Position 41:20.426N 008:44.853W

Saturday October 18^th

18h30

Wind N Force 2

Sea State Calm

Visibility Good

Heading 152 T°

Under: Main Motor

Speed 6 Kts

Have arrived in Portugal.

2 miles off the town I can hear the Boy Racers. Hmmm.

Blue Tarn here ahead of us can see ARC flag over the marina. Michael is there to take our lines. Obrigado (Thanks). We are berthed beside a Dublin Oyster headed for Madeira in the morning. Very friendly first Portuguese contact, Bruno.

Quick tidy up and head for the club for a beer. This is quite a small marina about 10 mins walk from the town centre where I can see C A S I N O in large red letters, the noise from the boy racers is deafening as I paint a mental picture of Saturday night in town I am using blood red paint.

In the bar we quickly figure out it is better to open conversation in English than in Spanish. I had just become used Castillano and had become quite comfortable with it. I hate this feeling now where you hope that people speak English. It makes me feel arrogant as I am sure it looks from that outside that you expect to be understood. Trying to learn a few words but the pronunciation is quite technical in a drunk sort of way.

Ursula is tired so I go to town on my own and promise to bring home a cheeseburger after dinner. On my way I am wondering where I will find a cheeseburger and realise that we have not seen a McDonalds since Cork. Refreshing.

I have a quick wander around town and realise that its not bad at all and that the boy racer noise is actually a motor racing grand prix. There are very few restaurants and a lot of takeaways so I stop for a beer and realise I have been walking for 40 mins and am totally disorientated. I had assumed that down hill leads to the sea but I am now lost. The last time I remember being lost was in Paris in 1985. 

I pass the Banco Spirito Santo, not sure about the interest rate but should, at least, prove a safe haven.

Have now figured it out. 1. The sea front is a crescent, not linear as first thought, much like the planet and 2. The town is at, or below, sea level therefore downhill leads further inland. I need to climb back uphill to the embankment to find the water.

Two burgers in hand I return to Cerys.

Ruaidhri Prendergast