SERENITY NOW

The now daily ration of crusty baguette claimed its first victim last night: I broke a filling on one of my back teeth. My last dental visit was back in Greece some months (years??) ago, so I’m probably due another visit anyway. Just as an aside, Manolis, the great/kind/cheap dentist who we used to visit in Agios Nikoloas, was by no means a fluent English speaker, retaining his strong Greek accent. His two most used phrases as he happily jabbed around in your mouth were: “I’ma sorry I hurt you” and “You are very brave” both of which he repeated often. Carl, a fellow marina resident, whose fear of dentists was only conquered by the intense amount of pain he found himself in, made his first visit to the same dentist, Manolis. When we caught up with Carl at the next marina BBQ, he very proudly reported that the dentist had actually made a point to tell him how brave he was - we didn’t have the heart to tell him that we all were! We checked out from Sainte Anne, on Martinique a few days la...

The anchorage at Sainte Pierre would have to be one of the best we’ve stayed in. That holds true for a couple of reasons: firstly, the pure calm flat water, which translated into peaceful all night sleeps... uninterrupted all night sleeps on board are a rarity. Secondly the sheer beauty of the place; dominated by the volcano and the dense jungle behind, the ramshackle buildings present an unconventionally beautiful little town that nestles right on the shoreline. Possibly the only downside to staying there is the extremely slim, but most certainly real, possibility of being melted alive by molten lava at any moment. Well thankfully we were able to avoid that fate, and departed prior to Mont Pelee blowing its active top once again. We continued South, passing, along the way the town of Carbet, once home to the artist Gauguin, and where Christopher Columbus had first set foot on the island. Passing down alongside the green hills and mountains of the West coast of Martinique, by afternoon...

We’re sitting on the balcony of the LSM (local marine services?) office in Terre de Haut using their wifi. The wifi on this small group of islands has turned out to be the best wifi (fastest & strongest) so far encountered in the Caribbean, and officially free (as opposed to cafe/bar ‘free’ wifi, which, although thirst quenching, is not). Also on the balcony are some other English speakers, a rare oddity in this little French enclave. We overhear them chatting about the recent local wind and sailing conditions. With a sigh of relief we realise that our experiences (getting blown sideways and thrown around like a washing machine) are far from unique and not a reflection of any inexperience on our behalf. That said, every day on the water you learn more and we’ve a way to go yet. Having checked out of the country at LSM, we’re leaving Les Iles de Saintes at dawn tomorrow - today as I write this. Before then, we relocate to an anchorage, rather than paying for a rolly buoy for another...