The last few weeks have been weeks of frustrated plans and learning to adapt to the changing circumstances and unexpected stuff life throws up.

We flew back to the UK mid February. As you may recall from our last post we welcomed our grand daughter in to the world on the 20th February. We planned to stay until the 4th March but sadly Graham’s Mother passed away on the 3rd March so we delayed our return. We are grateful that we were in England at the time and were able to see her during her last few days. 

Once arrangements had been made for her funeral and thanksgiving we rescheduled  our return for 25th March but now with the current Corona Virus pandemic impacting both the UK and Portugal this flight has been cancelled by Ryanair. Portugal has also declared a state of emergency, the marina is closed and no boats are allowed in or out. We have reluctantly accepted that the best thing for us to do is stay in England. We will be staying in Southend for the next few weeks as we see how this crises develops.

The latest NavTex warning fromPortugal is quite severe.  I really don’t think they want us there.

Navigational warning

RA41
CENCOMAR
181727 UTC MAR 20
NAV. WARNING NR 0632/20
PORTUGAL-CONTINENTAL PORTUGAL
1. IS NOW INTERDICTED, UNTIL
FURTHER NOTICE, THE MOORING
OF RECREATIONAL VESSELS WHOSE
HOME PORT IS NOT PORTUGUESE
AND ALSO THE DESEMBARKATION OF
PASSENGERS FROM THOSE
BOATS/VESSELS, EXCEPT FOR
URGENT LOGISTICAL OR SANITARY
REASONS.
ANY DESEMBARKATION CAN ONLY
TAKE PLACE AFTER EXPRESS
AUTHORIZATION BY LOCAL
PORTUGUESE MARITIME AUTHORITIES
2. COMMANDERS AND SKIPPERS OF
BOATS WISHING TO ENTER IN A
RECREATIONAL PORT OR MARINA
MUST CONTACT THE LOCAL PORT
CAPTAINCIES BY VHF CH16,
EMAIL OR PHONE.

NNNN

Southend was Graham’s childhood home and he has enjoyed visiting some of the places he knew as a child. There are interesting things to be seen wherever you are in the world. Below are a few pictures of Leigh and Southend including a picture of Graham’s Grand Father’s flat and the park he remembers his grandmother visiting in her wheelchair.

In the next few weeks hopfully we will see the sun a little more and may get to take a walk down Southend Pier, the longest pleasure pier in the world. 

I expect that you all have your own challenges coping with the current Corona Pandemic and we hope you are all staying healthy. At the moment is unclear when we will be able to return to Portugal and start our summer trip, we need to expect that the summer will be very different to the one we had planned for ourselves.

We will keep you updated. 

 

4 Comments

  • martin shipley

    Thanks great pics of southend. Yet sad all our lives have been put on hold we all pray for a peace and
    strength for the days ahead and hope for the future my close friends have self isolated i can go out not quite 70 yet my 1day work has stopped and many work from home now .Keep safexxx

  • Thanks for the update. Stay safe and enjoy the place however you can. I can just visualize Graham on the slot machines on the pier !! 😂🇮🇳

  • Robin Williams

    Glad to hear you are both safe on dry land and adjusting to a new way of living. Looking forward to hearing of how your return to the sea goes. All the best Robin

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