Gina and I are sitting in a restaurant overlooking the marina here recovering from country dancing in the 15th century square. It was part of the fiesta celebrations where we got mugged into dancing with a local troupe from one of the surrounding villages. Great fun but thank god we got no photos.

On Wednesday we left a very smoky Baiona (hill fires) and proceeded South again towards Viana Do Costelo - our first ever taste of Portugal . The journey was a mixture of winds up to F5, calms and hill fires. About 10 mils South of Baiona we noticed a fog bank ahead, the temperature dropped and we found ourselves in the smoke from a large hill fire on the cliffs about a mile east of us. Very weird and eerie. This lasted for about 3 miles with a strange orange sun showing through the smoke. After this the wind rapidly increased to neaely F6 from the South West. A boat about half a mile away was getting wind from the north east - bizarre.

We arrived into the small marina here at Viano Do Costelo. It is a largish town with substantial docks and is also very dependent on tourism. The Marina is virtually under a road and rail bridge designed by Monsieur Eiffel of tower fame. The marina is also by the old town. Lots of little shops and restaurants. It is almost as cheap to eat out as in.

The town is dominated by a hill on which there is a handsome basilica. This aftrenoon we hope to take the funicular railway to go and see it.

Tomorrow we head for Povoa De Varzim for a couple of days before proceeding on to Porto.