Sunriser

Portuguese Sea

Salt-laden sea, how much of all your salt

Is tears of Portugal!

For us to cross you, how many sons have kept,

Vigil in vain, and mothers wept!

Lived as old maids how many brides-to-be

Till death, that you might be ours, sea!

Was it worth while?

It is worthwhile, all, If the soul is not small.

Whoever means to sail beyond the Cape

Must double sorrow – no escape.

Peril and abyss has God to the sea given,

And yet made it the mirror of heaven.

Fernando Pessoa

The waves of the Portuguese sea mirror the passing storm clouds  and keep Sunriser port bound in Nazaré for 10 days. Each morning and evening we witness the departure and return of the Portuguese fishermen and surfers, the only ones challenging the waves.

As usual we entertain ourselves exploring the land.

The town of Coimbra hosts one of the oldest universities in the world, established in 1290, and we enjoyed remembrances of a student’s life walking through the republicas (student’s houses) neighborhood and having lunch at one of the university canteens.

The area around Nazaré also has some beautiful monasteries, like Batalha ( meaning battle in Portuguese), commemorating the victory in 1385 over the castilians in the battle of Aljubarrota. The roofles Capelas Imperfeitas (unfinished chapels) mirror the ominously rainy skies on the stone floor, like the sea in Pessoa’s poem.

The last day of November we finally leave Nazaré bound to Lisbon, under the rain, with a stop at Peniche, under the rain. We take farewell of Aliante, our buddyboat, under the rain and leave in the morning for Lisbon, under the rain……

And Lisbon welcomes us with clear skies! We sit on deck motoring up the river Tagus and enjoying the beauty of Lisbon under the sun.

We have a place in Marina Parque dos Naçoes, in the location of the Lisbon Expo 1998. This will be Sunriser’s home for over a month, while we return to our other home in The Netherlands, looking forward to see our family and friends.