In the parallel world
Men in flowing caftans, women covered with shawls. Scarred, horrible wounds, beggars with hollow hands, black eyes and hair, running children, praying men on the jetty, the smell of decay and barbecue, buses on the opposite lane. Morocco is one sensory overload. For three weeks I dive into a parallel world to Europe’s boring predictability. … Read more
Half of the Atlantic
Non-stop sailing from Greece to Gibraltar. For the 2500 kilometres I need 15 days and a well-filled diesel tank. It is half of an Atlantic crossing. And it works out fine. Good sailing moments, prudent professional ships and a successful escape from the boiling Mediterranean. We leave the sheltering bay of Pylos, Peleponnes. Yesterday’s storm … Read more
From sea dog to country bumpkin
Marina Agios Nikolaos, Crete. I moor backwards. A gust of wind grabs the ship and lays it across. Helpers pour out of other yachts, staining their white T-shirts with the slime of bog ropes. Five of us moor Reykja at jetty C 4. She will stay here for half a year. It will be the … Read more
Looking away – but where to?
The first thing I see of Greece is a floating pet bottle in the blue water off the Peloponnese. I do a man-overboard maneuver and fish it up. It was a mistake. A real Greek would not only have let it drift, but would have thrown his cardboard coffee cup after it. Diving in Peleponnes. … Read more
Bull in a China Shop
When you travel, you make a fool of yourself. You stumble over a lack of language skills, unwritten rules, narcissistic pride of the locals. As long as it’s not about his bulging wallet, the traveller is far below. And when authorities are involved, only humility help. “Ochi!” shouts the woman from the Coast Guard. “Ochi! … Read more
Little surprises
When I fly back to REYKJA after three weeks in Switzerland, life has changed. Not necessarily for the better – but it could have been much worse. First, the cab driver at Athens airport charges 20 euros more than his colleague three weeks ago. “Registered price” he says in a firm voice. I don’t believe … Read more
The mediterranean does not exist
The Mediterranean is many seas. They have different names, winds, dangers, even different salinity. On the way from Menorca via Sardinia, Sicily to Greece, I cross three of these seas. How I had looked forward before my journey to the magical moment when the land sinks and all around me is only sea. I imagined … Read more
Island of stones
All I knew about Menorca was that this place existed. Somewhere. All the more surprising is the encounter with an island where at first they don’t want to let me go ashore. Thursday evening, shortly before five. After the crossing from Mallorca, I radio Ciutadella’s marinas. Sheer horror on the other end. At 11.99 metres, … Read more
Cat pee in the air
Cleaning ladies’ island, Teutonic grill, alcohol corpses, mass tourism – when I enter the bay of Palma de Mallorca, I expect the most embarrassing place in the world (after Zurich and Las Vegas). Two months later, however, I have also seen a beautiful island. Only: Where does this penetrating smell of cat piss come from? … Read more