The end of a long journey

Well, we finally made it to Portugal on Thursday June 20, 2024 at 0344, with only one boat behind us. We were so glad to finally be there. It had been a tremendously long and arduous journey, one we will most likely never do again. Not that we wouldn’t, but not anytime soon. We will definitely need to do some recovering and resting. I felt like I could sleep for a week.

Lagos was a beautiful town with so much to offer. The marina we docked at was right downtown, just a short walk to lots of shopping and restaurants or the beach. We spent the next several days exploring all of it. We finally got the opportunity to bust out our folding bicycles, which were useless in the Caribbean.

There were a few events put on by the ARC Rally, including our final farewell dinner. It was unfortunate that many of the cruisers had already left Portugal prior to the last dinner. Even though everyone wasn’t there we still had a great time with those that were. When the night came to an end, it was time to bid farewell to many new friends. I have no doubt that our paths will cross again one day. This community is fairly small and we are learning what a small world it actually is.

As this journey ends, a new one begins. It is now our time to begin exploring the Med. We will soon also leave Portugal and start making our way towards Gibraltar. There is so much out there for us to see and experience.