Home Leave

All valves are closed, the hatches tightly sealed, the mooring ropes checked once again and Katinka pulled a meter away from the jetty. I stand in front of the door and lock it. Gaby is already on the dock with the suitcases and bags that we are taking back to Germany. 

Katinka on the jetty

The flight leaves in the morning and we are once again way too early. By bus we drive the short distance in 20 minutes to the airport. Except that not much is going on, the check-in in Corona times is no different than usual. We afford, for Spanish standards, a sinfully expensive breakfast, mainly to pass the time, and then get on the plane at 19°C to get off after four and a half hours, at 4°C. It's cold, it's dark and I'm freezing, I think I want to go back. The prospects are not exactly rosy. On La Palma there were once just nine people with Corona. All isolated and in quarantine. Here in Stuttgart, the numbers are exploding again at the moment and they want to tighten the lockdown even more. Yes, as we have mentioned before, we still have to work on our timing. After all, since we don't come from a risk area, we can move within the limits of the Corona Ordinance and don't have to go into self-isolation. One or the other has his difficulties with that, after all we come from abroad and are travelers returning.

Santa Cruz La Palma, Canary Islands

I am also a little surprised by the disinformation, or the half-knowledge concerning the new Corona regulation. Obviously, the fewest read the text but get their information from the media, such as newspaper and Facebook. The fact that the ordinance was probably cobbled together quickly and that once again there are considerable violations of fundamental rights, and that it would not stand up to a lawsuit, seems to have long since ceased to interest anyone here in Baden Württemberg. One even has the impression that people are getting tired of discussing the issue and that a certain resignation is spreading. Since our government lacks the creativity and inspiration for suitable measures, one would like to think that it would like to lock the people away in order to bring the number of cases down, which is difficult to implement in a democratic state. What ultimately comes out are then, exit bans and exit restrictions, all measures that may help in the current situation, but will have no lasting effect. Let's hope that the miserable crisis management will be honored at the next election. I simply don't have the faith. Despite the cold, at Stuttgart airport, Steffi and Philipp pick us up, and the seat heating and a few bretzels help me out of my briefly depressive phase, my mood gets better and better. The first days are always hectic. Going to the authorities, visiting the doctor, calling friends, making appointments, planning Christmas. The latter is not so easy when only five people are allowed to come together, who only belong to the circle of relatives in the broadest sense. One of them always has to stay at home. 500€ costs such an offence. Mr. Walter Borjans is punished with the facts of the fencing with the party chairmanship of the SPD. After all, he can easily afford the 500€, as can other members of the government. We prefer to invest the 500€ in security equipment such as Iridium go. Since we eat the turkey this year just to four. As a backup there is still the dog, who is not yet 15 years old and therefore does not count, or we offer the leftovers on the Internet as "to go". Over Christmas, the restrictions on going out are largely lifted, so you can pick up food. In any case, we make the best of the situation, when the ceiling falls on our head we go for a walk with the dog, which is allowed day and night. However, the dog now refuses to go outside the door. At the moment we bribe him with treats, but who knows how long he will put up with that. Now we are preparing our Christmas, wish everyone a nice fourth advent, Merry Christmas and stay healthy. To all those who celebrate on their boats, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.