15°59'N 25°59'W - Yes! We finally left the Cape Verdes. It was wonderful having visited them, even if only for one and a half days. But it's about time we get to Barbados.
After Fiona's - understandably precious - laptop died this morning, her mood crashed to a new low point. Who needs Trade Winds and high & low pressure systems, when you have your own Personal Onboard Depression (POD™)?

I'm pretty sure that I'll visit the Cape Verdian Islands again sometime. Hopefully then together with Chris, and with plenty of time to explore them all, by sail of course.
Mindelo is a great town. It's a big, juicy piece of Africa and a spicy chop of Colonial Portugal, with a slice of Sweet Island Rhythm on top. It's in the people, the sounds of the language, and in the music that makes the air vibrate at night. It's so friendly and relaxed, poor but happy, lazy yet still happening, smelly but sweet &fresh, and very shabby but oh so beautiful. One can imagine that should you be the victim of a pickpocket, you would simply return the friendly big smile of the local that's robbing you, and hand him a cigarette as a bonus.

We're sailing now, after a good wind yesterday evening, and a poor one tonight. It's seems we have yet to encounter the real 'Trades', but we're getting there.

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