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2011 Ronda and Surrounds, Spain

A short excursion inland by train from Gibraltar to Ronda, a magical spot, lovely buildings, stunning setting, spectacular countryside.

Jul 7, 2011

Photos: 31

2011 Moroccan Faces

We took a couple of days off Balvenie and headed into the Rif Mountains to the lovely town of Chefchaouen. We love to sit in places like this and just watch the goings on. The town square was just such a great spot for this. All these wonderful people were just going about there daily lives, the men sitting and chatting - the women working!!!! The images are great, but we respect their privacy and do not zoom in on them and only photograph up close with permission. Read about our couple of days there and see more photos at www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com and click on the Morocco label.

Jun 11, 2011

Photos: 21

2011 Spain Cartagena Semana Santa (Holy Week) 2011

The week leading up to, and including Easter is full of celebrations throughout Spain, and Cartagena certainly does its share. They start one day earlier than the rest of the country with their Patron Saints Day when the locals are attired in traditional costume and give flowers to the Patron Saint. Following this there are daily and nightly parades depicting the various days of Easter. It's a lively time to be in town, but includes several very late nights!!

Apr 14, 2011

Photos: 24

2010 Spain

We decided to make the most of a forecasted spell of fine weather and hired a car for a week to explore some of Southern Spain. We headed north and covered Cuenca, Toledo, Madrid, Ubeda, Granada and the Sierra Nevada's. To see the full story of where we went see read our blog posting "Exploring Espana - Dec 2010" at www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Dec 30, 2010

Photos: 39

2010 France

We arrived into France from Monaco, our first stop was Villefranche, just east of Nice. My cousin Neil and his wife Barbara drove down to join us for a couple of days, along with Sparky their Shetland Sheep Dog who adapted to life on board very well indeed. We didn't spent long in France, the weather was becoming very unsettled and we encountered some nasty storms. For more on our stay see our blog at www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Sep 2, 2010

Photos: 8

2010 Monaco

We stayed 3 nights in the Marina in Monaco, something we thought we could never afford. We had a great time there, walked the Grand Prix circuit, watched the "changing of the guard" at the palace, visited the excellent aquarium, spent hours in Casino Square people and car watching - what an unbelievable display of wealth. All up we had a great time there and would certainly recommend it. For our whole visit to Monaco see our blog www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Aug 29, 2010

Photos: 21

2009 Italy

Aug 16, 2009

Photos: 19

2009 Greece Aegean Sea Islands

After we left Marmaris at the end of April one of our first stops was Pedi Harbour on symi for Greek Easter celebrations. We enjoyed an excellent lamb leg on a spit for Ester lunch overlooking the harbour and listened to what sounded like sticks of dynamite explode for the duration of our stay. There is a competition for the biggest bang!!! We moved onto Nissyros and enjoyed exploring its volcanic center. then we started making our way north, visiting as many of the Greek Islands we could, combined with trips back to the Turkish Mainland. These are the photos of our journey through Kalymnos, Patros, Limnos, Evstratios, Paros, Mykonos, Santorini and Poros over a couple of months. To see more about our journey visit www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Apr 21, 2009

Photos: 57

2009 Syria

Feb 23, 2009

Photos: 65

2009 Turkey

Feb 18, 2009

Photos: 117

2008 Partytime in Turkey

A few shots from some gatherings here in Marmaris. First the "Survivors of Pirate Alley 2008" party held onboard Balvenie Nov 2008, then Christmas Dinner at YachtMarine Dec2008, Gord's Birthday dinner at Orange Jan 2008 and several great nights out during the cruising season with friends along the way

Jan 8, 2009

Photos: 29

2008 Greece

As we made our way along the south west Turkish coast we were lucky to beable to slip back and forth to the few Greek Islands just offshore. In 2008 we have covered some of the Dodecanese Islands of Kastellerizo, Rhodes, Symi and Khalki, all of which we enjoyed. Read more about our travels on www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Oct 28, 2008

Photos: 32

Gone with the Wind Photos

We first saw Annie and Liam Nicholls from Sydney on their beautiful catarman "Gone with the Wind" in Darwin, July 2006. We got to know them better cruising through Indonesia on the Sail Indonsesia rally that year and met up with them again during the 2006 Kings Cup in Phuket, sharing many a unforgettable night. We enjoyed their company in Asia then met again at sea in the Maldives, February 2008 and we joined forces, along with Tony on "Tactical Directions" also from Sydney, to make our way along the infamous "pirate alley" and into the Red Sea. We were some of the few boats to cruise the Yemen coast that year and had a great time. We cruised the Rea Sea together and have spent time in Turkey, Greece and Croatia since. Long may the rendevouzes continue

Aug 19, 2008

Photos: 69

2008 Cyprus

At last we had entered the med, what a huge stepping stone. We could only stay a short time in Cyprus as there is very little marina space and few anchorages, but we had a very enjoyable week tied up snugly in Paphos Harbour. We managed to meet up with Marks relatives Diane andn Clive who have retired to Paphos, and we also spent some time touring with Tony and Clare off London yacht Hai Mei Gui. read our adventures on our blog at www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Jun 15, 2008

Photos: 22

2008 Egypt

Our journey through Egypt saw us sail from Sudan, up the Red Sea. We swam with hundreds of Dolphins at Dolphin Reef, a true highlight then we headed north to Hurghada and visited Luxor and Aswan on a Nile Cruise and drove down to Abu Simbel to see the magnigicent temples on the riverside. Then we sailed up to the Suez Canal, did the frist transit and berthed in Ismailia while we ventured out again on the Egytpian roads and headed for Cairo. Then it was time to complete the canal and pop out into the Med, what an amazing time we had in the Red Sea. Read all about our travels at www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Jun 12, 2008

Photos: 79

2008 Sudan

From Eritrea we kept heading north and went up inside the reefs of Sudan. There were some beautiful remote spots and then there was the amzing Suakin, a town in absolute ruin but quite a busy place. We took a bus up to Port Sudan, and had an unforgettable ride back past miles and miles of stopped aid trucks. Read more about our adventures here on our blog at www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Apr 13, 2008

Photos: 54

2008 Eritrea

We left Yemen and the Gulf of Aden and entered the Red Sea thru the Straits of Bab el Mendab. We had some lovely anchorages along the way then went into the port of Massawa, somewhat ramshakle but great and did a tour up to the capital of Asmara. Read all about our travels on our blog www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Apr 3, 2008

Photos: 52

2008 Yemen

From the moment we approached Nishtun Village, our first stop in Yemen we were overwhelmed by the friendliness of the people in Yemen. this has been the most amazing stop we have had ever in our travels, by sea or land. It is a poor country, they have rich oil nations of Saudi Arabia and Oman on their doorstep but no oil of their own. They have little water in much of the country, extremes in temperatures and a coastline infamous as Pirate Alley. Every part of it was outstanding, the small anchorages we found, the cities of Al Mukalla, Aden and Sana'a, the villages of the Hadrawat, the amazin culture which they were eager to share with us. Lastly, of course, the people some of the loveliest we have ever met. 10/10 for Yemen. Read more about our 3 weeks in Yemen on our blog at www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Mar 28, 2008

Photos: 132

2008 Oman

After a windward but uneventful passage from the Northern Maldives we arrived in our first port in the Middle East, the Omani port of Salalah. Here we sampled our first taste of dry desert, camels, camels and more camels, the hubble bubble pipe and the women covered head to toes in their black burkahs. Such a world apart from anywhere else we had been and a great introduction to the Middle East. Read more about our journey at www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Feb 28, 2008

Photos: 23

2008 Maldives

We left Sri Lanka and had very calm seas enroute to the Northen Maldives. We collected British yacht St Barbara enroute who had engine problems and with the lack of wind were drifting backwards towards India, so out with a tow line and we took them to the Maldives. We only visited Uligan right at the most northern tip. For more on our stay there see our blog at www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Feb 20, 2008

Photos: 19

Highlights Australia Dec 2004 - Sri Lanka Feb 2008

Snippets of our life for 4years starting with touring in the Queensland Hinterland with great friends Lyn and Larry off "Zephyr" while waiting for a weather window to head to Sydney, our amazing time in Tasmania, Mum and Dad's visit to Mooloolaba, 2 months in paradise at the Louisiades, then onto Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. We stopped for a year, flying to Europe and taking in the Americas Cup in Valencia. Back to Malaysia until we left in November 2007 and started heading across the Indian Ocean

Feb 14, 2008

Photos: 201

Highlights Thailand Dec 2007 - Andaman Islands Jan 2008

A few snippets on our trip from arriving back into Thailand from Malaysia November 2007, on to the Surin Islands where we spent Christmas 2007 with good friends Alastair and Vivienne on "Largo Star" (underwater photos courtesy of them) then out to the Andaman Islands where we met up with more friends John and Sal onboard "Jaraman". See out blog for more on our travels around these parts at www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Jan 23, 2008

Photos: 61

2007 Valencia Americas Cup

We were lucky to fit in a quick trip down to Valencia while back in England June 207. We bought a cheap car in London and headed for Valencia over 4days. We got a great little hotel right on the promenade just 200 metres from the cup village. We had an amazing time here watching the racing, very disapoointed with the result, but New Zealand still won, it's just that they were all sailing on the Swiss boat!!!! for more details on our travels see our blog at www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Jul 1, 2007

Photos: 18

2006 Indonesia

We joined the Darwin - Kupang Sail Indonesia Rally which departed Darwin late July 2006. 96 yachts headed north to Indonesia and although the fleet spread out and headed in all directions from Kupang over 50 boats made there way westwards through the amazing island chain during August, September and October.

Apr 21, 2006

Photos: 7

2003 New Zealand - Marlborough Sounds

Welcome to "Balvenie". We flew to Picton from Auckland in April 2003 to view Balvenie and fell in love with her straight away. If we were going to go ahead with our dream of sailing around the whole, then Balvenie was the yacht for us. We flew back down in November and after sitting for many a day in Picton Marina with the wind howling, we finally left late November with friends Tony, George and Peter onboard for the journey up to Auckland.

Dec 2, 2003

Photos: 7

Yacht Balvenie

These are all the photos that are on our blog updates, starting with Balvenie sitting in the beautiful Marlborough Sounds waiting to be taken to her new home in Auckland to get ready to leave on her circumnavigation. The rest of the photos are snippets of our journey around the world. Read about our travels on our blog at www.yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com

Nov 20, 2003

Photos: 717

Yacht Balvenie
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