Irony of fate

 Since two weeks we are back on the boat and since two weeks I am flat and listless, lying like the mop of the Bavarian government for 1,7 Mio.€, in a broom closet and trying to get healthy again. If you can trust the Internet and the various health sites, the symptoms point to Corona, but if that is so, it can only be the German and not the British or South African variant, because Gaby has not yet infected. 

Approach La Palma

The Corona test was mandatory for re-entry to the Canary Islands, and had to be picked up personally. This was also the only situation in which I had to enter the clinic twice, while Gaby was only once. Since of course the passport number was not on the protocol, I also had to wait a quarter of an hour in this clinic. "Take a seat back there for a moment" was the instruction, which then converted a negative test result into a positive one. Of course, nothing in writing, there was then after a quarter of an hour only the passport number on it and that was not even correct. Well, irony of fate. Resignedly I said goodbye to the clinic, the test cost only 120€ per nose, you can not start to complain, just because a number is not correct. The passport number was then also not the problem, the quarter hour perhaps then rather nevertheless. But maybe I'm just the only one who got a normal flu somewhere out there. At least Corona wouldn't have felt any different to me than a normal flu. In the end, I was out of action for fourteen days, and anyone who has ever had a real man flu knows what I'm talking about. Meanwhile I feel much better, which is not only due to the beautiful weather here on La Palma. For days we are in the middle of a high pressure wedge, which extends between the Azores in the north and Cape Verde in the south, and which provides mild and weak windy weather. Because of the weak wind, the temperatures are two or three degrees higher. The light and the sun do the rest and so the body comes more and more to strength. Unfortunately, the sense of taste is still impaired which makes eating very boring. A first walk takes us to the beach promenade and we walk on black sand towards the sea. Although the ground is quite hard, I have to stop several times to catch my breath. But it's nice to let the wind blow around my nose again and to feel the sun on my skin. 

Katinka

The next morning I wake up and hear the water pump inexorably trying to pump water from empty tanks. Gaby wanted to take tea water and has pulled the last sip from the last tank. The pump is now trying to compensate for the difference in pressure between the intake side and the outlet side, which it will not succeed in doing if there is no water. So I roll out of the bunk and help the pump by interrupting the power supply with a circuit breaker. Now we have breakfast first and then fill up the tanks again. Since our water maker is still conserved, and here in the port anyway not to use, we help ourselves here to the water tap at the jetty. With a hose connection and about 100 adapters that we have in stock - you wouldn't believe how many different thread types and sizes there are for water taps - we make the connection to our tanks. The switch lever from the watermaker to the external connection is changed over, the access valve is opened and the first tank valve "open" all others "closed", this is the start setting. Now it's time for water! The water gurgles into the first of four tanks. I check the level on the tank gauge and then close one tank to open and fill the next. After half an hour, we have filled up with 400 liters of fresh water. I switch the changeover valve and close the access valve again. I switch the pump on again and after a short time the pressure balance is restored and the pump shuts off on its own. Everything is back to normal and we have fresh water again for quite a while. Next week we will resume our activities and continue to explore the island. Until then, we wish you as always faie winds and keep a stiff upper lip.