The Medina Estuary Walk

Cowes is separated from East Cowes by the river Medina. Our marina is located on the west side of the river. Today Tore and I walked the long way between the two Cowes, a circular walk of approximately 9 miles/14 km.

The Medina Is home to many kinds of birds; grey herons, black tailed godwits, little egret and redshank - in other words perfect for bird watching.

After heading south, following the path of the old railway line between Cowes and Newport, we arrived at Bargemen's Rest Pub and could cross over to the east side of the river. Before starting to walk north, we stopped for a fish &  chips lunch in Newport. Very tasty at a very reasonable price, £5.40. Next door to the restaurant was a Oxfam bookstore and I bought an excellent book about the trains that used cover the same distance that we had just completed.

About halfway on our return hike we stopped for an fuel injection at the Folly Inn, a popular pub next to the river. In order to get back to Jennifer we crossed the river Medina via a floating bridge, a chain operated ferry. We willingly paid the fare of £1.50 per person rather than backtrack to the starting point.

Cowes is the place to be...

...on the Isle of Wight if sailing is your passion. The town is most famous for Cowes week which takes place in early August. The whole town is then transformed into an international venue for competition on sea - Cowes is not only the yachting center of the Isle of Wight,  but arguably the world.

Hungry and thirsty after sailing or sail watching? Don't worry, in Cowes (pop. 10.500) you will find more restaurants and pubs per square mile than any other town in the UK. Bon appetit!

Celebrating 55 years of friendship

In 1964, while working in kibbutz Sdot Yam (pop. 680) in Israel, I met Mary, a very happy and positive girl from the Isle of Wight. We have kept in touch ever since and she is still living on the island with her husband John.

Today I had a chance to meet them again for a little friendship luncheon followed by a grand tour around the island by car. A couple of month ago Mary & John celebrated their 50 year wedding anniversary in a rather unique way. They sponsored the installation of a wooden bench along a public pathway overlooking the rolling hills of the island. After a practical test I can confirm that the bench is a great place to rest your tired legs.

Good morning Cowes!

City view at 7.15 while enjoying an open air breakfast on onboard Jennifer in Cowes Yacht Marina. Only musical entertainment is a seagull concert.

Cowes Yacht Marina...

...is now temporary home to Jennifer and her crew until at least May 16th. It took us 122 hours to cover 725 NM from Porto, 56% of the trip under sails only!

The distance between Cowes and Amsterdam, our next scheduled destination, is 250 NM. Lasse would like to make one overnight stop in Dover on the way in order to make the next part of our trip as comfortable as possible. We can expect strong head winds when we leave Cowes and head out in the Solvent and later the English Channel.

Our marina is offering first class service to all its visitors and is conveniently located close to Cowes city center. It is still off season here - perfect for me who likes quiet places! It is easy to get around and to book a table in one of the many nice looking eateries in this town. After a hot shower at the marina club house, Tore and I had a traditional fish & chips meal in a pub next to the harbor.

Happy S/Y Jennifer crew members..

...after sailing nonstop from Portugal for 5 days and nights. We are all still best of friends! Shown here is Lars as duty officer at the helm and next to him off duty Staffan having his morning coffee. In the background: the Isle of Wight.

Time to raise Union Jack...

...by captain Lasse before we reach our anchor place in Cowe marina.