Fortunately, we don’t feel much of the effects of Gabrielle, now a former hurricane, in Vilamoura. Although it is gray and overcast for a day and it even rains a little, luckily there isn’t much wind or swell. The first week in Vilamoura flies by. We work through our short to-do list. We change the water filter, wash the bean bags and the dinghy, service the air conditioning, and go shopping. Fortunately, a new small supermarket has opened just around the corner and we can do our shopping in five minutes on foot. We continue with cleaning the starboard bilge. Despite the utmost care, a lot of dirt always collects here, which has to be removed regularly. Otherwise, in an emergency, our bilge pump could become clogged and we would no longer be able to pump out incoming water. Axel also converts our watermaker so that it fills the starboard tanks and not just the port tanks. To do this, the tanks have to be opened, which is not that easy. Axel first designs a suitable tool and prints it out on the 3D printer a little later. What did we ever do without this printer?! In between, we chat with our neighbors from Playmobil and Independence 2, go out for meals together, and sit together in the cockpit. Last but not least, La Ola is given a thorough scrub and, after a few hours, shines like new again.
And we can finally go cycling again. This wasn’t possible when we were anchored, as our bikes are too big to be transported in the dinghy. Surprisingly, we discover new paths and corners, even though we thought we had already cycled everywhere last winter. So we cycle – the last few meters are very challenging – to Praia do Barranco das Belharucas. Very nice! I also resume my search for chameleons and cycle to the western end of the Ria Formosa. Unfortunately, I am unsuccessful, but I’m not giving up!
While the first storms are bringing rain and wind to Germany, it’s still late summer here in the Algarve. Sunny, hot days, but already cooler nights. Very pleasant! We rent a car again and go on a discovery tour. First, we head to São Brás de Alportel. The small town is located above Faro in the mountains and is not described in detail in any of our travel guides. But I have read that it is supposed to be a lively, nice little place, so we decide to go there on the spur of the moment. We quickly find a parking space in front of the church in the old town and stroll through the alleys. Time seems to have stood still here. Nothing moves in the alleys, only an ancient awning from a photo shop that apparently closed years ago moves slightly in the wind. Nothing going on here! Even the street cats are not moving and are taking their siesta. So we finish our tour quite quickly and drive back towards Faro in the valley. There we want to visit the Roman ruins of Milreu, but find ourselves standing in front of closed gates. We continue on to Estoi, where we stroll through the palace gardens. The Palacio de Estoi was built in the 18th century in Rococo style and is now a 5-star hotel. We continue across a beautiful square to the Igreja de São Martinho, which stands high up on a staircase mountain. Finally, we end our tourist program and do a little shopping. Back in Vilamoura, we enjoy a delicious Caesar salad and grilled octopus at the Rare restaurant, and to round off the day, we sit together with Guido and Mücke in the cockpit with a glass of wine. The full harvest moon shines beautifully over us and Vilamoura.
The full moon is still in the sky early in the morning, and at 7 a.m. I climb onto the roof of our cockpit to take a photo. A few hours later, we set off again in the car on a discovery tour. We drive to Fonte da Benémola in the hinterland, the so-called Barrocal, of the Algarve. From the parking lot, we walk a few kilometers along a hiking trail until we reach a little paradise. The spring is a secluded spot where, apart from the gentle splashing of the water, the chirping of birds, the buzzing of mosquitoes, and the chatter of a German hiking group, there is not much to be heard. Willows and ash trees provide shade, and the water is crystal clear in places. It’s a place that most tourists will certainly never visit. But that’s what makes it so special. Today, we’re heading back home via a shopping stop. We’re raiding the Apolonia delicatessen supermarket and the British Food Co. We’re content with a few specialties, such as meat salad and Langres cheese. We decide to leave the bottle of Romanée-Conti, at a bargain price of just under 37k euros (that’s thirty-seven thousand euros!), on the shelf today (for once). To afford it, we might have had to skip the rented Fiat Panda and take the fancy Rolls-Royce convertible that was parked at the marina this morning. Oh well…
Such a stylish rental car is meant to be used. So we set off for the third day in a row. We drive along the highway to Lagos and then a little further to Burgau. Before Burgau, we actually wanted to anchor before arriving in Vilamoura, but unfortunately, the wind and swell prevented us from doing so. So now it’s time for a tour from land. Burgau is said to be the Santorini of Portugal. Expectations are correspondingly high. When I was in Santorini in 1998, I had a donkey carry me up the countless steps to the crater rim. In Burgau, it’s easier, because we can simply park our Panda in a free parking lot and explore the small town on foot. Not nearly as big as the Greek island, the small village of Burgau nevertheless offers numerous nice spots and a beautiful, sheltered beach. We stroll through the narrow streets for a while and then sit down for lunch in the small restaurant Barraca. The nice view of the sea alone would make the visit worthwhile. Delicious mussels and fish & chips enhance the experience even more. Satisfied and full, we walk back up the steep alleys and drive back east along the coast. We actually want to make a short stop in Praia da Luz, but finding a parking space is much more difficult than in Burgau. So we just get out of the car briefly to take a photo and then continue on our way. This time, we make the obligatory shopping stop at Aldi, where we can stock up on wheat beer – unfortunately, once again, there is no non-alcoholic option on offer. Back on board, all that remains is to recover from our experiences and spend a pleasant evening in the cockpit.
Day 4 of the tourist program takes us west again. We drive a short distance from the highway towards Silves and then turn off into the countryside. Side roads take us to the Parque Municipal do Sítio das Fontes. I found this small park by chance while researching online. In addition to a nice picnic area, where a group has gathered to play boules, there is a small fitness trail to explore. Unfortunately, the actual attraction, a spring with a bathing area and tidal mill, falls somewhat short of our expectations. However, we only have ourselves to blame, as we did not pay attention to the tides. It is low tide and there is simply no water. But we like the place and will definitely come back here for a picnic sometime. Afterwards, we drive to Portimão-Parchal and eat at the Sol & Sombra restaurant at the fishing port. We had already noticed the sign for the restaurant during our shopping trips while we were last anchored off Ferragudo. We also got a recommendation from other sailors, so we drive to the small industrial area where you would never have expected to find a restaurant without these clues. At the very end, around the corner, we actually find a small fish restaurant and are immediately served in a super-friendly manner. They show us the fresh fish, recommend a suitable wine, and serve us our food a little later. We had lingueirão (razor clams) and bruscetta de sardinha as starters. Both were so delicious that we wolfed them down before I could even think of taking a photo. However, we were already quite full after the starters. For the main course, we both had chocos, small grilled squid. All the dishes have a „hint“ of garlic, which feels like about one bulb per serving. We decline dessert and drive home stuffed and 65 euros lighter. On the way back, we stop again at the German butcher’s in Porches and stock up on Krakauer sausages, smoked pork chops, and meat salad. Shortly after Bouliqeime, we stop briefly at MC Interiors to look for new cushions for our cockpit. Our current cushions are already over 30 years old and slowly wearing out. We are greeted very warmly here too and are quickly shown something suitable. Maria and Luisa make the cushions according to our specifications and we quickly come to an agreement. Then we pick up numerous packages for our next boat projects at the marina office and, after an eventful day, we are back on board La Ola. In the evening, Guido and Mücke stop by for a glass of wine and a beautiful late summer day comes to an end.
After a day’s break, our week of sightseeing continues and comes to an end. We drive to Loulé and first stroll through the textile market outside the city gates, where we buy two new tablecloths. Then we head to the old town and city center of Loulé. Although the town is quite close to Vilamoura, we have only been there once before, to visit the market last winter. Now, in October, the town is still bustling with life. Market stalls selling regional specialties, ceramics, and handicrafts are set up in almost every alleyway. The stalls alternate with countless cafés and restaurants, and tables and chairs are placed in every shady corner, where people sit enjoying delicacies, beer, and wine. A wonderful atmosphere! We walk to the market and are almost a little sad that we can’t stop anywhere today. But we have already bought shrimp for the evening, which we want to grill. So, after a short stroll through the town, we head back to Vilamoura without a lunch break. Of course, not without making a few shopping stops first. The ship’s supplies are now replenished with all the heavy items that are difficult to transport by bike. In the evening, Guido and Mücke drop by again and we enjoy the grilled shrimp together with a nice glass of wine.
After returning the car, work on the boat continues. Fortunately, these are only improvement projects, not repairs. Axel is installing a flushing system for the air conditioning. Since we cool with seawater, unpleasant odors quickly form in the hoses when not in use. Now, at the end of the cooling period, we can simply flush with fresh water and also clean the hoses with detergent. So that we can connect our infrared heater directly to shore power during the heating period, Axel is installing a bypass power line and socket. This will allow us to heat at night without having to run the humming inverter. The watermaker is being relocated, thoroughly cleaned, and decommissioned for the rest of the season. Last but not least, the sailmakers at Dunes pick up our sails, check them for damage, and clean them thoroughly. We have the genoa remade and keep the old sail as a spare. In addition, the cockpit trim of our steering cockpit is fitted with new windows. The old ones were simply no longer transparent and had become brittle in places due to UV rays and heat. Our winter garden is also checked and made fit for the next few years. As a preventive measure, we replace our main halyard because it has a chafing spot and also discover a missing screw on the forestay profile. These are small things that can quickly become quite annoying and expensive if they break on the high seas.
Of course, fun on board should not be neglected either. So we go mini golfing at the Family Park and end up with a tie on the Via Apia course, each with 55 strokes. On the Lusitania course, I win by a narrow margin with a three-stroke lead. Cycling trips to the surrounding area are also a must, of course. We cycle through the Parque Ambential in Vilamoura and explore the lagoon and lake landscape. And, of course, we don’t miss out on the occasional meal in a restaurant. As long as the weather is still so nice, with temperatures of around 30°C during the day and 20-22°C in the evening, we look for restaurants where we can sit outside. From Mexican at El Marriacho to British at The Old Navy. In Vilamoura, there is as much choice as your heart desires. But we also make good use of the galley. We enjoy cooking too much to „just“ always want to eat out.
In the meantime, the crews of the Independence 2 and the Playmobil have left us for their home in Germany. And our friend Mansoor, whom we met last year, is also leaving us for Dubai. So it’s time to make new friends. Matthias and Corinne from the Seren Wen in Switzerland are staying on board for a while. We spend a few pleasant evenings together with them. And two boats further along is Schotte Bill, whose boat we already had as a neighbor last year. However, we are only now getting to know Bill after a long and fortunately well-survived illness. Nico and Harald with their dog Helmut are also our neighbors again. So our social circle has grown considerably this year, and we are delighted to be able to meet so many nice new sailors. We do miss our buddy Jens, who has meanwhile returned to Germany with his boat Marieke, and his wife Nettie a little, though.
At the end of the month, not only are our new cockpit cushions ready, but we are also invited to a spooky wine event at Wine Emotion. Together with Matthias and Corinne, we take an Uber to the neighboring village of Fonte de Coberta, where we are greeted by owner Rui with a glass of sparkling wine. I discovered the wine shop on one of my bike rides a few weeks ago, and we already made our first shopping stop there with our last rental car. The advice was not only good, but also super friendly, and we were immediately added to the event invitation mailing list. After we were unable to accept the first invitation, Halloween is now the perfect time. The shop is decorated in a spooky fashion and the staff are all dressed up. Unfortunately, we can’t keep up with that, but they still let us sample numerous wines. There are also snacks and cocktails. All this in pleasant temperatures and sunshine. What a great way to end October. Back on board, we let Nico and Harald’s grandson give us a good scare and buy our way out of any pranks with sweets.
