After an exceptionally good nights sleep rocked in our cradles we awoke to a volley of explosions on the beach.   Why?  What for? Who knows!  They didn’t seem to be aimed at us so we watched the show while munching on our cereal.  We then headed ashore to explore Sao Martinho, not that there was a great deal to see, but had a pleasant stroll along the beach where the only people we met were a kindergarten class at work and can only assume that the tourists discoing til the small hours were all still tucked up in their beds.  At least until the explosions which perhaps, in retrospect, are the locals just teasing the tourists with hangovers.

Sao Martinho is a strange contrast of old and new with ruined fortifications on the cliffs, an ancient tunnel for seeing what is heading round the corner, a few dilapidated but still beautiful old houses and then a chirpy row of hotels and cheap and cheerful market stalls for the tourists.  The place that we found the real Portuguese lurking was the proper market up the hill where we topped up with fresh bread and tomatoes and learned to say abragardo instead of gracias.

The wind has gradually built up over the day and HOORAY we have actually been ‘proper’ sailing.  The boys became over excited and just had to put up the groovy, highly coloured cruising chute and we have been bowling along at 7 knots, entirely off course but heck we are SAILING.  We do have to get ourselves back on track before we hit the dual carriageway outside Lisbon as we have to sneak through close to the shore to avoid all the big boys tanking their way up and down the coast, although they are a great deal easier to see than the eternal lobster pots that plague our progress.  No wonder we aren’t seeing any dolphins!

Haley has been in charge today and done all the passage planning.  Hopefully she has timed our departure from Sao Martinho and planned arrival at Sines so we will once again arrive in time for dinner!