The much anticipated arrival in Sines, Portugal did actually come too soon...
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| Wandering the quaint streets of Sines |
Although by now I had huge bags under my eyes from lack of sleep and also kept falling asleep on the night watches, I did in fact want to keep sailing as now we were in Sines, it meant the wonderful journey was coming to an end. I was of course looking forward to going back to London and sharing my stories with my family and friends though the lifestyle of living in London is something, I learnt, that should not be taken lightly. The pollution, the bustle and the rudeness of Londoners was certainly something I was not looking forward to returning to.
We arrived in Sines on the evening of the 26th April though unfortunately, the workers at the harbour had either gone home or were busy haha. We then ended up spending one more night anchored in the harbour before being escorted the following morning (27th) by the tugboats to the dock. After anchoring up and then having a crew meeting on deck of how things will now be running that we had arrived safely (no more watches thank goodness!!!) - we were free to go and explore Portugal!
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| Before the meeting came to an end, the Captain announced he was to give out our certificates. One by one we shook hands and showed our appreciation to the Captain and crew for getting us there safely and allowing us aboard their home. It was a proud moment to say the least. |
Just kidding haha. Touching concrete for the first time in a week and a half was slightly odd. I had gotten used to the smooth wood that surfaced the ship. It was however very satisfying. 'I've never been so happy to see land,' Lettie exclaimed as the three of us wandered off towards the town. The dock area was slightly industrial and not as pretty as what I had originally imagined my grand arrival on land to look like, but I wasn't complaining. After having a wander, we headed back for the BBQ lunch that had been arranged on board with everyone. Those that wished to attend were more than welcome, while some others (Old Americans- if you know, you know) were the first to pack their bags and book a hotel ashore. It was a lovely afternoon, leading up to the shenanigans of the evening to come... 'Sailors love to drink' is not just a rumor, I assure you!
So real celebration was overdue and now ashore, we were all allowed to drink! The ship had previously been 'dry' due to the nature of the tasks we were to complete and you had to be pretty alert whilst on watches etc. The evening of the first night was one to remember, arguably the best night of the trip. Not only was it just filled with love, and joy and alcohol but the anticipation leading up to it was what made it so great and we already had been told how crazy the Norwegians could get when there was booze involved.
We sang and drank and danced and drank and chatted and laughed and everything in between. The poor locals of sleepy Sines hadn't known what hit them! One word... SUPERBOCK.
Our celebrations carried on into the night until the Norwegian trainees had to head back in time for their curfew. We as 'customers' technically didn't have a curfew and were left to roam the streets with the other trainees and crew members. After contemplating a trip to Lisbona for a night of clubbing, we decided to go for a drunken dip in the sea instead.
Task: Attempt getting into a hammock tipsy, whilst on a boat gently rocking with the waves- not for the faint hearted.
The following day was not received with hang overs, but rather excitement to actually see the small town. A group of us set off by foot and spent the day in and out of cobbled streets, shopping for souvenirs, eating lunch and of course a complimentary shot of sangria was involved.
We met another group later on at the beach and spent the afternoon sunbathing, swimming and once again drinking Superbock. It seemed like a nice life, sailing from pillar to post, seeing the world, meeting new people and understanding the basic needs in life (that being happiness, friendship and beer). It was a lifestyle I felt gave you real purpose as you woke up each day with a task at hand, get to your destination wherever it may be. You ate no more than you needed to as there was always food, yet you weren't ever really that hungry. You slept without problems as you worked so hard that you had no time to think about sleep, rather you just slept and of course you celebrated like it was the only cause worth celebrating because it was a true accomplishment to overcome the ocean. Many people fear the ocean because it is the unknown and so did I till it was all I could see around me, no land. When I looked around I felt a love deeper than any love I had known and a slight intrigue as I was slowly learning all about the unknown.
Once again we headed home, had some food and got ready for the night ahead. There was more of us going out on the second night and we were ready to rock it. At some point during the night we bumped into a man called John. He was a man of phew words that had sailed with us for the duration of the voyage, who in fact had a mega camera with an even mega lens. In our drunken sailor state the (approx.) 15 of us, in chorus yelled ' Johnnnn!' and next thing we knew, he was buying each and every one of us a round of drinks. Oh John, we can't forget you!
The final day was oh so bitter sweet. It was the day of the festival organised by the Tall Ships Regatta, where all the ships involved in the race would parade through the town and finally into the church yard ruins for the prize giving ceremony.
Later that day we would return to the church yard for a huge party with free drinks and food! Woo Hoo! It was a day and night to remember.
It goes without saying that I made friends for life on this trip, who although I haven't seen in a while, do keep in contact with every now and then. I learnt so much from the Norwegian trainees on board about confidence, bravery and determination as they all work so hard to achieve. I also learnt a lot about myself, whether it be partially overcoming my fear of the dark or being a daredevil up on the rig. Sines was about coming together as a family. We were all once strangers and then slept, ate, relaxed and worked together to achieve a collective goal. We celebrated together once achieving this goal and formed bonds that will last a lifetime. Thank you Royal Borough of Greenwich for being my sponsor aboard the Tall Ships Regatta and thank you to beautiful Christian Radich of Oslo for this magnificent experience.
Peace & Love,
Willow
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| You can tell this picture was taken by a sailor! Crooked! |
So real celebration was overdue and now ashore, we were all allowed to drink! The ship had previously been 'dry' due to the nature of the tasks we were to complete and you had to be pretty alert whilst on watches etc. The evening of the first night was one to remember, arguably the best night of the trip. Not only was it just filled with love, and joy and alcohol but the anticipation leading up to it was what made it so great and we already had been told how crazy the Norwegians could get when there was booze involved.
We sang and drank and danced and drank and chatted and laughed and everything in between. The poor locals of sleepy Sines hadn't known what hit them! One word... SUPERBOCK.
Task: Attempt getting into a hammock tipsy, whilst on a boat gently rocking with the waves- not for the faint hearted.
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| Credits: Chris Williamson |
We met another group later on at the beach and spent the afternoon sunbathing, swimming and once again drinking Superbock. It seemed like a nice life, sailing from pillar to post, seeing the world, meeting new people and understanding the basic needs in life (that being happiness, friendship and beer). It was a lifestyle I felt gave you real purpose as you woke up each day with a task at hand, get to your destination wherever it may be. You ate no more than you needed to as there was always food, yet you weren't ever really that hungry. You slept without problems as you worked so hard that you had no time to think about sleep, rather you just slept and of course you celebrated like it was the only cause worth celebrating because it was a true accomplishment to overcome the ocean. Many people fear the ocean because it is the unknown and so did I till it was all I could see around me, no land. When I looked around I felt a love deeper than any love I had known and a slight intrigue as I was slowly learning all about the unknown.
Once again we headed home, had some food and got ready for the night ahead. There was more of us going out on the second night and we were ready to rock it. At some point during the night we bumped into a man called John. He was a man of phew words that had sailed with us for the duration of the voyage, who in fact had a mega camera with an even mega lens. In our drunken sailor state the (approx.) 15 of us, in chorus yelled ' Johnnnn!' and next thing we knew, he was buying each and every one of us a round of drinks. Oh John, we can't forget you!
Later that day we would return to the church yard for a huge party with free drinks and food! Woo Hoo! It was a day and night to remember.
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| The Sunday came around too fast and it was sadly time to go. Much like a movie it was pouring down with rain and we knew nothing about how we were getting to the airport. Greenwich council had forgotten to give us any details and so after Chis done some ringing around, we found out that they had forgotten to pick us up! Sad we were leaving our Norwegian companions we bid our farewells and walked with our heavy bags to the meeting point and eventually found the coach. We were finally on our way to the airport and absolutely drenched. |
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| Thank you for the pic Pierre! Haha! |
It goes without saying that I made friends for life on this trip, who although I haven't seen in a while, do keep in contact with every now and then. I learnt so much from the Norwegian trainees on board about confidence, bravery and determination as they all work so hard to achieve. I also learnt a lot about myself, whether it be partially overcoming my fear of the dark or being a daredevil up on the rig. Sines was about coming together as a family. We were all once strangers and then slept, ate, relaxed and worked together to achieve a collective goal. We celebrated together once achieving this goal and formed bonds that will last a lifetime. Thank you Royal Borough of Greenwich for being my sponsor aboard the Tall Ships Regatta and thank you to beautiful Christian Radich of Oslo for this magnificent experience.
Peace & Love,
Willow
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