Well it’s been a while since we last posted to the blog so it’s high time we started doing so again now we are back in sunny Lagos Marina.

We would like to say many, many thanks to everyone who gave us a bed for a few nights and fed and entertained us most royally during the recent UK trip. We covered a fair few miles criss-crossing the country and there were still some folks it proved difficult to get to see, so we will look to resolve this next time we are back in the UK. It was really great spending time with everyone and we are very much looking forward to hosting our visitors over the coming months. Thanks to Oliver we even did our ice bucket challenge, though a technical glitch with the camera means photo’s still need to be provided by way of proof –( thanks for the water in my left ear Ruth – took and age to come out!)

We ought to say our EasyJet trips were very good, very efficient and bereft of the somewhat chaotic scenes we have experienced in the past.

After our hectic trip to Portugal, and the peripatetic UK visit, we have treated ourselves to a few days of just resting and relaxing before starting on the list of projects to complete before we move once more. Lagos Marina is still a friendly place and, at the moment, is fairly empty of over-wintering live-aboards, though things may yet change as boats come through heading for the Canaries and ARC 2014, and those on 9 and 6 month contracts arrive. The social side of things starts again soon so it will be interesting to see what activities take off and what opportunities there may be for new ones!

There is an OCC Rally here at the start of October for 3 or 4 days and it will be interesting to see who comes through, where they are going and where they have been.  We plan to participate, so more in due course – naturally food and drink is involved!

We have a long(ish) list of things to do over the winter period so there will be no time for idleness, just in case those of you who think we simply float about doing nothing, are still not persuaded of the nature of our work – we do have lots and lots and lots and lots of........well you sort of get the picture. We will still be reading a lot, though to our regret, the Guardian is no longer sold on the Algarve! Almost every other paper is – maybe it says something about Guardian readers and this part of Portugal?! Susan is very disappointed as she now has to get the crossword and Sudoku on-line, though we do save a few euro’s each day .

After a few days re-acquainting ourselves with the amenities, super-markets, farmers markets and the beach J we are ready for the coming season.............aahhhhhhhh!

We will post a selection of photos from our UK visit soon.

More in due course

Andrew and Susan

Andromeda of Plymouth

Marina de Lagos,

Sunny Algave

Portugal

Europe