We have four wonderful days in La Coruna that for the first time feel like the real 'departure' life. Rummage around on our own boat, swim in the harbour, hang out with other departing boats and children who go back and forth to each other and play with each other. When we arrive the Barbarossa is still there. Unfortunately they leave the next day because they have a slightly tighter schedule. We probably only see them again on the Canary Islands. A few hours after us the Valentine arrives in the middle of the night and comes lying next to us. We spend a lot of time with them. The children easily walk towards each other and play all day long with lego and playmobile alternating with swimming in the harbour with the inflatable dolphins and jumping from the high quay wall. The first day we have a delicious champagne lunch together with bread, cheese, sausage and lots of fruit. The toast to the 1st good crossing.

The second day Monica and I want to go shopping, but all shops are closed because of a holiday. So is the supermarket. What are we going to eat then? That solves itself when at the end of the afternoon the Barbarossa comes back to give us 7 freshly caught mackerels. They had too much headwind and stay another day in the bay around the corner. Meanwhile also the Windflower and Aquarius have arrived. Also two Dutch departing boats with children.

On Sunday the four of us take a nice walk along the coast of the peninsula that La Coruna actually is. On the tip near the sea is a beautiful old lighthouse. It dates from 100 A.D. and is therefore the oldest lighthouse in the world. It can be visited so we climb all the stairs and have a nice view above. Then back along the large beach on the ocean side and a little bit further through the town. It is a real Spanish town and it looks a bit like Barcelona, but smaller. Beautiful streets with shops and restaurant with tables on the street. That looks nice. Moments later we sit together with the Valentine at Spanish lunchtime (half past 4) in a nice restaurant and eat shrimps and mussels with fries and white wine. Good life!

Monday is laundry and cleaning day. The men go to the harbour shop to buy a new cutterstag for the Valentine. In the afternoon Monica and I go into town, and this time successful. I come back with two dresses and nice slippers. Eline plays a lot with the girls of the Aquarius. Marinthe has an inflamed eye and plays a lot on herself. In the evening we are invited for a drink on the Windflower, also with the Aquarius. There we are with 9 adults (the Windflower has a boarding party with him) and 9 children in the age of 4 to 12 years old. Cozy place!

Tuesday it's time to leave for the next bay, about 35 miles away. In the beginning it is very foggy, but with the help of the radar and AIS no problem at all. Later on it clears up and it becomes a beautiful trip. Over a flat sea, with very little wind, most of it on the engine and sailed the last hour. On the way we make a serious attempt at fishing. Unfortunately without result. Fishing is mainly patience, we think. At the beginning of the evening we drop our anchor in a beautiful bay in the Ria Corme/Lage, close to the beach. Lovely to be anchored again. The first time this trip, but many more will follow. Luckily Marinthe's eye is better again.

Today we had a lovely day in the bay of Lage. This afternoon we took the Valentine and later also the Aquarius to the beach. After that they all came to have a drink with us and the children watched a movie.