September 1999 - Dolphins in Spain

Posted 7 September

PARTY

We went to the beach with Zara, Tom, Sebastian, Julia, Hannah and Bumble. Zara went swimming with her arm bands and toddled to investigate. It was really funny watching her invade other people

SWIMMING

Today I went swimming. I saw Sebastian harpooning. I went on my own and I went to get shells. I got only one shell but it was still fun. Yesterday I said goodbye to Bumble and Niggle and Zara. It was sad. I probably won’t see them again until next Christmas.

DAY OF THE DOLPHINS

Today while we were sailing from Menorca to Mallorca we saw LOADS OF DOLPHINS!!!!! They were right next to the boat, jumping. It was lovely to see. I told you I’ll make friends with dolphins!!! Everybody crowded round the bow to see. They were beautiful.

PARTY

Today I saw Chekky (my Dad’s cousin). She is really nice. She lets us play on her mobile. I got about 4 points but Sebastian got 72! It was really fun with Chekky.

VISITORS

Nico and Martha came to stay. We walked up a big hill together. We ate in a restaurant by the beach together. It was really fun. Hannah fell over but she was ok. Soon Nico and Martha went and a few days later we went to their house. It was a lovely house. We met Nico’s father. He was nice. We had great fun.

MORE SEALIFE

We went to Marineland today. There were seals that did a show. They danced. They copied, balanced balls on their noses, caught rings on their necks. It was lovely. We also saw dolphins that balanced balls on their noses, balanced a man on their noses, hit buoys that were high up, pretended to be surf boards, pulled along a boat with two girls in it and did amazing jumps. We all went away thinking of what had happened in Palma.

JELLYSWIM

Today we saw a jellyfish. Big brown ones that don’t sting much. We caught one in a bucket and had a good look, then put it back in again and I took pictures with my underwater camera. Dad found a teeny little stinging jellyfish and got stung later on his forehead! The brown one had little purple bits at the back and looked nice.

Posted 15 September

WIBBLE WOBBLE

We swam to the beach to have a lovely time. We did. Mum took a picture of Dad, Ian, Kris, me and Hannah all doing handstands underwater in a row. Hannah had her bum in the air and kicking her legs, I was a bit wobbly because I didn’t do it properly and the rest I think did it quite well.

SUBMARINE

I saw a submarine. It was the oldest submarine in the world. It was grey with two propellers at the back. On the top it had a porthole and a tiny window. Under its stand there were fountains and there was water brimming over into a sort of pond. It was really cool looking at the oldest submarine. It was designed by Isac Peral in 1885. Mum took pictures of it (SAY CHEESE!). My grandpa was a sailor and sailed in a submarine.

FISHY FISHY

We caught a lampuki (a kind of fish). It was middle sized. A beautiful colour with shimmering scales in blue and yellow. We caught another one, but we had to let it go because it was too small. It was a baby tuna.

SAILING, SAILING

We sent a-sailing through big waves, and had to wear our life jackets. Suzanna came too. Soon we went down below because it was too wet. Hannah had a bit of lunch but I didn’t. I felt sick and threw up. It was horrible. At last we got there and Suzanna bought us sweets and a fizzy drink.

‘sailing, sailing, over the wavy waves ……’

Posted 28 September

ALMERIMAR

We were stuck in Almerimar for a whole week. It was quite boring. Suzanna went a few days ago. We were all very sad but now we have the Duttons. We went to a castle in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It was called the Alhambra. We walked for a long time looking at everything. We really wanted to go to the gardens but we couldn’t because it was locked and dad wanted to sneak through a secret passage he had found but nobody wanted to so we didn’t. On the way back we went to MacDonald’s and for a toy out of the happy meal was the cricket head in Mulan and when you throw it, it makes a cricket sound.

FUNNY FISHY

I saw a very odd fish. It was grey and had no tail! Before I saw the fish, we were fishing and the reel went out and when we pulled the rod in again the bait, a hook and all, had gone! Very odd! When we got there we went to a beach and it was FREEZING cold water! Mum gave me a sponsor that I swim round the boat once in the freezing water and she give us a sweet and I got tea and Hannah got chocolate milkshake. Then we went to a lovely place. A restaurant right in front of us with palm trees lit up in the dark. It was beautiful. Now we are sailing to Marbella.

GIBRALTAR

We got to Gibraltar. It was pouring with rain. We all got soaked. The Duttons have gone now and we now have the Jeffreys. Hannah went with the Jeffreys and went on a cable car to the top of a big mountain and when they got to the top, Hannah saw some apes, and one nearly jumped on her. I, instead went with dad to a computer place and I played on the computer until dad was ready and I also got some crisps. We also saw some dolphins in the bow. They were lovely.

BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ

While we were sailing in the middle of the Atlantic (where we are now) a plane came down really close and if it was above us, it would have hit the mast and it would have broken. It was making very loud buzzing noises and nearly burst my ear drums!

SEA LIFE

We are in the Atlantic and we are not even half way to Madeira. We have been sailing for two days and we will get to Madeira in five days. Most of the time we have been sailing, we have been going 5 knots. This morning, Dad and Mum and Mark saw whales! They were right next to the boat.