Its always exciting when we arrive in a new port. Coming around a headland, entering a river, not sure what beholds us around the next corner, excited to get off and explore… and Portugal in the 3 ports that we visited did not disappoint.
Our first destination was Porto. We had been forewarned to make sure that we approached the river mouth at high tide and Mike had exactly timed our arrival for an easy entrance to the port. Sleep eyed, excited, the view as we approached the marina was grand! I knew that Porto was a city of bridges but there right in front of our marina was bridge number 1.
These bridges set the scene for the rest of our visit. We walked into town, 3 kms along the river and around each corner we were amazed by the view. Porto is set up along steep banks up from the river and thus the need for these very high bridges. 6 in total. It creates a very dramatic backdrop for views and picturesque photo opportunities. Lots of tourists didn’t dampen our enthusiasm and we explored the sights and ate and drank too much seafood and wine. The highlight for me was us stumbling across a local football club bar with their verandah perched over the river and right beside the main bridge in town. It is set in a path that climbs high from the river and is entirely of steps. As you walk up the path you pass by people’s front doors, see into their lives and you wonder how these little old ladies climb up and down this path everyday to go about their lives.
We said good bye to James in Porto and it was sad to see him go. We loved him being with us at the start of our adventure and we were very grateful for the help he gave us while we were finding our way with handling Scout.
So we set off from Porto with just the 2 of us for a 24 hour crossing to Cascais (pronounced Cascaish). 10 minutes out of Porto and we couldn’t believe the amount of fishing pots everywhere. I suppose you can’t have all that great seafood in Portugal and not find it from somewhere. There was one about every square kilometer. The computer game minesweeper came to mind as we dodge and weaved our way out to sea. We did have an altercation with one and the noise as it scraped between two of our hulls was sickening. We decided to get out as far as possible where we could safely navigate our way south.
Just out of Porto we were also joined by a group of very large bumblebees. Harmless, they buzzed around us while we were trying to get out the sails and were a real nuisance. After an hour or two of their persistence, I realised that these poor creatures had taken refuge on our boat and now there was nowhere else for them to go! They hung on and placidly sat on our deck and it was so sad to see some of them dead the next morning. I wish I had been able to do something to assist them.
This sector went well, but along this coast we seemed to have either the wind right in front of us or not enough right behind us, so there was a lot of motoring. A memorable moment was when we rounded Cabo Da Roca. This is the most western point of mainland Europe and where the world believed, for many centuries from the Roman times that this was the end of the earth. Aptly named ‘Lands End’. Well, we rounded that cape and we thought we had nearly got to the end of the earth. Crazy wind change, high seas… and we bashed and crashed our way for the next few hours into Cascais. We and Scout were covered in so much salt that when washed off the boat in port it resembled a thick briny solution. Mike was absolutely exhausted and after a lengthy check in procedure at the marina, we were relieved to have arrived.
Cascais is a beautiful town. A quaint city, beautifully maintained houses and gardens with interesting laneways that work their way around the inlet beaches. Lots of energy and excitement, very picturesque and it was packed – Lots of tourists. I am only glad that we weren’t there in the heart of summer. There would be no room to move. A very busy, expensive marina with, need I lament again, dreadful internet. The highlight for me was my run out along the cliffs one morning with breathtaking scenery.
Our next sail was a 9 hour day sail to Sines. I think it was the first time that Mike really got to relax and enjoying sailing Scout. Not only was he becoming used to her but we had some favorable sailing winds where we could just sail for a change instead of just battling to get where we wanted to go. Mike was also becoming now more capable and relaxed with docking Scout. We arrived in Sines relaxed and high again on the adventure and thrill of what we were actually doing and what this is all about for us.
We loved Sines. A small town perched high on a headland with a beach and harbour dropped down below it. So high, there is even a lift from the ridge of the city down to the beach. From the sea, you approach the two rock walls and you round the inlet into the calm, pretty, quiet harbour. Again another delightful surprise for us on entering. The weather window forced us to wait out here for 4 days and we couldn’t have picked a better place to rest. We were regrouping for our next big stage, which was going to see us do another 48 hour hop- this time to Gibraltar.
Below Vasco’s Castle at the beachfront
My own Vasco da Gama looking out to sea from his castle birth place wondering what awaits him.
The lift from the town down to the beach
Scout Around The World 