There were fewer of us than usual.
Just the die hards ;-)
& the one's like me who like to eat, & who was looking forward to some fresh swordfish & some local wine for lunch.
& maybe even chocolate?
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| btw ~ the shadows on all the Itineraries are my finger & the camera! I took all the photos on the floor in my bathroom, in Jan 2015, post NZ-14. |
After breakfast it was a bit murky & I didn't leave the RC straightaway. I was on deck shortly after breakfast when Harry, Gabi & Marcel left for their whale watching. As I had had such an awesome experience out of Boston, I'd chosen to do my own thing that day.
As Star Flyer had arrived in the dark, I went ashore to take a few photos of them both together.
There were crew working on both ships, & the next 2 photos were taken by Daniel.
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| One bum cheek on a rung & feet on the anchor! |
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| Impressive! |
In order to get both ships in shot I had to cross some sort of security rope, but the customs men let me go over: They just watched me very closely.
There was a FAM (Fat-Arsed Monstrosity, remember?) between the bowsprits.
What a gopping* sight next to these 2 beauties!
* For those unacquainted wiv da lingo, here's a bit about gopping:
Gopping
Pronounced : goppin' Army term for something that is disgusting - Can be used as a general observation; eg "tea was gopping tonight" or a specific assessment; eg "thanks sloppo, that chicken was goppin' "
Something nasty, or horrible
Royal Navy slang for ugly
Jerry got pissed last night and pulled a right gopping bird
All day I saw people who'd come in on it taking photos of the Star Clippers' ships.
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| Portuguese ensign |
Just under the ensign you can see a little hill with a smaller one further off. Well, I walked down the R side of that bigger hill later on.
Bum-bag packed with camera, sunglasses & bikini (the latter just in case ;-p ), I set off exploring, & once past the customs cabin, went R out of the port area onto the promenade & past the fort. This was a museum, but I didn't stop. I wanted to get some postcards written & posted, & take some pics from across the harbour.
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| Daniel took this. The slipway is where I paddled after lunch. (& washed the cow-poo off. Read on to see why :-p ). |
There were lots of tourist shops on the prom, so I bought 3 nice postcards & went to a cafe to write them.
I had a great view of both ships from my table, but the camera couldn't cope with being indoors in the dark & focusing outdoors across the water.
Shame :-/
Maybe Daniel's camera would have managed?
Coffee & postcard writing done, I wandered along to the end of the jetty ~ a concrete one, & found this little ketch.
The chaps were from up the coast, but that's all I understood: my Portuguese being virtually non-existent, despite trying to get a few words under my belt when walking round Lisbon with Maggie (see Black Watch blogs).
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| I like this one. There are ships with 1, 2, 4 & 5 masts in it. |
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| Near where I spoke to Patrick |
I turned back shortly after & walked back west-ish towards the Praça de Gonçalo Velho.
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| Praça de Gonçalo Velho |
On the way I met up with Ian & Conrad who were looking into hiring a car to visit the interior of the island.
As with myself & Patrick, they had decided to do their own thing & not partake of the excursions on offer.
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| Another view of the Praca, by Daniel. The RC's across the harbour. |
Cutting through the square I turned back on myself & went along the Rua dos Mercadores. It had quite a few shops & I was on the lookout for a badge for my ruckie.
I ended up with a fridge magnet instead.
After a visit to the market & getting some bananas, I cut through the streets away from the sea & eventually ended up walking over the motorway ~ the R1-1A.
One of the streets had this sweet little house on it. I took a pic because it was pretty, but they were all colourful.
wanted a pic like the one Rob had taken of the QE2 in Funchal.
I could see a little hill ahead of me & to the R. It had cows on it, but there was a 2m wall between it & the road, so I couldn't up onto it.
Thwarted, I saw a gateway leading into a field with a path through it, so I cut left with the idea of getting to that hill I mentioned earlier.
It looked well high enough for a good photo.
Sadly, the path went nowhere, so I had to climb a couple of walls and negotiate a barbed wire fence to get to the road.
Happily, I found these flowers.
I ended up at the bottom end of someone's garden, but, fortunately!, there was no-one in to tell me off. Phew.
I went left out of the gate towards the sea & onto the feeder road for the R1. It was quite busy with fast cars on it & not at all peaceful. I was glad to leave it for the Rua da Grotinha after fifty yards or so.
A little way along it was an army base (or something with men carrying guns guarding it!), but before I reached the men with guns I went left down through the field at the bottom of the hill.
Unfortunately, the hill was very wooded, & I didn't want climb up it only to find I couldn't see the ships for the trees.
So, I used a fence post for stability (due to the max zoom), & managed the next 2 photos.
Shame about the blobs on the lens: they really show on the 2nd one. Good job I got a new camera for NZ~14.
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| The road in the foreground is the R1-1A |
After a Rule 10 behind a wall (if you don't know don't ask!), I got this pic of the little hill. Lovely blue sky & green trees :-) You can hardly see the blobs :-)
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See what I mean about woods/trees? & the Rule 10 wall!
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Just as I came to the gate out of the field, I discovered it was mightily muddy underfoot.
Well, overfoot, actually :-/
And it wasn't mud, either, but it was brown & gooey, & my white trainers had a makeover :-/
Fortunately, most of the wet stuff wiped off with grass.
After that little hiatus, I then turned right along the farm track above/next to R1
I followed the track to the next roundabout/flyover, & took a left towards the sea.
It was all downhill then for quite a while, until I got to a little park by another roundabout. I'd been walking about 4 hours, & covered over 10k, so I sat down in the sun & had 2 of my bananas.
There was a statue in the park & I think it was:
Antero de Quental (1841-1892), one of the role models of Portuguese literature
The park was right at the end of the runway, & there was the occasional plane turning on the bank behind the tree on the left of the pic.
Post bananas I headed seawards & went R along the shore.
As was normal in Latin countries, I got stared at by blokes having a drink at bars along the way, but as is normal for Shirl., I pretended I hadn't noticed ;-p
I took a few pics of the sea, surf & black Azores rocks, & noticed RC's & the Flyer's masts above the breakwater wall.
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| A truck-load of pumice |
It seems a lot of slog for not much dosh?
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| A pumice stack |
Keeping the sea on my left, I headed back towards town & a late lunch. While I was looking I found this view of the RC through an alley.
My eventual lunch stop was the restaurant at the prom end of the alley on the right-hand side by the steps.
It's called the Restaurante do Mercado de Peixe, & inside were a couple of English off the FAM.
I heard them talking to the waitress, &, as they were English, I asked them if they were on hol etc. That's how I knew they were on the FAM.
They asked me what I was doing in Ponta Delgada, & I said, "I came in last night on that one there", & pointed out of the doorway to the RC.
They looked a bit stunned.
I guess I don't look rich enough to sail on her (especially with those shorts on ;-p ), but it's surprising what a bit of desire & overtime can do for the realisation of one's dreams.
( OK, a lot of overtime :-p )
Anyway, my lunch was Double Yummy :-q
It was swordfish with local veg ~ including a mixture of beans, washed down with a glass of Profissoes Aleutejo, & (according to my notes) that's a wine made from Portuguese Arinto & Antao Vaze grapes. & Palomino. Palomino's a Spanish grape known as Perrum in Portugal. It was lovely & went great with the fish :-q
I don't know if chocolate was involved for pudding, but I have a vague recollection of something sweet?
I hadn't used the bikini in the bum-bag, but I fancied a paddle, so after lunch I doffed the trainers & tried not to fall over on the exceedingly slippery slip-way (you don't say? :-0)
I also took the opportunity to wash my trainers a bit. They were still rather brown, despite the grass!
As were my socks, so they got a sea-wash as well.
When I told him I used to use a katana, he actually took a step backwards ~ hehehe.
I was quite amused.
It was like he thought I was about to disarm him & use the sword on him.
Silly man!
I like this pic too. It's nothing marvellous, but I like the green in the cannon, trees & grass, & the square walls contrasting with the curvy tree.
At this point I was walking barefooted ~ my socks had had a wash, & when I got back to the ship Sugi & Erlan looked surprised.
When I explained my soles were very hard due to years of MA training, it was quite telling that they didn't take a step back ;-p
They obviously knew me well enough after 12 days aboard not to be scared ;-)
So much for the big tough guard at the fort, eh?
& here's me, a big soft pussy cat ;-)
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| Erlan & Sugi, & the RC bowsprit |
He was still at it when I got back over 6 hours later.
Damian had had a haircut since our 1st meeting on night one, & I almost didn't recognise him.
Back aboard I wondered how far I'd walked.
Having G-mapped it since, it looks like I did more than 14k that day, & had quite a little adventure :-)As usual ;-p
I was still full after the ginormous swordfish steak, & although Afternoon Tea was still out when I got back aboard, I was just desperate for a brew.
I saw Andy having one, too, so we had a chat for about an hour in the afternoon sun on the port side of the Tropical Bar, & then it was time to go up on deck & see the Star Flyer sail away.
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| The Star Flyer prepares to leave Ponta Delgada |
Schoonerman calls them the Honeymoon Balconies.
Check out his RC report here: ROYAL CLIPPER - Schooner Man
www.schoonerman.com/royalcl.html
In a slight change to me taking a photo of someone taking a photo ~
In a slight change to me taking a photo of someone taking a photo ~
here is Patrick videoing.
He's filming Star Flyer's departure on his tablet (or something like that? I don't know. I'm not techie-minded).
He was on the starboard Balcony
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| This is another of Daniel's photos. I was aboard on the fore-deck at this point. |
I think that's Patrick's hand on the left?
Not sure.
Maybe I'll check out what Schooner man says about their relative speeds.
But not now: too much blogging to do!
Come 8.30, I felt a bit hungry & had a steak for dinner.
And possibly more chocolate?
By the time I'd eaten pudding it was gone 9.30 & dark, & there was quite a crowd in the Tropical Bar. They were being entertained by a local dance troupe.
There was a mix of ages & shapes, & a mix of outfits. I missed the explanation (if there had been one), as it was nearly 10 by the time I'd got there: I detoured to my cabin for some warmer clothing for the Sailaway at half past 10.
As on the 12th, the masts were all lit, & it looked like every passenger was on deck.
The next surprise was that passengers were allowed to go on the helm as the RC slowly left the harbour.
Jerry had the first go.
The guy on the right was there to ensure we didn't crash it, & put a helping hand on the wheel if necessary.
After Jerry someone else tried their hand, & after them, Yours Truly got to steer.
Wow ! ! ! ! !
There were 3 dials to keep an eye on, & it was pretty difficult to make sure they were all where they were supposed to be.
There's no way I dared to look up to see where we were going.
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| Shirl concentrates while Peter looks on. |
It seemed I was on the helm for ages, but I think it was only around 5 min. 5 min of deep concentration, though.
Heaven forbid we pranged something :-0
By the time my go was over, we were out at sea, & the crew on watch that night took over.
After all that excitement I was pretty wide-awake ~ adrenaline will do that ;-p. It's much better than coffee at keeping you awake.
Fortunately, Andy was wide-awake, too (perhaps concerned/worried that I'd crash? ;-p ), so we whiled away an hour & a half chatting about all sorts. Like you would after all the adventures I'd had that day, & then crowned them all by helming the RC as she glided out of Ponta Delgada in the Azores on her journey to Malaga, 4 days away.
OAO
