Sunday, June 8 –
Land ho! What a beautiful sight to see Flores about 40 miles in front of us. It is volcanic and high making it visible from so far. As we approached the island was magnificent with high hills of green fields and rocky cliffs. It reminded us all of Ireland and the Cliffs of Mohr.
Crossing the southern end of the island to enter the harbor we were greeted by a dozen enthusiastic dolphins. Arriving in the marina we found a perfect spot on the sea wall and tied up. We’re here!!
After settling the boat we all put on shoes for the first time in almost two weeks and went for a walk to check out the town. Hungry, we stopped at a pizza place, the only place open. After all, it is Sunday night and 9 pm in Flores. Noone in the small restaurant spike a work of English which is about the amount of Portugese we collectively knew. Pizza had been shut down for the night so the guys ordered other food from the menu to see what arrived. Sara just ordered a glass of wine, as she does not drink when off shore. She was surprised when the entire bottle arrived. Something was lost in the communication. The crew all consumed the bottle of wine along with a few beers. The language barrier may prove to be interesting. Welcome to Europe! This will be part of the fun.
We are just starting to meet our new neighbors in the marina. There are boats from Wales, England, Germany, and several from France. Everyone helps one another when a boat arrives and needs help with lines. We love the sailing community!