Portugal Summer 2014

Portugal Summer 2014

SY Matelot at anchor at Isla de Culatra

The slightly chilly feeling in the air when we wake up each day reminds us we are no longer in the Med and we give thanks for the coolness allowing us to sleep soundly each night… that is when the wind is not doing its worst, which it actually has, coming in each afternoon with a howl and not settling down again until well after dark.  

We hear the Azores High is not in its usual place this year and the unseasonal wind could be due to this – there has been a dearth of lovely sundowners just lately with friends because of it.  Its not fun going out in the dinghy in a howling gale.

Several times we have caught the ferry into Olhao for shopping, phone recharges, medical appointments etc enjoying lovely weather there, only to arrive at the ferry for our return trip to the sight of white water and very fresh wind.  It has made for some interesting (freaky) landings (leaps) back on board SY Matelot from water taxis which we have been forced to use at Euro 10 per shore transfer, because our dinghy has been out of commission.  Surprisingly, although it is mid summer, our polar fleecies are never far from our reach.

 

Family on board at last!

June and July pass in a blur with lovely highlights as we have a surprise meet up in Lagos with family Nicki and Stu Weatherhead from Christchurch just prior to having Matt Catherine Elliot and Harper on board for a very quick 6 days, followed soon after in July by Emily Marc and two year old Faye from Paris.  SY Matelot will forever carry with her the sounds of children on board, laughter and good times…. We have a couple of disasters with Emily Marc and Faye on board but are thankful they are such good sports and soon we get going for a short cruise up the coast to Lagos.

The compact Algarve coast from the Guadiana River boundary between Spain and Portugal westwards to Lagos provides some of the most lovely cruising and easy short distances that we have had to date.  Soon we feel as though we are going ‘home’ when we anchor behind the breakwater in Portimao, or enjoy a day anchorage with lovely swimming close to the cliffs anywhere along this lovely coastline with its pristine golden sandy beaches and clean Atlantic waters.  The approach to Lagos marina becomes familiar also, with its festive tourist fare tents alongside the canal and old town in behind. 

Culatra Island becomes our base camp where we enjoy the company of John and Janine on NZ boat Orca Joss and also Clare and Tony on SY Hai Mei Gui, - Its been hard but someone has to join the many sundowners and guitar and singing sessions on board these two boats, so we volunteer for the job.  

The swimming on the Atlantic Ocean beach is second to none.  A ‘fresh’ dip in the clearest water over golden sand that we have enjoyed to date.  Not too salty and refreshingly chilly at around 20 deg C.  

At low tide clams are said to be found in abundance in the golden sands.

The grilled sardines or octopus with rice dishes of Culatra and Olhao are a treat and we are very lucky to taste local fare and hospitality on Culatra one day when a family kindly offer to do our boat laundry (loads of sheets and towels) for us and then invite us to taste their dinner - a large pot of boiled potatoes topped with chunks of manta ray (which have been marinated in salt and lemon juice) and heaps of thinly sliced garlic, then drizzled with a generous portion of olive oil.  The potatoes are drained just before they are cooked and the manta ray and other ingredients added, then the lid is put on the pot and it is all left to steam for 10-15 minutes before being eaten.  The combined flavours are heavenly…

Just about to squeeze under now....

Soon word comes of a ‘party’ happening up the Guadiana River with ‘music’ organised by the famous Paul and Hilary, so off we go up the Guadiana, three boats in convoy.  

Our first goal is to get over the bar at high tide which is the only option, then we anchor outside Marina Ayamonte in the brown river with its rushing current, departing the next morning to pass under the big bridge and ride the incoming tide 20NM

inland to the towns of Alcoutim on the Portugese side and San Luca close by on the Spanish side.

As we make our way up river the heat the humidity envelops us until we are in an oven filled with the sounds and flashes of golden oriels, kingfishers and other rare birds which inhabit the riverside environment.  

The party is great fun and our team acquit themselves very well.  At around 1400H each day the wind comes charging up the river like wild horses going into battle.  We are assailed by wind and current for several hours, then everything goes quiet again and cools down for the night, except for the current which stops briefly at the change of tide then carries on, bringing with it the constant sound of water and flotsam rushing and bumping past the hull.  Each day we clear the large clumps of bamboo which accumulate around the anchor chain.

Muddy Bottoms

On our last morning we make a rushed dinghy trip to the still sleeping San Luca for a quick walk around this pretty Spanish town, then up anchor to go alongside SY Hai Mei Gui for some water and a load of hand washing.  We clear the cardinal mark at the entrance to the little estuary north of Alcoutim and make for the pontoon, only to come to a sudden soft stop.  We are aground on an outgoing tide!  Matelot slews around in the current and goes over on her side with the river grabbing at her.  Cap’n Buck works the wheel and the rudder though and manages to get her free.  Phew that was a bit close.  Pippy has to have a little lie down once we are safely tied alongside HM.

Tuesday 15 July – “PumpadinghyDrama”

On the way back to Culatra the next day our bilge pump goes off and we find fresh water spilling into the bilge from our water pump.  With Emily Marc and 2 year old Faye due on board the next morning this is bad news.  All the time we have put aside to prepare the boat for them and shop for provisions, goes into trying to sort out the pump – without success.  

Cap'n Buck hams it up with Marc's hat...

We have to admit we are not very technical, but are lucky to have our friend John on board Orca Joss nearby, who diagnoses the problem.  The bolts holding the pump together have vibrated loose because the pump has not been bolted in when replaced in Palma less than a year ago. By this time we have our spare pump rewired and installed but it too is leaking – turns out it also needs a tighten up. Must be getting old like us! By Monday morning we have both pumps fixed and water on board again and the galley foot pump can take a rest.  Thanks John – we have both learnt a lot.

However Murphy is not finished with us.  On Friday while ferrying Emily and Faye to the boat from Culatra fishing harbour, the whole stern section with the outboard bolted to it, separates and starts to fall away from the pontoons of the inflatable dinghy.  We carefully make it back to the shore with water coming in over our feet, Cap'n Buck holding on to the outboard very tight and Pippy holding in the stern with one hand.   Some very kind cruisers give us all a ride back to Matelot, with our sad inflatable in tow.  Now we are stuck on board with no means of transport.  The water taxis make a good living from us over the next few days and we are immensely grateful to our friends on OJ and HM who go out of their way to help us with advice and rides ashore and back.  Thanks Maties and Missus!

This problem is not so easily fixed.  We think this is the end of our poor old dinghy so Cap’n Buck sets out to find a new one.  The Cruisers Network goes into action and soon we find out there are some good prices at Ayamonte.  Cap'n Buck combines a bit of shopping with a pleasure trip to Tavira and Ayamonte with Emily Marc and Faye (don’t think they enjoyed the dinghy buying part much), we have a ‘new’ dinghy sent to us at Lagos Marina and are fairly shocked at its appearance on arrival.  So it goes back.

Back in action - glued, patched and strapped together...

And... Cap’n Buck and Pippy set out to glue the poor old one back together again.  Heaps of dinghy glue, bits of webbing and Sikaflex later, we get it back in the water to keep us in transport to and from the shore until we can find a suitable replacement – soon we hope.

On the Road again 2014

Happy birthday Richard!

Good times...!

Cruising 2014 is upon us before we know it.  We have waved goodbye to our dear friends and winter neighbours from Danilotta and Frati who have gone westwards leaving us with wonderful memories, delicious strawberry jam and advice on how to use silver to purify our water tanks.   Jude and Oliver SY Whistler have gone back to the UK.  Many others have also gone… Doreen and Alan on Kiah are still with us thank goodness.

Wild cherries

Pomegranate flowers

Our last walk in the mountains behind Almerimar is a blaze of colour and amazing light mingled with spring birdsong and flashes of colour in the branches from migrating birds.

Flowers everywhere, bees busily buzzing too...

C’mon Richard!!!!

We say goodbye to the lovely Maria, our gracious and kind 

local support person and friend to cruisers, who organises all these walks.

Pippy has been through the boat, mercilessly culling anything that we don’t use any more.  Weight has to go.  The local animal charity shop is very happy to receive any donations of unwanted clothing or items.  It’s a great opportunity to have a sort out.  Some of it doesn’t make it to the charity shop! Haha!

The boat is packed with elderberry flower cordial, strawberry and wild cherry jam, pickled green walnuts, salted wild capers and almonds still in their shells, fig and ginger jam and many wonderful memories of gathering this stuff to the sound of nightingales in the spring, a bit like a thrush on drugs and very lovely to listen to.  

The dinghy gets some TLC - yes its leaking again!

Despite many good resolutions, we are one of the last boats away from the winter port and are already enjoying the company of our cruising friends on boats from Lagos who have made passage from there to Almerimar this season.  Okay its all downhill from Lagos to here, but we are starting to wonder if we are ever going to get away.  C’mon Richard!  Can we please go now? 

The owner of the sail loft has had an awful accident while kite surfing and is in a coma in hospital.  The inox shop is also one partner down due to ill health.  We spend longer on the hard stand than we intend (3 

weeks) and end up at the bottom of the queue to have our life raft fitted in its new position on the cabin top and sail repairs done.  Not only this but a last minute addition to the bow (a ‘prod’) is commissioned (by Capn Buck) and also an emergency inner forestay.  We are soon on very friendly terms with the rigger, the chandlery and Stuart who by 0800H on Monday 19 May after a week of easterly gales which have held up work does the last of the inox welding on the bow.   

Now fierce south west winds are forecast from tomorrow and we may have missed our weather window to leave.   We are aware that because Almerimar is on a flat plain below a high escarpment, backed by the Sierra Nevada mountain range, wind does accelerate across the region.  We have been watching the weather forecasts further west for some time and there seems to be much less wind along the coast.  Once we get away from here, we believe we can expect more favourable conditions. 

By 1300H Monday 19 May we are all finished and ready to depart Almerimar and conditions are still not too bad although the wind has already turned to the west.  A few people think we have no chance, but we believe we can get well on the way towards Gibraltar, motoring, regretfully not sailing.  We say our goodbyes to remaining friends, throw our lines and motor westwards, hugging the coast and finding the sea quite flat, wind on the nose, coming and going.  The last thing we say to Alan and Doreen SY Kiah who are waving us goodbye is “If we are not back in two hours, we have gone!”  People we see some time afterwards say they wondered how on earth we got away, given the westerly gale conditions Almerimar was soon experiencing.

Flamingos at Almerimar

Around 2200H and just on dark we attempt to go into Marina del Este, having nudged our way 44 NM, still making good progress.  Richard is tired after a busy day but we cannot raise anyone on the VHF so have no option but to continue onwards as the unfamiliar entrance is very narrow and darkness rapidly filling in.    We have a close encounter with a fishing boat not very well lit and are happy to soon be in open waters again.

At 0100H Pippy goes off watch noting that the sea state is changing and may indicate wind on its way.  

At 0200H, soon after we have changed course to the south west (and away from the coast to make a direct line across towards our destination of Marina Fuengarola), conditions worsen considerably, – sea state short and steep and Matelot is slamming the bow down over the waves and corkscrewing sideways at times too.  The freshening SW wind is coming through the Straights of Gib – against the opposing current we are in.  Cap’n Buck reports feeling unwell, maybe seasick.  Pippy, tired and suddenly fearful of what that might mean, tells him he is not allowed to be unwell!  We make a joint decision to scuttle back into the relative shelter of Malaga Bay.  Immediately the boat is more comfortable taking the sea on the side.  We continue along the coast to Benalmadena, arriving 0730H, both still on deck.  There is no one in the office yet so we tie up to the waiting dock beside the office and crash to sleep.  We are woken at 1100H – time to register and go to our berth.  Wind is very fresh now but some very nimble boat driving by Richard gets us parked in a small spot with difficult access.  No windward line is provided to pull us off the boat next door as we crash up against it with all fenders groaning.   We are not greatly happy but stuck there now in a SW gale.  Our fenders take a thrashing over the next day or so.

Within minutes of tying up there are two very nice gentlemen in uniforms wishing to speak with us and examine our passports.  It seems the stamps they find are not quite what they would wish and so we have to jump a bus immediately and travel up to Malaga to their offices to sort it out.  No problem – we are grateful to their people for their courtesy and consideration and soon back on Matelot, sleeping off the night before, fresh visa stamps in our passports.

Social activity is busy here as lots of people stop to chat with us.  It is nice to be so welcome and we appreciate it but are feeling a little dazed. 

Things are now a bit up in the air about where we are heading this season after July, as Richard needs to get the all clear on his psa test before we commit to the Atlantic crossing.  Pippy is stressing over money.  There is a paper trail of receipts for Alamar Chandlery all over our boat.  We could stop a major leak by stuffing them in the hole if necessary.  Pippy is also less confident after the past year of health issues and feels our vulnerability acutely.  We talk about the passage just gone and what we could do differently.  We agree we should both medicate ourselves for the first few days of passage, starting before we set out in future.  The trick is to find a medication which does not make us sleepy.  Pippy is losing some sleep over these issues.  It is nice to have some quiet time to practice ‘all things being considered’.  It all goes into the ‘wait and see’ basket.  

Carnival, Quarteira, Southern Portugal

Its Carnival time and we have been told that it is a must see in Portugal, so we delay our departure until 4 March so that we can see something of this famous festival.

The town of Loule is the centre of Carnival for the region and very famous for the parade, but our local contacts tell us it is better to go to Quarteira to get a more informal and less crowded view so off we go on the train from Portimao.

It appears to us to be a festival where the locals get out and strutt their stuff and quite a lot is lost on us as visitors.  

We think the children steal the show.  They are all around us in their costumes which look like they get trucked out every year - but are so lovely - all dressed up and having a ball.

We stand on the waterfront with the beach to our backs and try not to look as though we are taking photographs of children...

These two likely lads are up to no good!

 Wow that is some costume you have on there!!!











However, there are some of the adults who look like they have some talent and we can see why they are up there on the floats....

Looks a bit precarious to us... but what would we know! 

The local dairy company?  Cheese perhaps?

Now Cap'n Buck starts to look interested....
for sure....

But watch out for the Minder Cap'n Buck.... put that camera away now Y-hear?

Yep!  We really think the kids have it!


And... a lovely time was had by all.  Thank you Quarteira for a lovely Carnival.

Portugal February 2014

SW Storm over breakwater Portimao Harbour entrance

Another great week behind us and now we really have been here for a month and will renew for another month in the morning.  We won’t say there aren’t any challenges, but considering we virtually put a pin in the map and decided to stay here, we are pretty lucky with the way things have turned out. 

This week we take a 2 hour drive to Spain to get some more of Richard’s super-duper psoriasis pills, not available in Portugal.  

Sticking to the more coastal route of the N125, we stop at small fishing village of Olhao just past Faro around lunchtime.  

The waterfront café is Paris prices, so we wander back into the town and find a corner table in the sun and out of the chill wind and have a plate of Portugese vegetable soup (more like home-made pumpkin soup with vegies and fresh home-made bread) and coffee.  The bill is around Euro5 and there are plenty of tourists here basking in the sunshine and great prices.  We will be back in this region with SY Matelot this season.  

The island of Culatra not far from here is a favoured anchorage of many.

Once at the border we jump on a ferry with about two other people and cross the Guadiana River, finding ourselves alighting on the Spanish side in the very quiet old riverside town of Ayamonte, - we imagine it will be heaving with tourists in the summer - after a short 15 minute ride.  Pippy stocks up with Euro 500 out of the cash machine (maximum Euro 200 a time in Portugal) then we go shopping for the pills, finding them very quickly we catch the next ferry back across with plenty of time to spare.  Our thoughts are very much on the moment this coming summer when we hope to navigate up this river to around 20 miles inland.  It is one of the many ‘must do’ places to visit in the region.

A quick sprint is needed to get around the rocks

We are still loving the walking with Lagos Strollers every Wednesday, usually 12 -14 km - very pretty countryside, lovely company. Not sure which is nicest, chatting as we walk with others, or enjoying the changing vista of the riverside, bird life, almond trees in blossom, and avocado and orange trees loaded with fruit everywhere.  

We walk through wetlands unchanged and dotted with tumbled ruins of dwellings from hundreds of years ago as the sun alternates with showers of rain slipping in and out behind the moisture laden clouds.  

One day we stop for lunch at Fontes Estombar, a truly lovely picnic spot with warm springs pouring into the upper reaches of the river. While we are there a local brings his large water bottle down to the warm spring and fills it up.

It is a chilly day so it is a surprise to feel how warm the water is.  It must be coming out of the ground quite hot further up stream.

 An ancient monastery is a nice place to stop for a photoshoot.

A timely reminder comes our way during one of our walks, of the flares demonstration and tutorial happening at Lagos Marina the next day.  We carry flares on the boat to use in an emergency but it is imperative to practice actually letting one off and this is a golden opportunity.  People bring along their expired flares and there are plenty to go around.   They are let off under supervision from the Maritime Police from Lagos.  It is an invaluable experience. 

The cafe at the market does a great cafe con leche and cake and here you see Cap'n Buck in cake heaven.

Our rental car is to be returned empty of fuel and we still have half a tank to dispose of so after the flares practice, we are off to the West Coast to the Bordeira Peninsular beside the small coastal town of Carapateira. We are not really prepared for the sights we see here.  The massive breaking waves rolling in are relentless.  The newly installed walkway out to a lookout on a point 100 feet above the sea is broken and parts of it carried 100 meters away.  We suspect this happened during the south westerly storm which also moved the massive boulders on Portimao breakwater.  The power and fury of the sea mesmerises us as it collides repeatedly with the land then falls backwards, clinging to the rocks and gravels as it is sucked back out. 

As if in defiance, every so often there is a massive wave which smashes over the top of the next headland up the coast.  The biting cold wind clears our lungs and psyche ready for a fresh start. 

By 3 pm we are hungry and return to Carapateira to find food.  Walking past an old ruin, we joke to each other about it being a possible do up.  Suddenly we are joined by another who offers to sell it to us.

We accept and the deal is done on the spot.  Richard and our new friend shake hands and are invited inside to view the restaurant and see what can be achieved on the do up.... or what could be eaten instead!

Before we know it we are negotiating over the price of a plate of the local lamb and we are getting all the right messages to stay and soak up the atmosphere and the gravy.

What better thing to do than to rest one’s back against the glass window warmed by the sun and give free reign to the senses for the gastronomic experience which unfolds, not to mention a glass of local red wine.  We know the wind outside from the North East is cutting and icy.  The wine arrives in massive glasses accompanied by black olives sprinkled with large flakes of dried oregano imbued with the flavour of last season’s long hot dry summer.

Another plate arrives – unrecognisable to us – called Lingueiras in Portugal, Navalhas in Spain, these sea creatures are dug up out of the sand and are knife shaped.  Served on a bed of garlic rice and tomato they are delicious.

Then to the locally grown lamb – great tender chunks of it in a saucepan laid on the table and we dip in.  Delicious with potatoes and again that delicious tomato based sauce with garlic and seasonings.  We make short work of it, savouring the red wine as we go – one glass only.  Richard still has to drive us home.

Just when we think we are finished, our friend brings us a special local treat with the perfect black coffee made with a creamy cap on the top – a figo hollowed out and mixed with almonds, chocolate and brandy, then all stuffed back in again and rolled in sugar and cinnamon.  By now we are feeling very mellow.

The car is to be returned to Faro Airport on Saturday and do some last minute visits and checks of places to visit in SY Matelot when we are here in the summer.  Albufeira (old town and new town) and Vilamoura (new tourist town with flash hotels and golf course) both have good marinas and are interesting in their own way.

No blog about Portimao would be complete without a picture of the storks nesting on any available chimney top.  

After leaving the car we catch the train back to Portimao then do the walk to our apartment.  It is going to be a very interesting exercise not having a car.  We will have to walk everywhere and catch public transport.

Looking back over our photographs for the whole of February reveals walking, walking walking and how fit we do feel at the end of it all.  Not only this but we meet in the elevator and make friends with a lovely Danish couple Arne and Gretha, also staying in Portimao to get away from the darkness of their winter.  So many lovely places and so many lovely photos we cannot share them all here.  Rain hail or shine Arne and Gretha are there and we share the experience with them.  Thank you both for the company and the laughter.

The day of our seven (or was it nine?) river crossings dawns wet and it does not stop raining all day.  It does not stop us though and we cross them all, keeping dry with our new rain coats and leggings from Decathlon - what a great store that is.

The gypsy encampment across the road from our apartment provides us with much fascination.  The photograph is taken through our window on a wet wet day. These people are living in uninsulated dwellings made of corrugated iron and cardboard.  The women do their washing outside every day and hang it on the clothes line to dry.  Their kitchen appears to be under the trees.  

They have chickens, roosters too, geese and peacocks.  Pippy takes veggie scraps to the chooks one day but they are not interested.  They have plenty of good weeds to eat where they are.

We are keen to find out what these people are drinking at midday at the Municipal market.  It looks good and is called Ginjo we think - maybe a ginger liquer.  Possibly also cherry brandy - more like it. Anyway, it is a popular drink.

Yes spring is coming this patch of blue irises seems to say and our thoughts are turning back to the boat waiting for us in Almerimar.  Not long now before we can return to our home on the water.