And on to the Algarve
Tamarisk
Tue 30 Aug 2005 09:36
making a stop there difficult. There´s not much either side so we decided
on a longer, overnight hop - our first overnight with ´core crew´ only.
We liked Viana as much as anywhere we´ve been so far but the nightly beat
of the festival drum groups plus a smouldering forest fire, shrouding the
town in smoke and dusting the boat with ash made the open sea seem more
attractive than another night in the marina.
We set off around 1415 on the 21st with the afternoon sea breeze behind us
and made good time South. Penny stood the 1200-0300 watch and the children
slept through undisturbed. By 1600 on the 22nd we were 138 miles further
South in Peniche. Peniche is another real fishing town. There´s a smell of
canned fish in the air and a bit of oil in the water. The marina is for
small fishing boats so we rafted along a pontoon. It was a bit bumpy but
we all got a good night´s sleep.
The next day we headed South for Cascais, which is at the mouth of the
Tagus - the river that leads up to Lisbon. It was another bright, sunny
day with moderate winds from the North and we did fine until just past
Cabo Da Roca - the most Westerly point of continental Europe. The wind
then went from about 10 to 35 kts in the space of ten minutes. We put two
reefs in. But when trying to tack into Cascais, the main sheet got caught
round the bimini frame with my arm inbetween. Penny held the rope down
while I extricated himself but we both sustained some quite colourful
bruises. Fortunately, nothing broken. And I managed to bend the bimini
frame back into shape on the pontoon in Cascais.
Cascais is pretty swish - there´s a presidential palace and it feels like
a playground for rich Portugese. There was a big regatta on and Euro-pop
blaring across the marina each night. We went into Lisbon by train. We had
a look round the centre and did a bit of shopping before deciding to head
back out to Belem, where there are the main museums and an aquarium.
However, while boarding the tram outside the Ministeria da Justico,
somebody opened the bag on Penny´s back and snatched her purse and Anna´s.
They also took a wallet out of the pocket of an American. Luckily we
realised what had happened straight away and got out at the next stop.
Penny cancelled her cards by phone and we spent the afternoon in the
police station filling in forms. It was unpleasant experience and Anna was
a bit upset but the insurance will replace the cash stolen and no other
damage appears to have been done. We will be more careful in future. Penny
has also lost her glasses. She left them in the marina showers and no-one
handed them in. She looks rather fetching in the old pair we´d put in the
grab bag.
Partly as a result of all this, we decided to move on from Cascais and
left on the 27th for another overnight trip to Lagos - our departure point
for Madeira/Porto Santo and where we´ll be joined for a week by my
parents. The trip was fine - gusts again around the capes and a lovely
reach along the Algarve coast into Lagos. We´ve now done 1069 sea miles
since Falmouth. We plan to spend a couple of weeks here, working on the
boat, starting ´school´ with the children and spending a bit of time with
grandma and grandad.
Pics:
Cabo Carvoeiro on the way into Peniche
Leaving Peniche
Anna and Eddie and the main beach in Cascais
A square in Lisbon
Pedalo in Cascais
After a quiet night at sea the skipper steers round Cabo Sao Vincente en
route to Lagos
Praia do Pinhao - a beach near Lagos marina