Our Saloman neighbour last night

The crew were jumping into the water at breakfast time, all quiet over there this evening!

Domestic arrangements very cosy :O)

 

This is our galley, 1 metre square. It is amazing what can be achieved with just a filleting knife a fresh fish and a lemon!

Sardinhas for supper...

My first loaf baked onboard - great success. Took just 30 mins in the little gas oven, turned once as the back of the oven is hotter. Nothing smells nicer on deck than bread baking below.

Storks today

Our anchorage in Portomao

Here we are anchored, second yacht from right. Inside the breakwater protected from the SW wind blowing in the harbour. We had supper at this beach cafe last night - fresh line-caught sea bass straight on the grill and as you see, only a short dingy trip home :O)

Our lofty neighbours at anchor, the  Swiss boat 'Saloman' right behind us, great view everyday!

 

Customs alonside checking our paperwork - they were very nice :O)

 

This is Heinz' dog Bak 

Portomao Cafe for lunch

We gave the Sopa a miss...

 

 

But these little beauties are figs with toasted almonds - absolutely delicious!

Rounding Cape St Vincent Portugal

Daybreak on the Atlantic

Cape St Vincent early morning, see the angle of the sea! We came down overnight from Sines in a 4m swell and confused sea so sliding from gunwale to gunwale then back and forth on the rocking horse waves...the starlit night and accompanying dolphins were magic...having to hand steer all night was not much fun... but good practice :O)

 

 

Around Sines today

The red chairs of the cafe at top of street where we eat lunch most days - I love the baked local cheese with oregano and garlic best.

 The streets are often beautifully paved. In Sines mostly nautical themes. The Portugese explorer extraordinaire, Vasco Da Gama was born in the Castle here.

Castellations of said home.

Our friends boat at anchor - we're off picture to the left on a pontoon.

At the market this morning - we've got fifteen sardines prepped for BBQ tonight...

 

 

 

Pillars decorated with local shells :O)
 

No Wind but plenty of Dolphins...

The scout...

Then another...

Few more...

Humour me, I've never caught Dolphins on my camera before.

NEVER cross a woman!

As we were fog bound today we decided to clean the algae that had gathered over winter on the crosstrees and shrouds etc. I was on winch duty and Greg on bucket duty as you can see...earlier today I commented that I was going to miss the third series of Downtown Abbey that starts in the UK tonight. 'You're sad,' says Greg, which is something coming from a man who spent three hours yesterday watching men kicking a ball about! Anyway, who do you think is responsible for getting Greg back down onto the boat after cleaning duty?

 

 

 

This is greg apologising 'sweetly' for calling me 'sad' earlier in the day LOL!

Metre long Jellyfish by the boat today

Mosteiro Jeronimos - Belem

One of many towers at the entrance to the Chapel where Vasco de Garma went to pray for safe passage before leaving by ship to search for India.

Cool cloisters a great relief from the sun today.

Plenty of work for stonemasons.

 

 

Best custard tarts in the World

And this is where you find them! On the fringes of Lisbon, in Belém, are two shrines. The more imposing is the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, the Manueline-style monastery that contains the tombs of kings and queens and Vasco da Gama. Nearby is a pastry shop called the Antiga Confeitaria de Belém, home to what is arguably the Holy Grail of Portuguese sweets: pastéis de Belém. The confection’s shell is made from massa folhada, Portugal’s equivalent to France’s puff pastry, it spirals up, creating a nest of hundreds of crisp layers. Inside is a luscious, warm custard.

I am not a great fan of custard tarts, however, I ordered two, ate them, then ordered another two and ate those, then another two...

It's not all sun, sea and sand you know :O)

Sometimes there's shopping to be done. Today was laundry, clean-up  and provisioning - this is how we get groceries from taxi to boat

 

Red Barron came to look at us yesterday

As we came along the coast to Lisbon this little plane circled us. After catching the photo of him I did a double hand wave as he came closer still...

He then did a tiny barrel roll ( see exhaust trail) and was gone, he's the tiny red blip in centre of pic ( if you squint).

Peniche

16th Century Fortress at entrance of harbour, converted to a Citadel in 17th century, now houses a Museum.

 

 

Tiled house in Peniche.

This little beauty suspended in the coffee shop!

Local white wine to wash down freshly caught Robalo ( Sea Bass) and Perch.

 

And then this sunset on the Marina. 

N39*35 W009.04 - Nazare

Greg admiring the view from Nazare clifftop.

The two of us on land. The blue blob to the left of the beach is our Marina. We walked into town taking the funicular rail to Nazare town proper on top of the cliff.

The Church Nossa Senhora da Nazare. Lots of Irish folk waiting patiently for the doors to open at 2pm. I spoke to three of them, two ladies from Antrim and a man from Mayo, they wanted to hear about our trip on the boat: 'So what'll ya do fer Christmas?' they asked. 'Probably Sardines and salad,' I answered.  Before we parted company they wished me Merry Christmas and planted big kisses on my face :O)

Steps to above...

Just one of many narrow, cool, cobbled streets leading to the beach and the Atlantic.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18036392 - this link is amazing!!

South to Figueira Da Foz

Another sunset: at Figueira Do Foz last night. We left Oporto at sunrise yesterday, 4th Sept, to be greeted with gusts of easterly wind between 23 and 26 knots so we made good progress. During the day winds came from all directions and at all speeds. Sometimes we were sailing the fastest we have ever sailed in her, at others motor sailing at 7knots, the Atlantic current with us. Did a lot of surfing down the swell which also increased our speed.  Lerryn Lady was made for this - her Mizzen boom sang to us as we slid down the waves. As we approached Figuiera Do Foz at 6pm the wind literally blew us in - gusting at times to 30knots - giving us an overground speed of 9 knots! We travelled 62.5 miles yesterday down the Aveiro coast with an unending beach bordered by dunes and pine groves.

 We were about 3 miles off the coast and had a few visitors :O) A honeybee hitched  a ride on our outboard motor; a butterfly with wings the colour of primrose petals outlined in black danced about the shrouds for awhile; a tiny beetle no more than 2mm hung gamely onto the helm ( Greg hopes it's not a cockroach) and a blooming housefly that continues to evade the rolled magazine 'THWACK'.