Good riding and three correctly prepared horse landed on the first three places at the Dressage riders, even if one could argue about the order. Aber das wollen wir ja nicht 🙂

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Two more days were scheduled for visits to the doctor. In addition to the usual screening, which attested me a quite excellent health condition (Life change probably wonder :-)), I wanted to increase even our on-board pharmacy for the Atlantic crossing and the Caribbean.

Armed with the list, which we had received in the last year on the SeaDoc seminar, erschien ich also zum Termin 🙂 und nach einer knappen Stunde verließ ich die Praxis mit sechs Rezepten und einem Sack voll guter Ratschläge und Tipps.

Next went my way to the pharmacist of my confidence. Hier würde ich eine ganze Menge Geld lassen müssen 🙁 Aber da wir die Medikamente eigentlich nur an Bord haben, so we don't need it, erschien mir das investierte Kapital doch durchaus angemessen 🙂

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After two subsequent visits to pharmacy, my wallet was considerably narrower, aber ich fühlte mich gut vorbereitet für alle Eventualitäten 🙂 (incl. Scabies, Lice and worms :-() Also the regularly required, prescription drugs I had for a year in the luggage. Although it was work ever on the Canary Islands, to get a prescription from a doctor, but this was difficult but right. He spoke no English and the Spanish name of the drug had deviated from the German. Without the Internet I would have been probably lost. Auf solche Abenteuer hatte ich in der Karibik keine Lust 🙂

Because there was still room in my luggage, led me my way in the supermarket. Funny way to change our wishes from Germany visit to Germany visit. So went this time two kilos of licorice in the shopping cart, and various types of fruit tea. Doesn't seem is to our liking in Spain and Portugal. Also the delicious German Mayo by Tommy in practical tubes and salad dressing out of the bag (That would be never hiked in my bag, but it's really practical on the boat :-))

On the last day prior to departure, all that stuff had to be stowed away yet somehow. A few last items for the SUMMER were added by Dietmar. I had replaced the recalled lead pockets of our diving equipment in Germany and bought an additional for each. Only if now and again someone should sink a :-)Und irgendwie waren dann ganz schnell zwei Reisetaschen randvoll 🙂

Good, that I this time could take the car until after Hahn airport. In total I had almost 40 Kilo Gepäck dabei 🙁 Die musste ich dann aber leider von der Mietwagenabgabe bis in Terminal schleppen. I thought, ich sterbe 🙂 Der Gepäckwagenautomat hatte leider kein Wechselgeld. The 500 Meter fühlten sich an wie ein Aufstieg auf den Mount Everest 🙂

In Porto wurde ich erfreulicherweise dann vom Dietmar abgeholt 🙂 Nach einer kuren Taxifahrt waren wir schon in der Marina und wenig später wieder auf unserer SUMMER. Beautiful, to be back :-).

 

 

 

 

Time travel

What is the swift in the home? A good question. Of course doctors are visited, Shopping lists completed and you can enjoy the time with family and friends.

I'm still an additional point on my to-do list, in my life it harbors two more as well as Dietmar “Men”, which I every time would like to visit. Anyone who knows me already slightly longer white of course right, that's when the two men not to two- sondern um Vierbeiner handelt 🙂

Before sailing, and our journey to the center of our lives, turned on with me privately, but pretty much the cavalry, more specifically the dressage riding :-). And since almost 30 Years. So it was a big step for me, that first to put everything behind me. So every time I enjoy my home and they feel like a journey into the past – back in my life before sailing.

So my path led me even on the second day “Flagrante delicto”, my 24 year old dressage horse. Since 22 Years is one of the good of the family and now leads a very relaxed retirement in Leverkusen. Here I could see with my own eyes once again, It's really prima. Nur ein paar graue Haare mehr über den Augen sind dazu gekommen 🙂

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Last weekend she took us around the corner “Bergisch classics” instead of. A large and well-attended dressage- and jumping with tests up to the heavy class (S *.). Always, When I was in the area at the time I had taken the opportunity, me there as helpers to make useful. From my own experience from my time in Bavaria, I know exactly, how much effort and work makes such an event and every helping hand is needed. Even as I held on Thursday my helper badge in his hand, reiste ich zurück in die Vergangenheit 🙂 Denn er war auf Katja Glaubitz ausgestellt und das ist nun wirklich schon seit zehn Jahren vorbei 🙂 Da ich aber auch ganz viele alte Bekannte aus längst vergangenen Leverkusener Reiter-Zeiten traf, war es irgendwie doch wieder passend 🙂

On this tournament, I was active not only as a helper, I was able to think once again “Fuchsi” (the official actually Woltaire means) admire in action. On this weekend, he should start first in class S. Originally I would have to know probably an afterthought, as a surprise so to speak, but I had this plan through my early, Toothache conditional appearance made the niece. I was very happy, to be there this weekend and myself on about the three successful rides Rolf “our” Happy Woltaire. The yield of the tournament days could be also seen: 4. Place in the M * dwells, 2.Place in the M * and S dressage 1. Reserve, with only 4 Distance to the last placed to score.

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The absolute contrast program to our sailing life was this weekend and I was there with a laughing and a crying eye. My dream, I've moved just to ride at some point yourself a S dressage, but do not forget. Jetzt wird aber erst einmal die Welt entdeckt 🙂

 

 

 

On the last minute :-)

If one dwells in Germany, one has once again time and a fast Internet connection. A good opportunity, Once again the friendly sailor blogs to visit. And on the side of SY ATANGA I became then aware of following action:

On his blog "explore the world" calls Michael to a very beautiful photo parade. “The most beautiful photos of the 1. Half of 2015” is the motto and the following categories are desired:
-most beautiful landscape photograph
-best animal photo
-most beautiful city shooting
-best winter picture
-most beautiful spring picture
-personal favorite picture

The only requirement is, that all photos in the 1. Half of 2015 have originated.

Das war ja genau mein Ding 🙂 Einziger Nachteil war, that the action at 31.7. ended. Well, After all, even eight hours time. Here we go, Pictures were so clearly sufficient. But the selection was difficult.

Landscape photograph

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The “Lagoa do Fogo” on the Azores island of Sao Miguel is mostly behind clouds. But on sunny days, he shows his beauty :-).

Animal photo

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Is always a great experience to meet dolphins. But to see a mother animal with boys, ist nochmal eine ganze Ecke besser 🙂 Und wenn dann noch die Kamera bereit ist 🙂

City shooting

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A city in the State of exception, in the positive sense: Angra celebrates São Joaninas and dressing up finely out.

Winter picture

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With winter images, I can not really serve this year. Maybe one with rain counts. Schnee haben wir in diesem Halbjahr nur in weiter Ferne gesehen 🙂

Spring picture

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The Hibiscus, This time considered in detail. Der Frühling ist da 🙂

Favorite photo

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A windstiller day at sea. And who sails past us? A Portuguese galley. As divers certainly not my favourite animal, but with the distance necessary a really fascinating phenomenon.

Das war jetzt mal wirklich fünf vor zwölf 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long, It's been a long

Today was a special day, the man actually particularly should celebrate. Ganze zehn Jahre liegt unsere Hochzeit jetzt zurück 🙂 Es ist schon erschreckend, as the time goes by. But my tooth had made as a spanner in the US.

So we had to content ourselves today with the phone. It was a new experience out. Although we had forgotten our anniversary together last year, but separated we've not spent yet it so far.

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When I now to look at the pictures, I feel it almost like yesterday. But of course a lot has happened in the last ten years madly. Beautiful and less beautiful, hold the ordinary life. Since good 15 We are with our SUMMER travel months. A very special adventure, that we may experience. Nice to see, that we have adhered actually also quite good in the last ten years :-).

If I'm back in Porto, are we still drink anyway: “For the next ten years!”

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Au Backe

This morning it was to get up early, for my taxi to airport was ordered at 6: 30. Now you ask you sure: Why airport?????

The eingeschleppte by Dietmar from Germany a “Plague” was not without a trace passed somehow on me. As well as? We have been Yes the last seven days in cramped together and in the last night of our trip I had with undefined header, Ears- and to fight tooth pain.

The weekend after our arrival we have take therefore also very easy. Dietmar coughed up ever more fiercely to himself. Bei mir hatten sich die undefinierten Schmerzen im Kopf mittlerweile leider in sichere Zahnschmerzen verwandelt 🙁 Irgendwie hatte ich das Gefühl, that it could be something more and I decided, to fly back to Germany. Dentist is never a pleasure, but then I wanted to know that also the same reasonable done. Safe is safe. Und der Zeitpunkt war eigentlich mehr als günstig 🙂 In zwei Wochen wäre ich sowieso das letzte Mal nach Deutschland zurückgeflogen.

My flight went from Porto to Frankfurt-Hahn. From there it should go on with the car after Leverkusen. My rental car booking made yesterday on the Internet was unfortunately still not confirmed have been. When I got off the plane in Frankfurt and went toward the rental car desk, I knew why. All queues and after an hour I knew: Today, I would get a car here :-(.

The connection of the Airport Frankfurt-Hahn to the public transport network is impressive. The next achievable, larger railway station in Mainz. And to Mainz to arrive by bus (Drive an hour and ten minutes). So I went on a little trip and reached Leverkusen against half past five.

End good – Everything good. Und morgen früh geht es dann zum Zahnarzt meines Vertrauens 🙂

 

Arrived – Seven days and 864 Nautical miles

In the penultimate night at sea on the way to Porto came's unfortunately just as it was announced: namely stormy! It ended with the peace of mind. Despite gereffter sailing we ran between seven and eight nodes, really very nice, But if we continue sailed with this rate, would we, arrive in the morning at two o'clock in Porto. Not enough, It would be pitch black. Also low tide would prevail at this time. Two circumstances, that we wanted to avoid in any case for safety reasons.

Our last sea day brought us some rest, but just so's the darkness again right around could go at breaking. With gusts up to 30 Node and Messier until partly also sinister sea, We rushed our goal against. First to arrive after sunrise in Porto, had set the course Dietmar, we sailed until midnight of towards the North-East, and later would turn South towards Porto, to extend the distance.

The sea was rough. Early morning, a large wave caught us so adversely from the side, that it flooded the whole cockpit with cold water of the Atlantic Ocean. Obwohl sie vorher noch von dem am Seezaun befestigten Bananaboot abgebremst und abgelenkt worden war 🙂 Durch die Wucht der Welle wurde die sehr massive Stütze zusammen mit dem Bananaboot um gut einen halben Meter nach innen gedrückt. The water ran partly from the cockpit through the stairs in the boat. In addition, the water was pressed even by the force of the wave through the vents on the ceiling in the shower. The breakers have even thrown and power off the 220V. That was already a bash and we were once again very pleased, dass wir ein so stabiles Schiff besitzen 🙂 Gut, that just at this moment nobody was outside on the deck…. At least that would have been a very refreshing shower.

I was somehow quite struck that night. Undefined header, Dental- and ear pain made me tired and cranky. So Dietmar gave me night awake free today and I was allowed to have neatly shake me till sunrise in the bunk.

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In the morning, six type land was in sight at last as planned. Portugal presented itself at its fresh. 16° stood on our thermometers, but it was the Sun in a cloudless sky. When we arrived in the Douro River, were many fishing boats on the way. The wind eased and relaxed we could put the buzzer in the port. Now once a proper breakfast, then a hot shower and then another well-deserved round “Mattresses Horch service” 🙂