37:33.337N

007:31.504W

 

Up the Rio Guadiana

 

Radio silence this end as totally cut off from mobile and internet

connections ~ this is being sent via the satellite phone (hence no

photos).  We are as far up the Rio Guadiana as we dare go and have had a

really beautiful few days.

 

On Saturday, Martha Primrose and Thursday's Child sailed in company up

the Rio which is the border between Spain and Portugal. The 24+ miles

were very special, each corner opened up new views.  There were a few

settlements along the way, many tumbledown farm buildings, old

fortresses at each corner where Spain and Portugal could spy on each

other, plus new builds with solar panels and swimming pools, a few lucky

ones also had their own jetty.

 

Martha Primrose had a very happy Isabelle on board, then much to Harry's

delight, Ashley set his tender 'Peggy B' loose for Harry to row over to

Martha Primrose for the rest of the journey. He began steering with her

enormous tiller but was soon fishing off the back!

 

At Alcoutim Ashley's friends Christian and daughter Mia joined us on

their boat and we continued to Pomarao, coming alongside a pontoon and

the five children ran wild for the next few hours.

 

We explored the town which was a busy mining port from 1850's, remains

of the old rickety wharf, a train tunnel, an old quayside, the canteen,

and across the river the old chandleries and houses. It all stopped over

night in 1956 when the mining stopped and has been a ghost town ever since.

 

In the cafe "Casa Maria" Maria cooked us chicken and chips and her

husband served beers, the children ran feral before and after dinner.

 

Yesterday, Sunday, we walked up to a hydro-electric dam that stretches

between Spain and Portugal; built in 1997 and costing 2 billion Euros it

was an impressive sight.

 

Once the new flood began we edged our way back downstream to the

entrance of Rio Vascao, anchoring beside an enormous eucalyptus tree.

Beautiful BBQ ashore as the sun went down and the big moon rose, the

valleys are high either side and not another soul in sight, we are

feeling very cut off and remote, wonderful!

 

Today the children are making dens ashore in hot glorious sunshine. When

the flood begins this afternoon we plan to go up the Rio Vascao to see

if we can find the terrapins, there are two wiers that need a covering

of water to float over.

 

Probably here for a few days, bliss.