Trapped between the automatic doors of the unmanned train to Barcelona, I wondered how I had gotten here. I managed to extricate myself while still clutching both bags, fortunately without losing a limb, to land in an awkward heap on the dirty train floor. Panting, out of breath, and still not sure we were heading in the right direction, I returned Kevin’s somewhat exhausted and disbelieving stare - it was after all his indecisiveness that landed me in this position. Armed with two large Evoc Bicycle bags, and two additional duffel bags, we had rushed aboard the Metro after being advised the doors would be open for less than a minute before this high-speed train would depart. Noticing that we were the only passengers on the train I confidently advised that we were clearly on the wrong platform. Operating in flight mode Kevin promptly dragged the two bikes back onto the platform. As I followed him out he changed his mind, certain in his original estimation that this was indeed the right train, and jumped back on. Unfortunately, this didn’t allow quite enough time for me to make it back successfully through the doors with my two oversized bags. A well-timed yank on the scruff of my collar and hello floor. I saw my life passing in a second but it wasn't my time. Turns out it wasn’t the wrong platform after all; it was the wrong station! Metro versus Railway line, yes there is a difference - an extra hour home to be exact.
After 26 hours, two flights, and three trains, we were back in our winter marina in Arenys, Barcelona, having put to rest another chapter in our lives. Not only had we returned from an emotional farewell to South Africa and the beautiful Cape Town, but we had sold and vacated our house - emptying what was our home for over seven years to release our final foothold on land. We truly have become sea creatures now 😉.
Our first time back in Cape Town in two years and we definitely made some rookie mistakes. What was planned to be an exciting two months of holiday and reconnection with all that is dear to us turned into a stressful period of time and people mismanagement with back-to-back engagements with friends and family. The ten days lost to covid isolation didn’t help matters much either. Having said that, my only goal was to see family and good friends to top up my extrovert meter with people I love and who understand my language. This I definitely achieved. I was very fortunate to be visited by my darling sister, father, and son who all traveled to Cape Town to spend time with me. With all the people going out of their way to see us and, if not, certainly demanding to do so, we were very blessed. It's been another adventure and we were made to feel loved and special by the people we have in our lives and treated by our wonderful friends in ways we would never have expected. Two months simply was not enough to connect with all the people I wanted to see. I am scared to question how much time would be enough 😉??
Squatting like a gypsy with a little black travel bag between Jade and the Mothers’ houses was critical to making this trip a success for me. Every valuable minute spent with them was a moment, a laugh, and a memory banked for recollection later.
Settling back into our life at sea, we will be torn between beautiful South Africa and our wild and adventurous experiences on the Mediterranean. Tomorrow is unexpected and frequently over-delivers, from the incredible places we are privileged to visit - to the volatility of mother nature attempting to impress us yet again. Reconnecting with our birthplace and experiencing it with a fresh set of “tourist's eyes” was an amazing experience. While being reminded of how beautiful Cape Town is we managed to squeeze in many day trips and outings between all the family and friend commitments. Yes, it was quite exhausting, but sleep will fix that and the memories will remain. If you haven't been to Cape Town before, I am very proud to recommend that you do go experience this exceptional city. The opportunity to enjoy the sea, rivers, and mountains - by foot, bike, or boat - will not disappoint, as it didn’t for us. Cape Town was definitely on display for us and the two months sadly flew past. All too soon we were once again departing to our nomad life aboard GypsyDjango.
But travel during these times is fraught with difficulty and stress, with the global travel rules - that seem to change on a daily basis - creating a moving target to navigate. When we sailed across the Mediterranean in 2021 we managed to avoid Covid and most of the regulations thanks to living on a privately owned boat. We prematurely congratulated each other on not getting the dreaded jab, hoping to wait for a year or two or five for all you guinea pigs to test it first. Unfortunately soon before departure to South Africa Omicron entered the scene and changed all of that. With the risk of losing our residency thanks to the new Spanish entry rules, we submitted ourselves to something we were not too keen on. Kevin ended up in hospital in Barcelona, brought on by the vaccination, and became even more determined he wouldn’t submit to another.
Then we sat back rather uncomfortably and watched the first world panic unfold as, always a few hours prior to departure, our flights to Cape Town got canceled - three times! After multiple expensive and wasted PCR tests, and plenty of anxiety, we changed airlines and finally boarded a flight. Being a girl, I saw it as an opportunity to include more clothes every time I repacked my bag for the flight!
You can imagine our surprise when preparing for our return journey to Spain, KLM advised us that our barely three-month-old vaccination was invalid, we required a booster, and we would be prevented from boarding without one. After three wasted phone calls to KLM, each time getting a different story from a different individual, the day before departure we went in search of a last-minute, walk-in vaccination center for the booster shot we didn’t yet need. Canceling farewells, a sore arm, and an email from the Spanish Embassy later, KLM now informed us our booster (that they insisted we get) was invalid as it needed to be done 14 days prior to departure. This rule, coincidentally, came in on the 1st of Feb and our flight was on the 10th… This was a fight we were preparing to finish at the check-in counter, but fortunately, by that stage, KLM must have realized they had misinterpreted the 270-day validity rule and we boarded without any issues - other than having to present a negative test that the Spanish Embassy said we didn’t need but KLM wanted anyway and we, fortunately, decided to get just in case. As I climbed on the flight I felt a little like I had been punched in the stomach thanks to all the turmoil and anxiety. The sooner I got back onboard GypsyDjango the better.
Now we are home on our small but perfect Catamaran where, no matter what location we are in, it's our space and I am at peace, calm, and relaxed. I feel a little out-of-sorts returning to this life as the loss of the other feels great and recent. But I know that this is my story and where I am meant to be, and whatever you throw at me, I will live and love and make the most of this journey. It's one of growth, filled with hope, fun, and adventure. While we are not with our families, they are just over the horizon, and one day soon they will be visiting to share our life. That is what I hold on to.
The immediate focus, for now, is completing some winter maintenance tasks that we delayed with our “let’s extend summer” holiday in Cape Town. There is much joy ahead seeing GypsyDjango getting a minor facelift of changes to our weathered sail bags, our fraying trampoline, and increasing our solar capacity so we can go even more off-grid.
It's a balance; we have played and now we work and before we know it we will be hoisting those sails and setting our course to Ibiza to discover new Islands we haven't yet chartered along our way across the Med. ""May the wind always be at your back"" Stay safe till we see you again. 🔱✨💛
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