Porto Santo, a Portugese paradise

Wide awake at 8am with a Portugese sailboat alarmingly nearby, we re-anchor. This time further from the ferry's path at the entrance, now next to Norwegian "Blue Marlin" and "Agape". Great to see old friends again!

So, off to the three different offices to check in. The same forms, questions, in triplicate. Here there has been some disagreements about payment. We, who anchor on "communal ground" and who are under 10 tons, don't pay. And cannot use the marina facilities, like the showers. These aren't totally satisfactory, apparently. So, we put the little steps out at the stern and swim in the clean, blue, 25 degree waters.

It's a 15 min. walk into lovely Vila Baleira, the well-kept, white-washed, red-tiled town of 5000 souls. Vila Baleira has a pretty town center with pebbled and cobbled, volcanic, stones streets and plazas, palm trees, flowering trees, fountains. The town square is lined by the municipal building, a 15th cent. church, a "Cultural activities Center", and one of its two outdoor stages. There are the usual beach and clothing shops and a big supermarket, Pingo.
Then there are the beaches. They line the whole leeward side of this 11km by 6km island. You have plenty of elbow-room, right in the middel of town, or by the marina. Or you could walk a bit and have your own little tropic paradise. I could definitly stay here awhile.

Back at the boat , time for dinner. Today it´s a Paella:

"PAILLA ÁLA BABETTE"
Make Spanish rice: First warm up a deep skillet, with about 3tbs. oil. Add rice, stir. Ther rice pops, like popcorn. Keep stirring! Then dump it in twice the amount of water (than rice), with fish bullion, safran, s&p. Simmer for 15 min. Slice and sauté a couple onions, mushrooms and tomatoes, zucchini squash, garlic (that´s what we had in stock!) Then add "mixed seafood", bought at Pingo´s: shrimp, clam oyster, mussels, squid rings. Add a little white wine. Cover. Simmer for a bit. Add the rice, simmer some more. Eat with a good Portugese red wine, under the Bimini and enjoy the sunset, then the full moon.

There are about 9 Scandinavian boats here for the moment and they meet in the evenings at the café. The boat "signatures" (small paintings!) line the quay wall. The Scandinavian ones all include their national flags, a very flag-y bunch.