November starts with beautiful weather. Early in the morning, it is already over 20°C and the sun is shining from a slightly cloudy sky. Wonderful! We hope the weather stays like this. We spend the morning tidying up and doing some crafts. At the end of the day, La Ola looks neat and tidy again after the work of the last few days. I also bought some bathroom organizers at the Chinese store in Quarteira, which will finally allow us to tidy up the small mess in the cockpit. Frequently used items, such as WD40 and silicone spray cans, Gardena water connectors, and cleaning supplies can now finally be stored neatly and within easy reach. In the afternoon, we receive our first visitors of the month. Stephan and Siggi are spending a week’s vacation in the Algarve and are staying at the Hotel Domes Lake around the corner. We arrange to have dinner with them and Corinne and Matthias from the Seren Wen and enjoy Indian food at Gandhi Palace. Once again, it’s very tasty and good.
The next day, Corinne and Matthias sadly head back home, but we are already looking forward to them returning in time for our New Year’s Eve raclette dinner! Later, we sit together with Stephan and Siggi, chatting away the afternoon and grilling hamburgers. The next day, the four of us squeeze into the Fiat 500 rental car and take a little trip to Quinta da Lago, finally making our long-planned visit to The Shack beach bar. It’s well worth the visit, and we hope to make it there again before the winter break. We have dessert at Siggi and Stephan’s hotel with a view of the hotel’s own lake and the pool with a sandy beach. Great hotel complex!
The next day, the next visitor arrives. My mother Bärbel arrives in the morning on a flight from Cologne-Bonn and checks into the Hotel Vila Gale Ampalius. It’s much more comfortable than our cabin on board and much easier to get into. And it’s right around the corner from us, so she can quickly join us on board. Bärbel is also lucky because her hotel is currently being renovated, so she gets a great room with a sea view. A fantastic view that stretches almost to Africa. After a short visit and breakfast on board, she has the afternoon free and enjoys her sunny balcony with a sea view. In the evening, we have a barbecue on board and discuss the program for the next few days.
As the weather is stormy and rainy the next day, we use the rental car we have booked once again to go on an extensive shopping trip. The day passes quickly and we end it together with Bärbel, Stephan, and Siggi at the Italian restaurant Luna Rossa. The next day brings better weather again, so we go on a little trip with Bärbel. First, we go to the Monterosa olive oil mill, where we can restock our supplies on board. Afterwards, we make a short trip to Tavira and Cais das Quatro Águas, where Bärbel gets to see a few flamingos. Then it’s back to Vilamoura. Bärbel takes a siesta at the hotel while Axel transforms our galley into a gourmet temple once again. He cooks a delicious bouillabaisse, which we enjoy in the cockpit in the evening together with Bärbel, Stephan, and Siggi.
Friday also begins sunny and pleasant. Unfortunately, Stephan and Siggi are leaving us today to return to Germany, but we can start our next excursion with Bärbel. As the weather forecast promises rain, we only go around the corner to Vale do Lobo and Praia Garrâo. I start searching for chameleons again – unsuccessfully – and we hike along the wooden boardwalks through the dunes. The weather holds and we stop for lunch at Eduardo’s Paradise beach bar. We enjoy a delicious salad and a beautiful view of the sea. Only when we are back on board does it start to drizzle lightly. At 22°C, it is quite bearable and refreshing. We spend the evening together on board in the cockpit. Thanks to the cockpit enclosure, it is fortunately rainproof and cozy.
After a little rain during the night, the next morning is sunny again. However, it is quite chilly at 15°C. Never mind, the sun quickly warms everything up and, after a delicious breakfast, we set off on our next excursion. Today we are going to Lagos. An absolute must for anyone vacationing in the Algarve. We first walk along the cliffs at Ponta de Piedade and, as always, are thrilled by the rocks and the colors of the sea. Then we head to the old town of Lagos, where I buy another ceramic grater. I already bought a medium-sized grating bowl at the beginning of the year. Now I’m adding a grating bowl to it. This will allow us to prepare larger portions in it soon. After strolling through the alleys, we end up in the market hall and follow the sign to the restaurant on the roof. We are greeted in a super friendly manner in German and stop for lunch. Large portions and everything is delicious! And the view from the roof is not to be sneezed at either. You can see all the way to Alvor and Portimão. After we have finished eating, I hear a conversation at the next table about repair work on a boat. Since I just read a message yesterday about a TO yacht with damage in Lagos, I cheekily ask about it and lo and behold, it is actually Frank and Michelle with their ship’s dog Loui from the Bossa Nova 1. We quickly get into a lively conversation and sit together for a few minutes before finally heading back home. Since the two of them will probably have to spend the winter in the Algarve for repair work, we hope that we can meet again. We spend the evening in the cockpit again, reading and me writing a little on this blog.
It’s amazing, but we’re still finding places in the Algarve that we don’t know yet. Today, we’re driving with Bärbel to Lagoa dos Salgados. The lagoon, which is used by numerous birds as a breeding and resting place, is separated from the sea only by a narrow sand dune. We park at Praia Grande and walk east along the wooden boardwalk to Praia Salgados. There, we enjoy a cold drink at the beach bar, take in the view of the super-long sandy beach, and watch a lone surfer riding the waves. After our trip into nature, our next stop is Albufeira. We have already been to the marina here and have also explored some of the outskirts by car or bike, and to be honest, we haven’t found Albufeira very attractive so far. However, we haven’t yet been to the supposedly very beautiful old town and want to make up for that today to get an overall picture of Albufeira. It’s not far from Lagoa dos Salgados and we find a parking space right next to the pedestrian zone in the old town. We walk downhill towards the sea along cobbled streets. There are indeed beautiful houses, charming alleys, and shady squares here. However, almost every shop sells cheap tourist trinkets that no one really needs. This makes the place seem rather noisy and still unattractive to us. We walk through a small tunnel to the beach and then quickly return to our car. The only highlight for us was the very good and relatively inexpensive ice cream at Sailor’s on Largo Engenheiro Duarte Pacheco. On the way back to Vilamoura, we stop for lunch at Casa do Frango, where Bärbel is introduced to the typical Portuguese specialty frango piri-piri. Deliciously crispy and spicy chicken with a cold beer on the side. The rest of the day is spent quietly on board with no further activities planned.
It’s Bärbel’s last day, and the weather is holding up. With light cloud cover, we set off on another excursion. First, we take a short trip to Loulé. During our last visit on market day, the town was bustling with life and activity, but today the streets are deserted. This means we can take photos of all the buildings with hardly anyone else in them, but we liked it better with people around. And although the market hall is actually open, there are hardly any traders at the stalls. What a shame, because we actually wanted to buy fresh shrimp here for our evening barbecue. With our plans thwarted, we continue on to Olhão. Here, the market hall is closed right in front of us and we don’t get any shrimp again. So we quickly change our plans and drive on to Fuseta. Instead of grilled shrimp in the evening, we go to the beach bar for a late lunch. The sun is shining brightly and we enjoy the view of the Ria Formosa. It’s not until the afternoon that we arrive back in Vilamoura and drop Bärbel off at the hotel to pack her suitcase. In the evening, we have a little baguette with cheese and a glass of wine in the cockpit, and another beautiful day in the Algarve comes to an end.
Yes, and then unfortunately our time with Bärbel is already over. The weather was good and we were able to show her a lot of the beautiful Algarve. The plane is now taking her back to Germany. Hopefully with some sunshine and wonderful memories in her luggage!
In the meantime, we use our rental car to do some shopping and prepare La Ola for worse weather. A low-pressure system is expected to pass through in the next few days, bringing not only strong winds and rain to the Algarve, but also high waves and swells from the southwest. We check all the mooring lines, take the bikes on deck and cover them with rain protection, stowing everything safely below deck. We take the opportunity to take inventory and tidy up our line locker. Old mooring lines are disposed of, lines with chafing marks are trimmed, lines that are too long are shortened and shock absorbers are added. Now we have three sets of four mooring lines each and should be prepared for all mooring situations. In the evening, we go to My Thai in the marina. Not only do we get very tasty food, but we are also served in a very friendly, polite, and nice manner.
Despite the forecast of heavy rain, the weather on Wednesday remains calm and dry. It is not until Thursday night that the wind really picks up and storm Claudia shows its strength. The next morning, we check our friends‘ boats and find only a tear in Seren Wen’s tarpaulin. Otherwise, the boats have weathered the stormy night with wind force 7 well. No sooner have we checked everything than it starts to pour with rain and we retreat to our saloon. It’s pelting down and blowing a gale. Just the right weather to finally devote ourselves to indoor activities. I take inventory of our host country flags and work on our plans for next year’s trip. We do our research, measure routes, check marinas, and compare long-term weather and currents. It’s not so easy to reconcile all the information. Meanwhile, Axel takes advantage of the autumnal weather and finally cooks the kale he has been longing for. Very tasty and just the thing during the storm!
The rain continues to pour down on the deck the next day and the wind howls in the shrouds. While we are lying very calmly and safely with La Ola in Marina Vilamoura, we receive truly horrific images from Marina del Odiel, where we originally wanted to spend the winter. Not only have numerous boats and yachts broken loose and sunk there. The landing stage has also broken loose and lies at the bottom. There is no longer any connection to land and therefore no more electricity or water on the jetties. Some of the boat dwellers were evacuated at night by the police and the sea rescue service. With waves two to three meters high, the jetties rocked so much that their connections broke. An Amel Super Maramu, which broke loose from the other side of the marina, drifted into our former berth. It has suffered such extensive damage to its stern that it is half submerged. We are so glad that we followed our gut feeling in the summer and did not stay in Huelva!!! We are keeping our fingers crossed for everyone at Marina del Odiel that it will remain „only“ material damage and that Storm Claudia will not cause any further damage. Anyone who is interested can take a look at the frightening videos of our former neighbor Sam from Carlotta on her Facebook profile. We spend most of the day in the cozy saloon again and take advantage of a short break in the rain to take a short walk to the beach. The Atlantic Ocean is quite rough and gray. Definitely not sailing weather! Back on board, we prepare stuffed peppers and spend the evening watching a good movie on the onboard TV.
It seems that storm Claudia has taken another deep breath! While we are sitting in the lounge reading after breakfast, we hear the first reports of a tornado that has swept through the neighboring town of Albufeira. It hit a hotel and a campsite, leaving one person dead and many injured. The campsite looks like a war zone. There is debris and overturned campers everywhere. More tornadoes are spotted in Alte, Silves, and Lagos. And in the afternoon, it hits us too. While I’m doing the dishes, it suddenly starts howling and screeching. Looking outside, I see a wall of water flying horizontally across the marina. Our wind gauge shows a wind speed of 40, then 45, 50, and finally 64.8 knots. Fortunately, it is „only“ wind force 12 and not a tornado! While we are still checking whether everything is still in place on board and the lines are holding, it suddenly starts to flap and rattle loudly. Are our solar panels flying away or the cockpit trim?! No, fortunately everything is in place and hardly moving. Under the cockpit cover, a torrent of rainwater is pouring into the cockpit. The flapping is coming from Wolfgang and Sylvia’s Independence 2. The genoa has come loose from the forestay in the upper third and is now flapping wildly in the wind. The two of them are still in Germany and not on board, so we quickly take care of limiting the damage. We call the marina office and ask for assistance. Help arrives quickly in the form of a marinero. Fortunately, the wind has completely died down and the rain has stopped. There’s even a little sunshine! We call Wolfgang, describe the situation, ask him to explain where the fuses for his winches are, and quickly access everything thanks to the key he left behind. A little later, the genoa is unrolled and neatly rolled up again. As far as we can see, it has survived the whole thing without damage. We also check Seren Wen and Playmobil, straighten fenders and open storage boxes on other boats, but fortunately cannot find any further damage to the boats at our jetty. At another dock, the genoa of a sailing yacht has also been rolled up. However, no one was quick to help there, because the sail is now hanging in tatters from the forestay. After the bad weather has blown away, Axel and I take another short walk through the marina. In the evening, we go to our favorite Chinese restaurant, TaiTai, and are greeted like regulars and shown to „our“ table. We spend the rest of the evening in front of the TV, hoping that the bad weather has now passed. Storm Claudia caused a lot of damage throughout Portugal and Spain, and we are lucky that everything remained intact here.
Finally, the sun wakes us up again on Sunday. Even though it is still windy, the sky is only slightly cloudy today and otherwise freshly washed blue. We spend most of Sunday below deck or in the cockpit and take another short walk around the marina in the afternoon. Numerous smaller trees have been blown over, but we don’t see any major damage on our walk. In the evening, we prepare a proper Sunday dinner. We have a whole duck with Brussels sprouts and potato gratin with porcini mushrooms. However, we have to admit that most of the preparation was done at Lidl and we really only have to heat everything up and finish baking it. In any case, it tasted good. As the rain starts again, we watch the Sunday episode of Tatort.
The new week starts with calmer weather and a new rental car for us. Thanks to tips from Matthias and Corinne, we have discovered that it is much cheaper to rent a car for one to two weeks and then rent the next one, rather than booking for four weeks. This way, the car is always freshly washed and clean. In addition, this time we were able to book a car with an additional driver for the same price. This means that Axel doesn’t always have to drive and I can also take the car out on my own. As usual, we pick up the rental car from Europcar in Vilamoura and are first handed an MG SUV. We continue on to Lidl in Bouliqueime and the marina office to pick up a few packages. On the way, we see that storm Claudia has caused a lot of damage after all. Numerous large trees lie broken or uprooted on the streets. A large tree is lying on the roof of Burger King. Signs and construction fences have also been blown over in many places. Workers are everywhere, sawing branches and sweeping away leaves. In other places, however, nothing has happened. Apparently, the wind moved in a swath through the marina and further inland. So maybe it was a mini tornado after all? Since our rental car smells quite strongly of cigarette smoke, we exchange the vehicle again without any problems and drive back to the marina in a Skoda. While Axel tinkers with other boat projects, I plan a few excursions for the next few days. The weather is now supposed to remain a little more stable, sunny, and dry, and there is still so much to discover.
The next day we head to Lagos, where we go shopping at the local ship chandlers. Axel has a few more ideas for modifying the watermaker and finds all the parts he needs at Sopromar. On the way back, we make a quick stop at the German butcher’s in Porches, where we buy some delicious roulades, tasty meat salad and a dozen Pfefferbeißer sausages. Back in Vilamoura, Axel gets started on another 3D printing project, while I try to learn a little Portuguese via an app. It’s not that easy, because the written word does not correspond to the spoken word and the pronunciation is completely different from similar words in Spanish, for example. But when you’re in a foreign country for a long time, you should at least try to learn the language. So let’s get to work!
The next day, Axel continues working on his watermaker project. I work on our stowage plan. Today, it’s time to tackle the storage boxes under our saloon sofa. I reorganize things a little and pack items that are rarely needed from the front to the back. It’s amazing how much can be stored here. In the end, everything is sorted and recorded in a stowage list. And, surprisingly, the day is already over. All that’s left to do is grill a burger and eat before we watch a little TV in the heated saloon. It has become quite cold outside, with a temperature of 12°C. This is due to the north wind, which has even brought the first snow to northern Portugal. It is supposed to stay this cool for a few more days, then hopefully it will get warmer again.
After yesterday’s busy day, today we’re going on another trip. We drive east on the highway to Tavira and then turn north inland. Winding roads take us up into the mountains and through beautiful countryside. Some parts offer distant views of the glistening sea, others offer sweeping views of the rolling hills, and others offer views of crystal-clear rivers. Finally, we reach Alcoutim on the Guadiana, the river that forms the border with Spain. I was already in Alcoutim in January with our friends Anke and Carsten, while Axel stayed on board. Today, the weather is much better than it was then, and Alcoutim and its Spanish neighbor village Sanlúcar de Guadiana look friendly and photogenic in bright white against a clear blue sky. We walk through the village and stretch our legs. Then we continue down the Guadiana River. In Laranjeiras, we stop briefly and look at the remains of a Roman villa. Even back then, people knew how to enjoy the beautiful view of the river. We continue to Castro Marim, a historic town that has retained much of its original charm. We park just outside the town and walk to the small fortress of Revelim de Castro Marim. We are the only visitors there and can walk through the beautiful grounds undisturbed. There is a traditional windmill, which we, as former mill owners, naturally like very much. From the Ermida de San António chapel, there is a wonderful panoramic view of the salt flats, the pine forests near Vila Real de San Antonio, the bridge over the Guadiana, and the town of Ayamonte. The fresh wind finally drives us on, and after a short stop at the mouth of the Guadiana River, we make our way back to Vilamoura. There, we end the beautiful day with delicious giant prawns. The heating is on in the cockpit, as it is still uncomfortably chilly outside.
The next day, it’s back to work on board. Doing laundry, working on the watermaker project, and making granola. Since we can’t seem to find granola that we really like in Portugal, we’ve decided to try making our own. We crush oats and spelt grains in our flaker, chop nuts, and mix everything with agave syrup, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Then we put the mixture in the air fryer and a little later we actually have some super delicious granola muesli. We also visit the Quinta Shopping Center and take a look around. We’ve cycled past it a few times, but never taken a look inside. The small mall is very nicely designed and there are some nice little boutiques and luxury shops. Unfortunately, the Pingo Doce supermarket we actually wanted to visit is currently closed and apparently being renovated. So we quickly head to Lidl and buy the ingredients for delicious honey salmon with pointed cabbage. Another very good day in culinary terms!
Finally, it’s the weekend! While the first snowflakes have fallen in our old home, the sun continues to shine here. We are so glad to be here in Portugal when we see the weather report on Radio Bremen TV. Even though, as mentioned, it is quite chilly here at the moment. But during the day, we still reach temperatures where you can walk around in shorts and a T-shirt. To our great delight, Sylvia and Wolfgang are back on board their Independence today and, as a reward for helping them with their genoa, we are invited to a lovely meal. Of course, we are always happy to help, but this small gesture made us very happy! Otherwise, the day is quiet, spent tidying up, doing crafts, and studying.
On Sunday, we’re finally going golfing again after a long, long time. On one of our trips with Bärbel, we discovered the Salgados golf course. Since prices have become much more reasonable again in the off-season and we only pay half price with Golfamore, we decided on the spur of the moment to book a tee time. The course, west of Guia and Albufeira, is located directly on the lagoon and is crisscrossed by ponds and streams and dotted with countless palm trees. We start the round a little rusty, but quickly find our game again. Actually amazing, after such a long time. Unfortunately, as a flight of two, we quickly catch up with the four players ahead of us and have to wait at every hole. No big deal, because the sun is shining beautifully and the proximity to the lagoon attracts numerous birds to the course. There are herons, coots, bee-eaters, waxbills and numerous other bird species to be seen, which we unfortunately cannot identify on the spot. When we arrive at the edge of the lagoon, we are surprised to find that, compared to our last visit, there is no water in the lagoon. Oops, how could that have happened? The assumption that the bar, which was still high and dry on the beach two weeks ago, has broken during the stormy weather of the last few days is confirmed after our round of golf. A large hole and an open connection to the Atlantic Ocean can be seen at Praia Salgados. We don’t know whether this is good or bad for nature. In any case, the amount of sand that the water has washed away is impressive. Back on board, we enjoy a delicious broccoli salad before turning our attention to our Sunday ritual of watching the new episode of Tatort from Stuttgart.
After the weekend, we’ll be doing a little more tinkering, learning, and planning on board. We’re making templates for our new sun covers for the saloon windows and are excited to see how they turn out. We’re also adding a beautiful Parasailor to our sail wardrobe, which we were able to purchase second-hand through Matthias and Corinne from Seren Wen. Now we’re truly perfectly equipped for any wind direction!
Before we have to return the rental car, we go on one last trip. We drive across country to Silves and visit the impressive fortress there. The Castelo de Silves is strategically located on a mountain, and its fortress walls overlook the entire surrounding area. The Castelo is the largest castle complex in the Algarve and was built in the Middle Ages by the Moors on the site of a former Roman fortress from the 4th or 5th century. It consists of a fortress wall with 11 towers, covering an area of approximately 11,000 square meters. Inside the walls are archaeological excavations and modern facilities from the 20th century. We walk along the entire fortress wall and are surprised to find that most of it has no railing. If you stumble, you could fall a few meters without any protection. As a result, most visitors sneak along very close to the wall, which is also recommended because the view of the surrounding area is simply wonderful. After exploring the fortress, we head to Café Ingles, a few steps below the castelo, for a light lunch. We enjoy a delicious salad in the glorious sunshine and savor the day. Well fed, we continue through Silves, passing numerous street art paintings. Finally, we make our way back and spend a pleasant evening with Guido from Playmobil.
It’s always amazing how quickly time flies! We’ve already been in Vilamoura for two months and have done and seen so much. Here in the south, too, people are getting ready for Christmas, and Christmas lights have been going up in the streets everywhere for the past few days. Surprisingly, they’re not the same as last year, but different light displays that will probably be switched on on November 28. In the next few days, we definitely want to take a tour of Vilamoura and see the lights in the evening. Until then, we wish you a wonderful first Advent and hope you enjoy the festive season!