Better weather allowed us to get on with some of the work we needed to do. A ladder is important if you go for a swim and want to get back into the boat! That was one of Anna's jobs.

We enjoyed our stay in Rota, which extended to two weeks, not least because half way through the fortnight our Danish friends, Frank and Ove, arrived on their boat Naomi. Malcolm had a bit of an accident then Frank had a rather more serious one. When we had arrived and finished filling in the paperwork, we started tidying the boat. Malcolm was coiling a rope but didn't notice he had reached the end (the "bitter end" in seafarer's talk). It flicked up and knocked his glasses off. They flew a graceful loop over the edge of the pontoon and into the water. Anna made a despairing grab but couldn't quite get to them before they sunk out of sight.

Frank is a diver and when he arrived and heard what had happened he offered to go down and look for them on the bottom. "Sunlight reflects off the lenses and it might be possible to see them", he said. He got into his wetsuit and pulled his airtank onto his back and sunk below the surface. Unfortunately, the pressure in his ears didn't equalise as it ought to have done and he burst an eardrum. It was very painful for a couple of days, and put a stop to diving for a few weeks. We were all very disappointed for Frank.

Orange trees line many streets and squares in the south. The fruit hangs on the branches adding colour but it is purely decorative. The oranges are too sour to eat - we tried one.

There is a man who has a job that many people in this world dream about. He looks after the barrels of sherry and there are thousands of them. He has a long implement like a ladle that he dips into the casks taking just a few drops to taste. It takes him weeks to check them all. Does he drive himself home after work?

We got to taste some too - but poured out of bottles - dry, medium and sweet in that order.