38°41.9'N 009°24.9 W Wednesday 23rd September

Cascais & Lisbon

Left Nazare on Sunday with another British boat Kodiac, to try and visit some an offshore island called Berlenga - just a huge lump of rosy granite looming out of the ocean. We got there first and anchored, but it was very rolly with big swell and we could hear our anchor grumbling and rumbling on rocks 9 metres down on the sea bed. We really didn't want to leave the boat to go for an explore and Kodiac felt likewise, so we headed off for an overnight spot outside Peniche. Not a lot to recommend it and a Policia Maritima guarding its entrance, so a very utilitarian stopover!

On towards Lisbon and where we were going to put the boat, Cascais. Cascais and its neighbour, Estoril are at the mouth of the River Tagus, which leads into Lisbon. They are both very smart and elegant suburbs, famous for summer residences of the wealthy, the beaches and the Estoril grand Casino. The marina at Cascais is similarly for the well-heeled - very posh, extremely expensive. No wonder about 25 boats were at anchor instead in the bay - and we joined them. Most we recognised from stops further north - the international community slowly working its way south, the Dutch, Norwegians, British, French, German and Swedish.

First full day to go and visit Lisbon. R's sister and brother-in-law, Marion & Roger, were docking that morning in Lisbon as part of a cruise they were taking down to Gibraltar, Malaga, Tangier and back. They had one day there and we had managed to coincide! So had to meet up.

Talk about jammy whatsits! We went to get a train ticket for the 40min ride to Lisbon town centre, only to be told all transport was free that day due to it being the European Day of Mobility. So not only was our train free, so too were all the metros, buses, trams, elevadors, funiculars and ferries across the Tagus - for that day only!
So a good day out, met up with M & R after watching them go past in a bus, visited the Castelo de Sao Jorge and a bit of the Alfama (old Arab) district. Went to see the Elevador, literally an elevator taking you from one level to another of the city. We got a bit lost and it was very hot. We said goodbye to M&R after a snack lunch, they went back onto a tour bus and we went in search of a funicular taking you to the top of the Alta district. From there we walked, took buses, a ferry and finally a tram back. We were determined to use all the means of transport available for free!

Lisbon is big. Porto was manageable, but we would have done better here with a prior recce to target what we wanted to see. We felt we hadn't done it justice, did not see as much of the old district as we might have, nor all the tiles and mosaics there are. Perhaps on the way back. Saw the cruise ship leave that evening and flopped gratefully back "home" on the boat. There are some monster boats there, one we thought might be the Russian billionaire's (Abramovich?).

Explored local Cascais - very nice and calming after the bustle of Lisbon. Also had my wrist x-rayed at local hospital as still very painful and R not happy. But nothing broken, just badly sprained, so it got wrapped up again.