While at Setubal the crossing buddie Ari arrived from Finland. Some local restaurants away from the tourist zones with local speciality Fried cuttlefish and visit to the nearby sea tide water mill, that uses the tide system in the swamp area to make the mill work during high tide to low tide moments. Quite old and unique engineering that is today just a living museum.
Visit to region famous winery to buy very very NOT expensive of good wine and sparkling before going to supermarket to buy lots and lots of food to the crossing to Canary Islands.
Day was long and it was time to rest and next day visit the surroundings, weather was promising a nice window to sail on sunday.
Had a lovely dinner at local Miguel with delicious seafood and grilled fish.
Sunday morning visit to amazing (considered the best in Portugal and surroundings) fish market, where it’s possible to have a class of nature,such is the variety of meat, fish, fruit, cheese, and spicies.
And under a pouring rain, we had to say farewell to the crew, could be dramatic saying that skyes were crying as well.
Lagos, Monchique, Silves
After leaving Setubal, Victoria kept heading south but now without us, new seamen on board (Ari). Arriving at Portimao they found it would be a nice place to do some repairs and luckily stay until the weekend so we could drive there and be with the gang for a couple more days. Visiting nearby Lagos for some boat stuff shopping, visit Ponta da Piedade and after it, drive to the mountain area for a differente lunch than the expected at Algarve: mountain food. Wild boar, deer, chickpea stew with pig meet, delicious grilled meat. All that at a terrace on a mountain house, where with a clear sky the sea is there. Last visit was Silve, formerly a moorish town of the Al Andaluz Califat. Something of it is still there but the red castle is quite unique, surrounded by orange and pomegranate groves. Next day we visited neighbor town of Ferragudo and had lunch by the bay on the opposite side of Victoria's marina. We tried the xarem (type of Polenta) with grilled fish and clams. Delicious.
Weekend was ending and it was time for one more emotional moment of see you later, this time no pouring rain. Despite the lack of the famous north wind that would take us really sailing from Vigo to Lisbon (or somewhere else close), we can’t thank enough for the opportunity. Life on board couldn’t be better: happy, relaxed, easy-going, garlic and chilli addicts, confident on the navigation and sailing procedures, kind, lovely, sympathetic, outspoken and intelligent crew that amazingly hosted us at their beloved S/Y Victoria and shared a bit of their new life moments with us. We had incredible experiences at Victoria e really different from life on land: the way we splet, managing every day a new way until we find the way, the fact that the bed has an irregular shape, the best way was side by side, head to feet. Getting the marina wifi with the arm nicely stretched at the window How to use the toilet while moving or even the correct movements to get in and out of the compartments. The cooking on a swinging stove and oven, the simple dish washing process. The precise grocery storage in the different cabinets and the very original mesh bag to hold fruits. The yazzi playing. Victoria’s swing gave us an so organic rest, and so close to nature cycles. The small notion of what is the force of the the sea, look to the waves e feel them pushing us to the harbour. Forever in our memories will be moments like: the fresh brew coffee in the morning, the breakfast “table” preparation, the clearing of captain’s breakfast seat for his energy refill and silent what’s up with world update moment while we
were giggling and making fun of him, the constant hugging and kissing, the constant flirt
ing to the captain and his consistency of not giving away not even a smile, the permanent concern about us, the decision moments of what shall we do next (being next 5 minutes or tomorrow), the endless sight of the horizon in the ocean, the wind pushing us forward and the ocean lulling us, Mikko’s expression of joy while on the helm, Vali’s joy when cooking, th
eir face at the restaurant in Viana do Castelo, Mikko’s almost poker face in such moments like the ice-cream video… and lots of memories that yoyo it’s difficult to translate IN SHORT AND SIMPLE: WE LOVE YOU!
We love you! V&M
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