Journal, Las Palmas

"Wednesday, 11/19
"Las Palmas is quite a bustling little city. I would guess of 200-300,000 (actually about 350,000). After mooring satisfactorily we walked around quite a bit looking for a place to eat lunch but finally gave up and came back to the hotel (Santa Catalina - an old colonial pile where we would stay until the start) and had a nice lunch of club sandwiches in the poolside bistro. Actually, I volunteer to spend the night on board as we are a little paranoid about leaving the boat empty overnight in such an urban setting.
"Started our evening with martini cocktails in what we came to call the 'Cairo Bar' at the Santa Catalina. Very old world with rattan furniture, ceiling fans, and crisply starched bartenders. Sydney Greenstreet in a fez would not have been out of place. There was a crew in 'ice maiden' costume for the evening ARC festivities, a "fire and ice" theme party. They were out of place.
"We also catch sight of some drinkers wearing crew uniforms from "Roxy", a J/145 that has been something of a nemesis of Anthem this past summer, nosing her out in both the St. Malo race and the Fastnet. Instantly, Roxy becomes our arch rival in the ARC.
"Our evening meal is taken in an Italian restaurant we had found on our walk (not open for lunch). It was empty when we arrived at 8:30 and there were maybe two other tables of diners when we left at 10:30. Tom ordered our usual ration of a bottle of white and a bottle of red. I had steak with green pepper sauce - very nice - and the others had pasta. We somehow ended up with a bottle of grappa on the table, from which to my shame I drank. Stumbled back to the boat, passing the ARC costume party on the way. Fell into my bunk."