Portugal

Sarah Grace goes to sea
Chris Yerbury and Sophy White
Fri 26 Aug 2005 20:03
We have been busy sailing out of the rias at last and have made it to Porto, Portugal.  So far, sailing down the coast has been like being on an escalator, as we have a current in our favour, as well as the wind and the swell.  It is flatter and more featureless, with an endless strip of Atlantic beach pounded by rollers.  Our plan is to go to Lisbon and then leave for Madeira after a break.  Chris says 'It is good to have the coast of death, Cote do Morte, behind us'.   So, no more one thousand foot tall jagged cliffs to gaze at nervously.  We also bought a new camera, and got the cheapest digital one in the shop, just in case someone takes it for a swim.... Amazingly it takes video films, so we are rapidly clogging the computer up with video clips.
Here is a picture of Otti and Mimi at our last Spanish Stop, off the Isles de Bayona.
Otti and Mimi are putting up a Hammock
 
We still haven't solved the problem of being seasick, although apparently it improves with longer passages, after three days.  I hope this is true, and we will put it to the test when we go on passage to Madeira.   Crisps seem to help afterwards.....
 
Mimi says,'Hi Everybody, I'm having a great time, I went to this swimming pool, and we had lunch there and I learnt to jump in.  Also I'm really good at swimming, and I can do this thing where you dive in and you swim along the bottom and we call it the stingray, and your tummy grazes along the bottom.  And also we played with my little horses'.
 
Otti says,'Hi everybody out there, today we went swimming in a cool pool and I learnt to dive! Boo!'
 
Chris says: Really enjoying the numerous old buildings of Portugal's town centres.   Concrete chaos not too much in evidence fortunately, unlike in Spain.   Porto is deservedly famous for it's old quarter - cobbled alleys, balconied tightly packed terraces, tiled facades, and drying laundry.
ps. I can recommend the port...