Ratatouille

A wonderful crossing to Cape Verde

Last time we heard, Ratatouille’s crew was sailing in the Mediterranean. Since then, they have headed into the Atlantic and we are pleased to report on their crossing between the Canaries and Cape Verde.

Ratatouille

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Published 31/03/2023

By Gilles Ruffet

Issue: 189

Published: may / june 2023

Discover this issue

Who: Alma, Bianca, Victoire, Constance, Amicie and Matthieu, Yann, Hervé
Where: Between the Canaries and Cape Verde
Multihull: Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42 Blog: www.milkandboat.com

November: waking up to the peace and quiet! The first night without the noise of Ratatouille crashing through the waves. All the planets were indeed aligned! We paid heed to them, and this crossing was absolutely fabulous. What a wonderful memory that we will cherish... Six days without pollution, 6 days without any outside contact, 6 days without any noise other than those of the sea and the wind, 6 days without any other view than the waves, the water, the sky, and Ratatouille sailing across the sea. What luxury, but above all, how lucky we were to have experienced it. We saw hundreds of flying fish, a shark fin, and dolphins. Matthieu and Dad also spent an afternoon repairing the toilet. Mom made a chocolate cake and read about fifty stories to the twins, and the boys must have had about fifty aperitifs. The girls have caramel-colored skin and white-blond hair. When we landed, it was a total change of scenery. The houses were pink, yellow, blue and green, the fishing boats were just like we imagined, and the Cape Verdeans were as warm, helpful, smiling and incredibly kind as their reputation suggested they would be. We had lunch in a small local bistro recommended by a boat friend. To celebrate our first lunch ashore, to my great delight, we ordered grilled lobster. The restaurant is pretty rustic, and we take our time. Abundance does not seem to be the norm, as the restaurant’s menu is composed of just 3 dishes. The small newsstand sells phone cards and a few school supplies. The mini-market has bananas, potatoes, onions and a lot of second hand clothes. At the beginning, we sensed a huge gap in the standard of living. After these few days, cut off from everything, the change of environment was perfect. Life appears very simple, and very sweet.

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