Sunday 29th April..

Well the round robins have finally caught up. After what seems like a month of no wind, racing has finally picked up and organisers have managed to run two races a day to catch up. We have raced solidly with no breaks (as originally planned) .. and hence people are getting a little weary....

Back to one race a day we are looking forward to hopefully having Rod home between 5- 6pm each night rather than 8-9pm!

The races don't usually start until 1pm, but Rod has a 10am meeting each day - so the days are long. We are all hanging out for the first break (since Easter) on 10 May.

We had an electrical thunderstorm here last night - like nothing I have ever heard before. No rain, and very loud continuos bangs. Here's to a good night's sleep tonight.

Buenas noches
(Good night)

Flamenco dancing

When in Spain .....

Zoe had her first flamenco lesson on saturday morning. Right up her alley - lots of stomping! So - we are now on the hunt for a flamenco skirt and shoes at the markets before lesson 2.

The Aquarium (Oceanograhic if you're spanish)

After what looked like it was going to be yet another windless day - things picked up and finally all races were completed. Team NZ won both their races (better day than yesterday). So - 2 1/2 days racing out of 10 (yesterday was supposed to be a day off - but that had to be scrapped to try and fit more days into the schedule to replace those lost). Where is the WIND???

But - true to form - the kids and I kept the positive campfires burning (what racing?) and continued to explore. Today we ventured to the national aquarium. A huge day with alot of walking in the sun...but some magical moments. After the dolphin show the dolphins came right up to the kids (viewing through a glass panel) and they "talked" to them for 20 mins. We also saw a white beluga whale, turtles, tropical fish (including lime green eels), mamoth walruses and of course, SHARKS!

No wind .....

Day four of Loius Vuitton - no wind (and no racing) again!

On the lighter side.... after severe cabin fever this morning, the kids and I took a bus into the old city and then a double decker bus on a tourist ride around Valencia. We stopped off for another play on the Gulliver playground, and jumped back on the bus an hour later. Weather heating up... we have gone from winter white to brown beach bums in 3 days. The sun is nowhere near as strong as it is in NZ.

The number of freckles on Hunter's face has doubled!

Day one - Louis Vuitton Cup

Sunday night (9.30-11pm) saw a great fire works display as each challenger boat headed down the cannal from the marina. Four major light displays depicting the four elements (water, earth, fire and air) were amazing... with a man lit up with hundreds of red tiny lights "bouncing" on a huge earth ball.....unfortunately our digital did no justice so the photo's can't give you much of an idea. Spectacular as it was... the finale was a bit much for a 3 1/2 yr old boy (VERY loud bangs with the sky lit up)...

When the Team NZ boat went through we had a small haka and I don't think there would have bee a dry eyed Kiwi in sight.

The boats head out down the canal (lined with spectators) on monday for the first day of LV racing. Each boat is pulled out by a small chase boat. Team NZ accompanied by a waka - and traditional haka as the boys made their way out. Wet eyes again!
Unfortunately- yesterday (monday) had NO WIND - the boats hang about around the course from noon until 6pm until racing was called off - and today (Day 2 LV racing) ..doesn't look like it will fare any better. At time of writing (4pm) there is no wind and boats are still milling around. It looks I won't be able to count on having Rod to play with on the reserve days.....

Lets hope the wind picks up soon........... (mind you the kids and I have enjoyed the first of beautiful sunshine, sand and beaches (ice-creams and coffees to boot) - there is always a silver lining!

Medieval Village - Albarracin

Easter monday - we took the work mini van and ventured 2 hours north west into the mountains to a small village called "Albarracin". The medieval village is still lived in and well looked after. We spent 4 hours adventuring and climbing to the top of the fortified castle walls. The photo's show more than I could hope to explain. Although it was cold, it was a magical day.... Very difficult for the kids to comprehend "500 years ago".....

Easter Sunday in Valencia

Rod's first day off since we arrived. We had planned a trip out of town but the weather prohibited - so we headed into the historical centre to see what was happening. After a stroll around the markets, coffee in the square when the kids fed the pigeons... and Zoe took a number of photo's of the old buildings, we walked up the 207 steps of the bell tower of the old cathedral. The steps got narrower and narrower as we reached the top.. and the view over the city was amazing. The main bell tolled 1pm whislt we were up there (we were glad is wasn't 12 noon or we may have required hearing aids!!). We wandered through the cathedral. The architecture incredible - we were quite in awe of the internal decorations and age of the building -also quite special on a holy day. Easter is Spain's most important religious festival so we are told. Fortunately our Spanish is improving - and we got what we ordered for lunch.

The Opening (Fleet racing - March)

Last night (sunday night) saw the opening of the racing. There were fire works during the day (which we saw from the promenade)... but we unfortunately missed the light and fire works show in the evening. We have all been a little sick with change in temperatures etc... but Zoe's took on mild asthma last night so we didn't want to risk a venture out in the very cold evening (and a night in Spanish hospital). Don't panic - she is fine, her mother being over protective (!).

We bought bikes to get around - rather than relying completely on spanish public transport. I suspect Hunter will be off his trainer wheels in a few weeks and Zoe will be rivaling Sarah Ulmer.

Fleet racing starts tomorrow (tuesday). Rod has worked every day since we have been here. A late one tonight - we are looking forward to his first day off next weekend!!!

We caught a bus into the old city a few days ago and went to the fish markets. It was a wonderful experience. We saw loads of fresh fish, a man cutting up live eels, pigs heads and skinned sheeps heads (eyeball intact) for sale! We had lunch in the square and were told off (by the policio!) for playing on the grass by the fountain. There is not alot of grass anywhere- so what they have is precious. How lucky we are in New Zealand!

We have awoken to a cold overcast day... so a little recovery and quiet day today.

Hope all is well with you all.

Words for the week:
Rocco - Red
Azure - Blue
Queso - Cheese

Loads of love,
R,J,Z and H
XXxx

From Hunter

Angus - I miss you. I want you to come over and play with me. I want to show you the cool playground(s). I want to ride my new bike with you.
Love from Hunter
xxxx

PS - it's very cool you have a new car.

Monty - Mummy forgot to take the camera down to the Cup Village yesterday to take a photo of the boats for you (and Fletcher). She will try and remember soon (I think she is on the road to demencia)!

From Zoe:

Harriet- the food on the plane was yuk

Hugo- were the hot pools cool?

Carl & Moutere - yes we are enjoying Spain. Yesterday we bought bikes from the supermarket (you buy EVERYTHING from the supermarket here)... we rode them home and then along the promanade to daddy's work. It took us an hour to get there, but it was on bike paths the whole way. My brother rode into a tree (and also into the back of the legs of a spanish lady on the way back) because he wasn't looking! It is great fun though. The weather has been much better the last few days. There is a very cool playground playground at the beach. There is a huge rope spider web which you can climb. I will try and take a photo of it today.

Love Zoe