Lagos
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Mon 8 Sep 2008 19:58
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LAGOS
Lagos ( pronounced La-Gosh ) on the
banks of the Rio Bensafrim, is a crowded and active trading, tourist and fishing
town: It once had the only slave market in Portugal. Lagos still has
many notable buildings as well as an interesting museum and a really lively
nightlife. The large and impressive marina can
hold 462 boats up to 30m, they can always find space for visiting yachtsman, it
has been awarded both the European Blue Flag and Euromarina Anchor Award.
Along the way, some people have given us negative reports and tried to
put us off coming here. We have found the staff extremely welcoming
and helpful. The marina is very quiet, amazing for its sheer
size.
 We had an enjoyable 16 hour journey
overnight to Lagos, as we rounded the south-west corner of Portugal the landline
changed to sandstone cliffs, a change from the miles of beach along most of the
west coast.
 
 Just prior to Lagos is Praia da Luz, where Madeline McCann went
missing. Our first glimpse of Lagos and the huge,
safe entry to the marina.
 
 As we enterred, there was the castle ( tick in the box ). The 0.7
mile entry ends at the pedestrian bridge. We
secured to the 80 meter waiting pontoon, off skipper went to do his
thing.
 
 Skipper returning
to from the modern marina reception, the bridge opened and in we went,
the view looking back to the closing bridge behind
us, first look inside the marina.
 
 *Beez above this asterisk, far side of second pontoon up from the bottom
of the photo. Settled in, entrance to swimming pool facing us. Restaurants,
flats and holiday lets above.
We
were alloted H3, a very tight space, for me to wiggle
into, next to a Dutch racer. The many English around failed to help us tie up,
Joe and Joelle from Algeiba had seen us enter and were there in a flash. Tied
secure, went to them for a cup of tea. They had been due to leave before our
arrival but were waiting for a fax, they left the next morning. GOD SPEED AND SAFE WINDS TO THEM en route to The
Med.
As I recounted
our Snap, Crackle and Pop episode in Sines, Joe laughed, he too had got out of
bed believing it was his boat, not the outside making the noise. They, being
keen cyclists, had ventured into the wilds of the countryside around Sines, 15
kilometers THERE and the return pedal against the wind. They roared when I said
"I would only do that for serious sponsorship in aid of
charity".
   The very nice
pool complex, the bar we used to sit and do our
emails as no wi-fi on board. They hope to have it in place before our
return from the UK. We looked like a right pair, both with beers and laptops,
only I have to use a keyboard as well !!!!!!!!!, "don't remind her
why". HIM on the Skype, looking like a pirate radio
D.J., £ 24.00 a year, unlimited talk to any English landline,
providing we have a signal. As I spoke to my brother I happened to say "I
cannot believe I am speaking through the laptop" HIM said "makes a change from you talking
through your arse" Well let me let it out of the bag. I have been
entirely loyal to Bear. Now the truth. I had written his two week rest in
Camarinas was due to a fall. NO JUST GOUT.
That'll teach him to ration his red wine intake, when I said it would suit him
to live in the days of Henry VIII, tossing bones over his shoulder and slurping
down the red wine. I REST MY CASE, they ALL had gout in those days. When we
play upword I always try to make the word GOUT. He says his swollen big toe
joint is arthritis. I SAY BUNION.
Well I feel better for that, now it's
off my chest. No more loyalty from me. "but it WAS an injury as
well as gout, I think you are being very harsh, is it because
you keep losing at Sequence (card game )". "Whatever, at least people can
clearly hear me from whichever orifice I speak out of !!!!!". "Spanky girl".
"Old Goat or is that old GOUT".
  The photo I took of Beez ( above )
from a distance, I took standing on this corner it is the
view from our walkway to the rest of the shops. We have to trot this way
for the brilliant shower complex and to exit over the footbridge at the far end,
to get to town. We walked all the way to the harbour
entrance and saw this diddy little "thing" on
our wander around the town.
 
 I took these photos through the window of a very exclusive furniture shop. We
think they show a bit of the Portugese style. "Load and garrish I say
!!!"
Well we fly on the Wednesday 10th of
September to spend 10 days in England. We have had a few days break here in the
heat, sorry for everyone suffering the English summer. So hot the
Blessed Kissing Fish have to rest "HURRAH". The other days we have
spent getting Beez ready to be lifted out on the 9th in Sopromar. The highly
respected boatyard within this complex. She will have her bottom scrubbed, if
the fish have left anything, her antifouling checked and her annual polish
etc.
Today we have lived on board for 6
months and been away for 3. In all seriousness the only time I have been upset
is when Bear was in so much pain and there was nothing but poultices I could do
for him and encourage bed rest. I do actually believe the inflammatory
response started with the fall on his knee. We have had no arguments and no
cross words, "only when I beat her at the games we play and I win, then she
calls me everything"
We have laughed at each other,
with each other, at other people, with other people and wouldn't change a
thing.
 Just like this random decoration in
the middle of a roundabout. All in all we have had a ball.
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