Like the Rhine, the Rhone is a transport waterway; the long-tailed cargo ships sail day and night. Nevertheless, I find sleep. It is raining and it has become noticeably colder. As soon as day breaks, I take the next barge up and head for a marina near Valence.

Wonderful, I think. Here […]

I set off early, it’s still dark. I want to and have to lock, a few centimetres of difference in altitude probably only as far as the Rhone… Everything works out (I’m the only one), and as soon as I leave the lock and enter the Rhone, I’m surprised by violent […]

Then it’s time to say goodbye. The days passed… No dream! – Martina has booked a flight from Barcelona back to Tallinn, we enjoy a last breakfast together. I accompany her to the bus, which like a wondrous miracle goes directly from here to the airport. Farewell…

I board the ArgoFram, start […]

The conditions are very good; we leave early without saying goodbye (we didn’t say goodbye to anyone last night) – we have more than 250 km to go, across the Mediterranean towards the mainland…

We have breakfast on the way. We are far and away the only ones out here; we see […]

Funny, we are in selected, almost exclusive holiday destinations, and yet nothing stops us. On we go to Mallorca… We drive along the east coast, visit one or two inlets, look for a nice spot, find a little beach here and a nudist cove there, and at Cala d’Or we refuel.

The […]

The city, the harbour, the whole of Cartagena seems sleepy. We rub our eyes in disbelief – and cast off. The festivities will flare up again tonight, but for us it should be fine like this.

We are happy that we discovered the damage and were able to have it repaired so […]

The first look in the morning is out on the water – the sea is still choppy… Then we have breakfast and get going, driving from the mooring to the petrol station. And I notice, only now, that the Swiss flag is missing under the radar. Broken off!

When did that happen? […]

The weather is beautiful, Mediterranean, pleasant, but the swell is still significant. Martina is not comfortable with it. Nevertheless, we set off, want to continue – and ‘hop’ over to Aguilas. In less than an hour we are in another world.

Here in Aguilas we feel at home. The location, the harbour, […]

We set off early and are soon in Almerimar, a nest off the coastline (in the positive sense). Actually, we are only here to refuel and to stretch our feet, but then something very strange happens: we experience at first hand how the Spanish customs authorities bring up two smugglers’ boats […]

We leave Barbate, look across to Africa, and approach the ‘Pillars of Heracles’ (the Strait of Gibraltar). Below us, the water begins to push, to turn over. Rippling surface water alternates with seemingly oily, bare patches, diameters from 20 to over 100 metres, and in between the ArgoFram, which is being […]