"We had to walk a long way along the promenade in order to find a bar to help us forget our grief. We met up with some other Swedish shipmates and with them they had their top prize, a tall Swedish counterpart, a female, "Sparks". In no time at all, after a few drinks, the fighting started - so I made off with my mates as it was not our business.
The trip now proceeding close to the Portugese coast gave us a lovely view of the mountains and the water became clearer too, almost transparent so that we were able to see the propellors.
Shoals of dolphins were capering along with us and as we turned the point, near the Gulf of Cadiz, great butterflies came visiting us on board.
In this manner, we crossed to Morocco, taking a big longtitudenal sweep and a day later, by eventide, pointing the stern straight towards Safi we sailed ahead - this was an unforgettable view. The ancient fortifications, minarets from the Mosques in the distance, all whitewashed and clearly silhouetted against the dark azure blue sky, with the purpleness of the distant mountains in the last feeble reflections of a sinking sun beyond the horizon.
We had done this trip a thousand years ago, surely it was familiar, and we could hear the deep singing and accompaniment of the Viking band from down below. I wouldn't have missed these moments for anything in the world as I was a bit of an artist in my school days. I could have painted on the canvas forever and ever............
I kept on enjoying it until darkness overcame this lovely setting. For the first time, we entered the harbour for a good night's rest. Now under the dome of the African cloudless sky - getting a better view of the multitude of stars, listening to the melancholy sound of the Berber music and the singing in Arabic from the distance quarter of this ancient town.
In a bygone age, Safi, had been used as a Moorish recruiting centre for the invasion of Southern Spain - the pirates of the Barbary coast also having had their heyday in this era".
To be continued
The trip now proceeding close to the Portugese coast gave us a lovely view of the mountains and the water became clearer too, almost transparent so that we were able to see the propellors.
Shoals of dolphins were capering along with us and as we turned the point, near the Gulf of Cadiz, great butterflies came visiting us on board.
In this manner, we crossed to Morocco, taking a big longtitudenal sweep and a day later, by eventide, pointing the stern straight towards Safi we sailed ahead - this was an unforgettable view. The ancient fortifications, minarets from the Mosques in the distance, all whitewashed and clearly silhouetted against the dark azure blue sky, with the purpleness of the distant mountains in the last feeble reflections of a sinking sun beyond the horizon.
We had done this trip a thousand years ago, surely it was familiar, and we could hear the deep singing and accompaniment of the Viking band from down below. I wouldn't have missed these moments for anything in the world as I was a bit of an artist in my school days. I could have painted on the canvas forever and ever............
I kept on enjoying it until darkness overcame this lovely setting. For the first time, we entered the harbour for a good night's rest. Now under the dome of the African cloudless sky - getting a better view of the multitude of stars, listening to the melancholy sound of the Berber music and the singing in Arabic from the distance quarter of this ancient town.
In a bygone age, Safi, had been used as a Moorish recruiting centre for the invasion of Southern Spain - the pirates of the Barbary coast also having had their heyday in this era".
To be continued
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