Visitors

Trip’s niece Madeleine and friend Allison only had a few days when they came to visit us, so we made the most of it and gave them a whirlwind tour of Lagos!

They came in via bus from Lisbon (with a slight mishap of getting off one stop early), so we collected them, dropped their gear off at the boat, and headed into town, We wandered out as far as Potato Beach (named for the days when fishermen and farmers would barter, often for potatoes) and then in and out of the rambling streets and alleys of town. We had a late lunch with lots of seafood, we met Lotta & her daughter Susanna for drinks and we wound up back on the boat for appetizers and drinks to finish up the evening (the girls passed out like tired puppies in the cockpit).

Monday, family friend Theresa came over and we all headed to Meia Praia (Beautiful Beach). The beach goes on for miles, and we walked the entire length and back, stopping for lunch at one of the many fun beach bars. There was lots of shell collecting done, lots of catching up, and only a little bit of avoiding the nude sunbathers at the one end of the beach. The town has put in beautiful walkways to protect the dunes, which make it even easier to get around.

Then it was back to the boat for a shower, some apps at one of the Marina pubs, and then off to Monday night darts at McCabes with fellow cruisers.

Tuesday we took one of the little local boats to tour the grottoes on the other side of town.

The grottoes are sandstone cliffs that have slowly eroded and worn away, leaving hidey holes and tiny beaches up and down the coast. I was rather grateful for a calm sea state, as well as a talented skipper who guided us in and out of the caves.

After the boat tour, we took a cab out to Praia Camilo, where we sat with a drink and just enjoyed the view. Thanks to more public walkways, we could walk along the cliffs, descending when we got to Praia Dona Ana and exploring from the edge of the beach. You can climb over and under parts of the sandstone that have worn away to give you access to the next little cove, some of which might disappear at high tide.

We grabbed lunch at a local beach bar, and then wandered back from the beaches into town to do a little shopping before heading out for our final dinner.

We saw the girls off Wednesday afternoon, and then it was back to cleaning, reorganizing, laundry and a well deserved nap! It was great having them here even for the little time that they had. Theresa came back on Saturday with her husband Rick, and we had a leisurely stroll through the farmers market, then came back to the boat, where we had lengthy conversations about all the challenges of living abroad on the fly (SIM cards for cell phones, to immigration bureaucracies, to keeping or seeking a home back in the US, etc.). Needless to say it was nice to have kindred spirits to kvetch to!