Viano de Castello
08 July 2016 | Viano de Castello
Gillian
7 July 2016
After a lovely peaceful night at anchor we left at about 8am, once again to calm was and light winds. We motored all the way to Viano de Castelo and when there was wind it was light and on the nose so not much help at all. But we were kept busy by the hundreds of fishing pots/buoys littered along the coastline, with a dramatic increase in number once we crossed the Spanish/Portuguese border. We kept a close eye and had to employ some dodging techniques to avoid the lines snagging our propellor.
On arrival in the harbour we tried to call the marina but there was no answer so in the end we decided to tie up on the reception pontoon outside the swinging bridge and the marina. An interesting and nail biting arrival as the current was shoving us along at a good speed. I had to launch myself off the boat and tie the stern line up pronto while Neil put the boat in reverse with much revving of the engine. But we got there in the end and have since realised that it would have been a much safer exercise to have turned the boat and entered the pontoon from the other direction. We live and learn.
The marina man was very friendly and very willing to give us lots of information about his town of which he was clearly very proud of. He was happy for us to remain on the reception pontoon overnight, and saved us another anxiety producing berthing.
We walked into town and admired the cobbled streets, very different looking shops, and explored the magnificent church with ornate paintings, carvings and fresco ceiling. Bought ourselves a Portuguese SIM card and collected a few groceries before heading back to the boat. Andy and Alison from Venture Lady joined us for drinks and it was good to share stories about our experiences in the Spanish Ria's.
8 July 2016
A productive morning. I got all the laundry done and Neil worked on the deck shaving the black teak sealant so that it was level with the teak. A back breaking job. After lunch we headed into town and took the vernacular tram up the mountain to the St Lucia Basilica. What a view up there! We could see the sprawling town and the beaches with kite surfers skating away in the surf. The Basilica itself was magnificent - built in the 1920's but beautifully done with incredible carving work and an incredible dome ceiling. We were in awe.
Back on board we met the latest arrivals on our pontoon - the yacht Cadenza and enjoyed a coffee with them. We also met the Brazilian couple from the yacht Luthian who gave us some great tips for cruising the Madeiras and the Caribbean.
We wandered back into town and had an interesting meal at a restaurant - excellent sardines soaking in olive oil and tomatoes, grilled sea bass and octopus. They were generous with free tasting of their house liquor and port, with the result that we were wobbling a bit on our way back to the boat!
Tomorrow we head to Porto or Oporto - sounds an amazing place so look forward to that.