Our sail from North Africa, Marina Duquesa, Searching for Roman Ruins Continuing where we left off in our Fall newsletter, we were in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the North African coast attached to Morocco. We were waiting for the gale to subside that was blowing through the Strait of Gibraltar and working on boat projects (do they ever end?) until, at last, the winds and seas calmed down. From the harbour in Ceuta where our Classic 37 sailboat, Two-Step, was docked, our next destination was just visible on the horizon - Europe and the South Coast of Spain. This coast, known as Spain's "sun coast" or officially, "Costa del Sol", is a popular destination for heat-seeking vacationers and retirees. The hot sandy beaches and reliably good weather are the draw. The area is very dry and in the winter months the average temperature is a comfortable 10 to 15 degrees C, rising steadily in March to an average of 20 - 29 degrees in July and August. Over the last few years there has been a boom in hotel and condominium development, and more recently, marina developments and improvements. Paul and I had avoided this coast on a past cruise, fearing inflated prices and loss of the "real Spain" to tourism, but after speaking with sailing friends fond of this area, we learned we'd missed a lot. This time 'round, we decided to explore the Spanish coast and check out what the Costa del Sol has to offer to the cruising sailor. Besides, with all the passage-making and gunk-holing we'd been doing up until now, a couple of weeks of marina-hopping was sounding pretty good. Protected harbours, secure docks, clean showers, convenient shopping and good restaurants - who was I to complain about a little pampering?  The sail from Ceuta to Duquesa, our first stop on the Spanish coast, is not far - only 28 nautical miles - but the narrow Strait of Gibraltar has a funneling affect which accelerate the winds and tides that flow between the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. To add to the confusion, 200 ships a day pass through this treacherous body of water, so when visibility is down and the winds are howling, it's prudent to stay out of the mix. We set sail from Ceuta on May 28 with calm seas and a fresh westerly breeze, bearing 014 for Puerto de la Duquesa. It was a clear sunny day and ahead across the Strait stood the familiar silhouette of the Rock of Gibraltar. The Rock, standing 426 m at its highest point, is one of the Pillars of Hercules marking the gateway into the Mediterranean Sea. It stands on the European shore, a strategic British colony attached to Spain and behind us now, were the Atlas Mountains and Jabal Musa, the second Pillar of Hercules marking the entrance from the African shore. We had great sailing with dolphins jumping at the bow, until we got into the wind shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar. Then, it was time for the "iron jib" to get into port at Duquesa before dark and meet local friends, Stuart and Teresa Watkins, for dinner. Life in the Costa del Sol is a social whirl, and one of the things we never got used to is the rhythm of mealtimes. In Spain the morning lasts until about 2:00 PM. Then everything shuts down for Lunch and "siesta" (an afternoon nap) which continues through the heat of the day until about 4-5:00 PM. Stores re-open from 5:00PM to 8:00 PM, then it's time for a drink and "tapas" (little appetizers). Restaurants open for Dinner at 9:00 PM but most people don't start eating until 10:00 or 11:00 PM. Dinner is a long leisurely affair and then at about midnight or 1:00 AM the bars and discos come alive and people dance until the wee hours. Paul always jokes that Canadians should never suffer jetlag in Spain. They can just stay on Canadian time because, with the time difference, eating dinner at midnight in Spain, it's still 6:00 PM and dinnertime in Canada! Two-Step at the dock in Duquesa  Duquesa is a modern resort community that grew up around a small ancient fishing village. The old town still exists complete with a stone fortress that overlooks the sprawling sandy beach. It is now surrounded by sun-bathers and condo developments but we were impressed that the designers had kept a traditional look to the new accommodations. This coast has been occupied by many civilizations throughout the centuries and there are so many ancient ruins that no one seems to give them much attention. In an abandoned lot amidst the condos, there are the fairly intact remains of a 2,000 year-old Roman bath lying overgrown with weeds. You'd never it know it was there unless someone local tells you how to find it.   One day we joined Stuart and Teresa on an expedition out into the surrounding hills with Chris Wawn, an historical geographer and author of In Search of Andalucia: A Historical Geographic Observation of the Malaga Seaboard (web site). Using old maps and texts, Chris searches for the remains of ancient Roman towns and his book, co-authored by David Wood, contains stories, history, and beautiful photographs by award-winning photographer, Michelle Chaplow. Today we were helping Chris look for an old Roman town called Saepo. The first part of the trip required a 4-wheel drive to handle the remote tracks and roads. Then there was a lot of hiking over rough ground but the scenery was so breath-taking we didn't notice the scratches and bruises we were collecting as we scrabbled up rocky cliffs. At the top of an isolated promontory, we found it. There were 2 walls still standing, a depression where the Roman bath was and the remains of a cistern. We were so excited! (View a video clip - small version 1.2 Mb or large version 3.7 Mb) We spent the next couple of days relaxing by the seaside with Stuart and Teresa, who we'd met in Gibraltar, just down the coast, on our first visit there in 1991. We'd kept in touch and see them whenever we can. The many friendships you make are one of the great things about cruising.  On a hot hazy afternoon at a quaint little beach bar, typical on this coast, Stuart and Teresa introduced us to "paella", a traditional Spanish dish that is a flavourful mix of rice, vegetables and meat or seafood. Its rich golden color comes from the saffron it is seasoned with, and we enjoyed it so much I went to the local market and bought the ingredients for a "paella" feast aboard "Two-Step". (See recipe in the SeaRoom Galley Recipes.) After several wonderfully fun days seeing the sights around Duquesa, it was time to move on down the coast. The bill at the marina worked out to about $11 CAD per day (electricity included) and the staff presented us with a bottle of the marina's special label wine as they helped us cast off our lines. Now that's service!