The planned 1night/one long day sail to Menorca turned into a solid 2nighter with not quite so enjoyable and tiresome conditions.

We left with headwinds and quite a sea state, trusting the forecast that promised things would ease off… well, not quite. The upside? We now know we can rely on Akuna to be a safe and speedy companion even in far-from-ideal conditions.

Arriving at the harbor of Maó in the early hours, we were welcomed by calm waters and stunning views up toward “La Mola”, the Fortaleza de Isabel II. What a formidable stronghold—built for war, for defiance, for defense… or maybe, in its own way, for peace.

Naturally, we had to explore it. And when the boys came face to face with the Vickers 38 cannon—boasting a mind-boggling 35 km range—it was a dream come true for all four of them! Personally, I was more taken with Maó itself: its charming Spanish houses, the tapas, the life that spills onto the streets after 9 p.m., and the warm smiles that greeted the boys everywhere. Of course, they balanced out all that friendliness by scaring the life out of passersby with their scooter stunts (helmets didn’t make it onto Akuna… so yes, my kids are officially growing up in the 80s!).

There’s something so refreshing about letting children simply be. Needless to say, the boys had a blast. And I couldn’t have been happier indulging in my favorite way of eating: tapas! Small, varied, and endlessly delicious. Menorca really set the tone for our time in Spain. I was genuinely impressed at how adventurous the boys were—trying baby eels, tiny squids, and all kinds of unidentifiable fried goodies.

The anchorage then blessed us with three consecutive nights of calm—pure bliss after the rough passage. The icing on the cake was the arrival of Gisi and Terry, who have now joined the crew. And just in time: they’ve signed up for a tough leg, the passage to Gibraltar! (or maybe “signing up” is just a nice way of saying, we have taken them hostage) Luckily, the weather gods seem to be on our side, sending us an easterly system we’ll ride as far as possible toward the very edge of Europe.

Fingers crossed!