Sesimbra to Sines

There was a suitable weather window where the winds became moderate snd still had an element of westerly in them, we left Sesimbra under full sail and after we had negotiated the anchored tankers a couple of miles offshore the wind died and became fitful. It seems that a land effect is in force around Sesimbra. If not the whole of Portugal.



However frustrating the lack of wind was it was not unpleasant, we turned on the iron donkey and watched the increasing swells. A dove ( later identified as a collared dove by Nigel our facebook twitcher) took up residence on our Bimini.



He hitched a lift for 20 miles or so..........to Sines



We carefully rounded the ruined outer breakwater, it extends for a couple of hundred metres underwater the end being marked by a red buoy. The marina is inside the inner harbour which is a horseshoe shaped bay with a rather splendid beach in total contrast to the industrial outer harbour. Sines is a tanker and container terminal but the inner harbour is dominated by the local fishing fleet and is quite charming.



Once we had been allocated a berth in the marina we climbed the steep paths and stairs to the church and castle marking the old town.



As we had time on our side being within a few days of the Algarve ( albeit an uninterupted 60 mile passage ) we decided to stay a few days and explore. The marina turned out to be subject to a lot of swell and was very noisy and uncomfortable so we spent a lot of time exploring the town. Its the birthplace of Vasco de Gama.



We visited his favourite church, the rather grandly named Igresia e Tesourc de Nosa Senhora das Salas, our Lady of Salas church and treasury. Its a rather attractive building ( rebuilt by Vasco de Gama in the 16th century) with an Manueline limestone portal.



The treasury consists of many jewels and other valuables donated to Our Lady. Despite it being a National monument and the jewels etc. being very valuable, security seems to consist of a lady with a rusty key.



There is a guilded alterpiece and the obligatory blue and white azulejo tiled decoration. All very nicely done.
We had arrived in Sines on Liberation Day and the town was celebrating the Carnation Revolution and the end of the Salazar regime. We were treated to a concert from the castle in the evening followed by a splendid fireworks display.

Later we discovered another display in one of the old town squares, it was a collection of decorated ‘t’ shirts blowing in the breeze. It had been done to draw attention to a charity fighting child cruelty and it was quite moving.



Sines is built on top of cliffs above the beach and we were quite relieved when the Elevador was repaired and we could take advantage of it to ascend to the old town. It is a splendid idea and one we had come across several times in Portugal.



The views are also splendid from the glass walled elevator, the photo below shows the view back towards the marina beyond the ( what else?) vasco de Gama beach. We enjoyed a meal in a restaurant which is on the terrace at the top of the elevator, unfortunately we picked a showery day so had to dine inside rather than on the terrace, but the food was excellent despite the showers outside. Sines is a good place to enjoy Portuguese food particularly seafood.



A " must see " is the Castle which dominates the skyline of the town from seaward. It now houses a museum which displays local artifacts from excavations dating to roman times.



It has several floors of exibits, accessed only by lift. Each floor concentrates on some aspect of local history, the photo below shows the 19th century and includes a replica of a local shop



The Vasco de Gama room has a splendid decorated ceiling and is allegedly where he was born. There is some dispute over this seemingly, another house in town claims to be his birthplace.



But as his family was fairly aristocratic I tend to favor the castle as his real home. The views out over the old town red tiles reminded us that as we headed further south it was beginning to have a more mediteranean feel.



The grounds of the Castle had been tidied up and almost no trace was left of the celebrations.



It was a perfect day to enjoy the views from the battlements.



In the photo below Vasco de Gamas house is the white building on the left and the rest of the museum is housed in the three story keep behind.



Below the battlements a statue of Vasco de Gama looks out to sea, perhaps symbolically with his back to the church Matiz ( mother church )



It was here in this church in 1480 that the young Vasco, destined for a religious life was first tonsured.



We had studied the weather forecasts and decided that Monday was a suitable day for the long trip of 60 miles to Cape St Vincent and turning the corner onto the coast of the Algarve. Little did we know that Sines would be the  last of the Portugal we had come to know and a different Portugal awaited us around that corner...........