Maderia - still here! by Ella 31/10/08

We are waiting to leave Maderia after nearly three weeks here because we need to see my Grandad, who we call Bestefar, in Tenerife, he arrives in 4 days time! But the problem is that the weather is really bad in that it is really windy here. Two boats have been out, one broke it´s mast and the other one had a knock down, that means the mast touches the sea, this is not a good thing to happen. So we are being safe and waiting for the wind to die down a bit before we leave and Bestefar will have to stay in a hotel till we can get there!

We have been busy and having fun though as there is another boat called Starblazer with two children on called Josie and Clemmie, we have had great fun with them and hope to keep meeting up with them in different islands too.

Look below as we have added new photos! 21/10/08

Porto Santo by Jack 21/10/08

Porto Santo is my favourtie place that we have visited yet. I think it is smart and old, clean and modern, because they have Wifi and they have fantastic ice creams. We have been on the beach a lot and we made friends with some other English children for the first time on a boat called Starblazer, we were sad when we left Porto Santo as we wanted to play with Jo and Clemmie more. It would have been even better if there was a boy to play with...





We hired quad bikes here in Porto Santo, they were fantastic. We were not suppossed to drive them ourselves as you had to be over 16, but I did. It was really fun driving them because you got to go where ever you like. I drove all over the place and off road too, it was a little bit bumpy, but excellent. Policemen drove past us but they did not mind. I love Porto Santo!









The only thing I did not like was that on sundays they shot rabbits and so I had to hide Kane down below in the boat so that he did not hear the other rabbits being shot! Here is a photo of a man who had shot some rabbits, can you see them hanging from his belt?

Funchal - Capital of Maderia 21/10/08

Today we went swimming with our new snorkel and flippers. We swam around the boat in the marina. Daddy dived down and cleaned the bottom of the boat. It was really cool watching my dad dive under water. Swimming with the snorkel was really exciting, the water was really clear, you could see all the rocks down on the sea bed. I also rowed today and could see so far down in the water, I could see a boats chain and anchor, I did not know the water could be so clear.

After lunch today, we drove to the capital of Maderia, which is called Funchal. We looked around for mum´s birthday presents as it is 4 days till her birthday, I am really pleased with what I have bought for her.

The most exciting thing of the day was travelling in a cable car to the top of the volcanic mountains of Funchal. The view was amazing we could see nearly everything, the banana trees looked so small from so high up. At the top we walked a little bit and we found the tradtional tobboggan sleighs of Funchal. These are like baskets on skis, the men push and pull you down very steep narrow roads for about a mile. they go so fast, it was great fun. I rode with Dad and Jack was with Mum. Afterwards we had to walk down the rest of the way, the roads were so steep, Mummy even got a blister on her foot.

We like Maderia and think we will stay another 3 days before we leave for a three night sail to the Canaries, we have not decided exactly where to go yet, but we have to be in Tenerife on the 4th of Nov as Bestefar is coming out to see us.

Thank you to Sean and Olivia for sending us a parcel to Maderia it was so0 exciting opening it up. I have already read Bill´s New Frock, I think I am now a book worm.

A tour of Brimble by Ella and Jack (03.10.08)

This video was made by us, Ella and Jack when we were in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. We thought you would all like to see our boat and home for the year.

We chose the music at the beginning. The island you can see is called Porto Santo, which is in the middle of the Atlantic and is where we are now.

We have just arrivedanto in Porto Santo in the Atlantic Ocean after 5 days sail from Lisbon.

The sail was quite wavy but fun. We both felt sick for the first day when it was most rough. The boat was rolling and the waves were very high. I (Jack) was sick, on deck, below deck over the side and in the washing up bowl, Ella was better and was only sick once. After the first day we felt fantastic and Jack was only sick once because of too much Coca Cola.

We both did nightwatches and star gazing. The first nightwatch we read about Cassiopea, The Great Bear, The little Bear, Polaris the North Star and the Northern Cross and saw all of them. Have you ever seen the big 'w' in the sky at night ... that's Cassiopea. Your mums might know and show you. Cassiopea was the beautiful queen of Ethiopea but she boasted about it and was punished by the gods who made her sacrifice her daughter Andromeda to the sea gods who would eat her. But Perseus saved her on his horse Pegasus and Andromeda and Perseus fell in love. The gods were still sad so they put Cassiopea in the sky where she would never be allowed to set. We learnt lots more stories.

It felt really amazing when we saw land for the first time in 5 days. Ella spotted the islands first which are very pointed and high. I (Ella) shouted ... 'land ahoy' and Daddy shouted 'where so' .... and I shouted 'fine on the starboard bow' and Daddy shouted 'friend or foe' and I shouted 'foe ...' so Daddy shouted 'sound battle stations' and we all did a drum roll; it was excellent.

We are now in Porto Santo

The End

Food by Jacobus 02/10/08

There are some sweet foods called churros, they are Spanish and they are eaten for breakfast. They are bread like with lots of sugar on them, you dip them in any kind of chocolate, melted usually and you eat them. they are very messy to eat but they are very nice. they are my favourite. I even managed to find some in Potugal.

There are custard cakes called natas which are daddys favourite and I like them too, they are beautiful. the last one I had though I dropped half of it on the floor, I was very sad. These are very Portugess, everyone eats them.

There are sausages here a bit like salami and they are really really nice. I like the spicy ones the best, they are a bit like chillis. The Portugesse word for chilli is pimento and that is what I ask for.

There is a drink calle cola coa, it is exactly the same as hot chocolate and you can choose to have it hot or cold, we sometimes have it for breakfast. Someties they sprinkle this chocolate powder on the churros.

Daddy makes the best cheese on toast that you could ever imagine, they are beautiful. You have to try them if any of you come to the boat. Sometimes he hides chillis under the cheese so you do not knnow if you are going to get a hot one or not! It makes me feel spicy.

I like trying all the different foods in the different countries.

My day by Ella 02/10/08

I wake up in the forepeak, it is the front of the boat. This is my area of the boat. It has two bunks ( this is a boat name for a bed) which can turn into a double bunk, but we usually keep it non double. Under the mattress is a sheet called a lee cloth, you tie it up to two little ring holes and it stops you rocking and falling out of the bunk when you are sailing. When I am in a marina I do not put it up. I keep my books on two wooden shelves which makes the forepeak really cosy and my toys are kept in my rucksack on a hook near my head where I sleep. It is really snug and cosy.

I pretend to stay asleep and not to wake up when mummy calls me in the morning, but then I have to get up and get dressed. We then have breakfast, which is usually either ceral or crossiant and occasionally a drink called cola coa which Lydia and Ines introduced me to in Spain, it is like a chocolate milkshake drink. I love it. It is my job to wash the dishes, I do not mind doing it, it is more fun than at home because we put all the dishes into a foldaway washing up bowl, get off the boat and walk along the pontoon to the water tap and hosepipe. Sometimes Jack gets me really wet with the hosepipe when we wash up, it is great fun as the sun is so hot, so it cools me down.


We then have lessons with Mummy everyday inless we are sailing or sightseeing, this means if we miss school on a week day we have to have lessons on a Saturday or Sunday. We get homework too, but not as much as the European school I do not think! We usually have English, Maths and German with Mummy. Daddy teaches us geography, mental maths and science. Daddy is stricker than Mummy. He has made up lots of games though which are fun where we can earn points towards prizes, one maths game is called ~10 in a row for a cornetto. It is hard and we have to answer straight away with no pausing!

After lessons we have lunch on board the boat, we usually have this outside in the cockpit, it is so warm here in Lisbon and hot, I am already a dark brown colour and Jack is still very white! After lunch we can play, our favourtie can is to put the hosepipe in the cockpit and plug up the drain holes and then we can have a splash about and have a fun type of bath.

We then head off into the town and buy the food for the night, we take it in turns to choose the evening dinner, my last choice was for daddy to make us a Mexican. We love going to the internet cafe and playing a few games and writing the blog and checking our e-mails. I look forward to thie very much as I miss all my friends, please write to me or make comments on the blog. Mummy has fixed it now so you can all add comments on to each of the posts.

At night we have our dinner and then we play family games or listen to talking books. This is a lovely time of the day. Jack and I go to bed at the same time as Mummy and Daddy!