The boat went back in the water on Monday afternoon and after a few checks and a last minute complimentary deck wash we left Porto for Lisbon.
The sea was virtually flat with little or no wind, a stunning sunset and dolphins accompanying us for over an hour we motored down the Portuguese coast overnight arriving in Cascais 24 hours later.
Lisbon
After a provisioning shop in Cascais we arrived back at the boat to be asked by the harbour authority to leave as they were closing the anchorage for a regatta. We pulled up the anchor and headed into the Rio Tejo to Lisbon to find another anchorage.
Against the outgoing tide it took several hours to negotiate. There was plenty to see on the way. In medieval times Lisbon was one of Europes busiest ports.
Holding our breath as we pass under the Ponte 25 de Abril Bridge
There are several marinas to choose from but we settled on anchoring in Seixal situated off the Canal de Barreiro,in the Rio Jude. It seemed the furthest point in the harbour and was a lovely still night and with a regular ferry service across the river to the city it was ideal.
Thursday we spent some time exploring the city visiting the Castelo de S. Jorge. It was built by the Moors in the mid 11th century.
From 1147 the first king of Portugal made it his royal residence, it was mostly destroyed in the 1755 earthquake and restoration and archaeological research work has confirmed the historical importance of the site.
Thursday evening we refuelled at one of the marinas and started south again for an overnight passage to Lagos.