The work on the boat has been completed successfully and the price was far more reasonable than the UK where people seem to wrongly assume all boat owners are well off. Our departure was short-lived however as we were only a mile or so from the harbour entrance when we switched on the auto helm which promptly went loopy so we returned to the marina to have it looked at as we have a long journey ahead.

Alex and I decided to spend a day in Porto. We travelled there by the efficient, modern metro system. The city has many beautiful old buildings and picturesque squares. We walked down to the river Douro and had lunch at one of the many cafes along the banks. Then we walked over the Dom Luis I Bridge which connects Porto with Vila Nova de Gaia, where the port houses are. Famous port names like Taylor's, Croft, Fonseca, and Sandeman crop up everywhere, and many have cellars that can be toured. I suggested this but Alex said he preferred just to taste some port and as he insisted on paying I agreed. You can also see the old fashioned boats for shipping port-wine along the River Douro from the vineyards further up the river to the storing, shipping, and aging warehouses in Vila Nova de Gaia moored alongside the bank.