Sunseeker Chapter 13
My mind was slow to accept the fact that Sunseeker and her crew had, in fact, actually travelled to Of course the best way to prove our existence in Spain is to set foot ashore and listen to the people speaking, see the signs in the shop windows and change some of our meagre supply of English pounds for Spanish pesetas.a foreign land. Yes, the sky was blue. Yes, the sea was blue and the temperature was indeed hot! But to have left one country and, without further sight of land, arrived in another! Well, that seemed too far-fetched to be true.
Rene must have been fed up with my constantly exclaiming, “We’ve done it! We’re really in a foreign country! It’s not a dream anymore. We’re living our dream!”
Of course the best way to prove our existence in Spain is to set foot ashore and listen to the people speaking, see the signs in the shop windows and change some of our meagre supply of English pounds for Spanish pesetas.
With a blinding flash it finally strikes me! Yes this is a foreign land. And the cause of this blinding revelation? Rene very discretely points out to me that the security guards at the marina entrance are wearing guns! That did it for me. In each of the countries we were to visit the police and even store security guards carried guns; even the ladies. We never did get used to the idea, always feeling a little intimidated by them.
Neither Rene nor myself speak Spanish, so, in halting English the security guards explained that we would, indeed be allowed back into the marina after shopping for fresh food. The sun was shining and lots of people were pushing past the entrance, as this was the road to both the castle and the beach. Everyone wore smiles on their faces; many were laughing and children played; excitement evident in their chattering, squealing voices. For all the sense we made of the language, however, it may have been Double Dutch!
Once outside the marina gates we turned away from the castle and made our way towards the streets of Bayona itself. Over to our left is another beautiful, fine-sandy beach, crowded with sunbathers and many more children playing. Little girls scream as their brothers gleefully splash seawater in their faces while they frolic at the water’s edge. Are children the same the world over?
Along the splendidly paved promenade we came upon a memorial to the brave fleet of Columbus; The Nina, The Pinta and the Santa Maria. This intrepid fleet of tiny ships sailed from Spain on their epic voyage of discovery. During their return crossing, “laden with gold, bright-feathered, coloured parrots, other strange animals and plants, some Indian cloth and ornaments, and several Indians”, a great storm separated the three ships. Columbus, on the Nina,put in at Lisbon for refitting and the Pinta made port at Bayona.
In the time of The Pinta’s visit the narrow streets of Bayona must have echoed to the cries of street vendors and the noise of the traffic; much as they did now during our visit, so alien to the solitude of the past fortnight at sea. The hustle and bustle of the throngs of people, made worse of course by our ignorance of the language, made us feel claustrophobic and we longed for the peace and quiet of Sunseeker and the open ocean.
End of Sunseeker Chapter 13
