Bayona, Spain to Nazare, Portugal (Two Broken Teeth)

The wind was variable and only 4 knots at its strongest so it wasn’t worth putting up any sails for the 20 mile trip from Bueu to Bayona. We anchored off the Puerto Deportivo de Baiona having passed the impressive fortified headland, which houses the Parador Conde do Gondomar. There can be few hotels surrounded by medieval walls with 360 degree views. No wonder Ritchie and Catherine enjoyed it so much when they stayed there.

Jeremy relaxing on our walk round the headland

The marina manager was very helpful and gave us a map of Bayona, pointing out the nearby laundrette and filling station, where we might be able to have our gas bottles filled. No joy with the gas, unfortunately. They only had camping gaz.  Jeremy lost his sunhat that day. It failed to turn up in spite of revisiting the places we’d been to earlier.

Soon after 10.30 am the next day, we were in the almost brand new laundrette trying to translate the Spanish instructions and being helped by a non-English speaking, but helpful assistant. Later on, a restaurant called La Bouquetta was recommended for lunch. We had menu a dia again and were well fed Spanish style. We walked round the headland that we’d passed in the boat to walk off some of the excess calories. After stocking up at the local supermarket, we hauled the dinghy on board and made SD ready for our next passage down the coast.

It was barely light and quite misty as we weighed anchor the next morning and motored away from Bayona avoiding a multitude of small fishing vessels and numerous fishing pots. As the mist lifted, we said goodbye to Spain and hello to Portugal. By early afternoon we were entering the Rio Lima and the attractive town of Viana do Castelo.

Kathy on the battlements at Viana

We tied up to a waiting pontoon in the river close to Viana Marina. It was a long walk round to the office, as the bridge over the marina entrance was swung open. Jeremy was carrying two empty gas bottles. We checked in and were given directions to the shop that might fill our bottles – only 10 minutes’ walk away, we were told. At least 20 minutes later, after a walk in the hot, afternoon sun, we reached the shop and were relieved to find that they would fill out bottles by the next afternoon for 20 euros per bottle.

Templo de Santa Luzia

Since we were nearby, we explored the Castelo de Sandiago, a very impressive fort guarding the old port. The next day, we walked through the town and up 600 steps to the magnificent Templo de Santa Luzia. Again, there was no entrance fee, but for people like us, who wanted to climb even more steps, there was a fee of one euro each to go right to the top of the cupola. The views were superb.

The lighthouse at Aveiro

Early on the morning of 1^st October, we left Viana in light winds and motored 70 miles to Aveiro, avoiding many fishing pots on the way. Jeremy trolled our fishing lines but we caught nothing and ended up with a hugely, tangled line. We made slow progress against the ebb in the Ria de Aveiro, eventually reaching Baia de Sao Jacinto, where we anchored a sensible distance from a Swedish catamaran. Later that night as Jeremy flossed his teeth, an upper molar broke.

One of the overhangs

Our early start the next day was delayed by thick fog. I had reservations about leaving at all, but Jeremy was confident, so we put on our radar, AIS, GPS, navigation lights and had our fog horn to hand as we crept out into the gloom. The ebb swept us along at over 8 knots as we followed the breakwater out of the river and into the Atlantic. It was 11.00 am before the fog cleared and we turned off the radar. Sunny, blue skies stayed with us for the rest of the 70 miles to Nazare.

The view of Nazare from the cliffs

A friendly, British yachtie called Julian helped us tie up in the dark at the marina and told Jeremy about a good dentist in town. Off we went the next day (Monday) and booked an appointment for 11.30 the following day. That evening, as Jeremy was flossing his teeth, a crown fell out next but one to the broken tooth. Jeremy was disheartened. He’d spent a great deal of time and money sorting out his teeth in the UK and now he had two broken ones (old ones, not the new implants).

Ornate transept at the Church of Our Lady of Nazare

After 1 hour and 20 minutes in the dentist’s chair, Jeremy’s teeth were repaired and we decided to explore the old quarter of town called Sitio. We took the ascensor or funicular up and admired the splendid views of Nazare beneath us. The cliff top had many overhangs, with houses perched dangerously close to the edge of the crumbling rock. After lunch in a local café, we descended by ascensor and made our way through old, narrow, back streets to the supermarket. We checked the weather forecast back at the marina. The wind was good, but the swell was still running at 3 metres. I decided to wait one more day, so we hope to be off tomorrow (Thursday 6^th October) to go further south.