Day 11: And they're off (in Alicante)

At the start of the Volvo Ocean Race

El Corte Inglés

This morning we arrived at our penultimate port of call; Alicante. It was once again a beautiful morning with 24 degree sunshine and a clear blue sky. Our shuttle bus took us from the Saga Sapphire cruise ship out of the docks where we had moored, and dropped us off right outside where the Volvo round the world ocean race was about to start tomorrow.

What a fabulous surprise to visit the official marina, filled as it was with hospitality tents, crews in florescent team colours posing on their yachts, camera-clicking spectators and a lively press eagerly looking for a new angle on this auspicious event in Alicante. Suddenly, a Spanish film crew thrust a camera into my face and a voice eagerly asked; “Ex cuus mee mister, is you from one of der boats, pleeese? Looking past the fabulous ocean yachts moored on the quay I could distinctly make out our own cruise ship, the Saga Sapphire, in the background.  “Of course I am,” I replied, waving generally in the direction of the vessels. Warming to the fact that they had an ocean racer in their lens they pursued. “How iz it to sail around der world tomorrow?” Unfortunately, my mother dragged me away from the cameras before I could give the viewers of Spanish television my glorious account of ala carte menus and dancing in night clubs until the wee hours.  

And so we walked away along the famous promenade of Alicante with its distinctive wavy pattern, admiring the smaller boats in the marina. Then suddenly my dear mother, like a bloodhound picking up a fresh scent, set off in a new direction.  A couple of blocks later we came to our target, El Corte Inglés. For those not in the know, El Corte Inglés is a famous Spanish department chain-store found all across the Iberian Peninsula. 

Although I had never heard of these stores before this trip, I have now discovered that they are very well known, especially by English ladies (of a certain age) who are attracted to them like iron filings to magnets. They all say it is because of the excellent café and loos on the top floor.  I suppose there must be some truth in this because I noticed that there were already quite a few lady cruise-ship passengers who had made it to the top floor by the time we got there.