Long Haul to Lisbon and on to Gib.

Progress has been slow and the blog has been non existent. We apologise to our devoted followers for the absence of info on our whereabouts. Portuguese time is one hour behind Spanish time and this seems to rub off inn our ability to keep up with news.

So..... We did Porto in style. The Fereira Port winery tour is to be recommended as is, really, any Port wine in Porto. We decided that an overnighter was due and the winds from the NE were favourable so we sailed direct from Porto to Lisbon. A leap of one third down the Atlantic Coast of Spain and Portigal. We toured Lisbon on the red bus ( as you do) on Thursday 26th June and visited among other things the old port area, one of the many beautiful Bassilica (on tram 28 route) and the Maratime museum in Belem on the coast to the west of Lisbon centre.  On Friday we coast hopped to Sines with a good wind flying the cruising chute. On Saturday we continued south wards trying to sail but mostly motoring to the Baleeira anchorage just east of Cape St Vincent. Our first over night anchorage. What a wonderful peaceful night, to be followed by a second night at anchor in an even more peaceful and beautiful anchorage just east of Faro (Olhao).  Our objective the next day was Cadiz to meet friends, Tony, Jane Sophie and Zoe. With some fluky winds, crossing the Portuguese Spanish border we made it to Chipiona and Cadiz the next day. We could not do justice to Cadiz in two days but we tried. The old town, the cathedral and the many towers and beaches were part of our experience. So, we must move on, and dispute lack of winds we motored SE to Barbata, an uninspiring but safe haven, and thence on to Tarifa where we stopped for lunch, a spot of fising and a quick swim. The afternoon winds from the west blew us with gusto into Gibralatar. A stunning approach to the rock in the late evening sunshine. We are currently in La Liniea just north of Gibraltar looking at the magnificent rock, and we have had the opportunity to spend some time over the last two days in the hills north of Malaga with our friends amid typical Spanish village atmosphere. The winds now blow from the east soo we will take the opportunity to "do Gibraltar".

Photos to follow ......