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Thursday in Sines

27/4/17

Thursday afternoon's main task was to relax and enjoy the sunshine in Sines.
The forecast had it down as the hottest day of our trip and the Rona crew
wasted no time hitting the beach to soak up the sun and swim in the bay or
heading into the town to experience the Portuguese culture.

following an afternoon of R&R, the crew of Rona II were treated to dinner in
Sines at the restaurant La Palmeira. Our host Jose ensured that we were well
looked after from start to finish and a considerable feast ensued. An amuse
bouche of fried octopus was well received by all and seemed to complement
the Sangria perfectly. A main course of various local dishes including
seafood, stuffed pork and Portuguese omelet to name a few gave us a good
flavour of the local cuisine.

Following the main meal we toasted the race, the skipper, the ripped
spinnaker and everything in between led by toastmaster Paul. After dessert
we were treated to homemade brandy courtesy of our host Jose which gave
Charlie an opportunity to educate the crew on the history of brandy. Brandy
means 'burnt wine' and comes from the Anglo-Saxon days when wine was
imported by boat from France. The Saxons realized that they could import a
far greater quantity of alcohol if they boiled the wine down to a spirit,
shipped it and then rehydrated it in England. This plan seemed to work until
they realized that the distilled wine could be drunk without rehydration and
the rest is history...

The meal was an excellent way to celebrate the end of a fantastic sail with
a fantastic crew and it was nice to be able to eat without the mountain of
washing up that usually follows.

Friday morning saw white watch produce a breakfast of sausage egg and beans
to set the crew up for a big day of jobs. While the usual boat chores had to
be completed, there was also a party to be arranged. Party operations
officer Becky supervised the baking of various cakes and goodies, the
popping of popcorn and the frying of pappadums. At the same time invitations
were being delivered to all boats in the regatta.


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