Landed yesterday morning after a very bumpy flight from mallorca – queued for ever to pick up my hire car, walked out of the office vowing never to use Sixt rent a car again and then i arrived at my bay – A3 .
Looked at the car in the bay and pressed the door unlock button on my keyring in sheer hope that the indicators would flash and i was standing in front of the car i had rented, and that the receptionist hadn’t just mad a mistake and directed me to the wrong bay.
Bingo!! i had just unlocked the doors to my car for the next 4 days, a brand new 4×4 Subaru Legacy Estate. If only those people in the office knew what they had just done. The had rented me a rally bred car – and i live in the heart of rally country – even better still, it was raining like hell so all the lanes would be as slippery as a mud wrestlers nipple!
I hit the motorway and let some air into the cylinders to see what this beast would do. when i got clear of the turn to lisbon, i cranked it wide open – just over 220kph, i have no idea what that is in johnny english – somewhere around 120 or 130mph i guess but the windscreen wipers kept lifting off the screen so i had to slow down a little. I had ragged its sweet arse all the way from faro and used nearly half a tank of juice to boot! a round trip i would normally do in the peugeot on around a quarter of a tank.
Today i hit the surf – the south coast was plentiful, Mareta was big and heavy so i went further east to find calmer waters as i was feeling inadequate for such waters on my first day. Praia do Furnace was deserted, alone on a south coast beach – heavenly. the water was lumpier and harder work than it looked from the shore and it took a while for a break in the sets so that i could paddle out.
Bingo again – first wave i paddled for, i was on my feet – there is life in the old dog yet!!
On the way in, i got caught in the shore break and the force of the waves snapped my leash and i was separated from my board. I was scared too, the current was strong. First priority was to get myself to safety, then when i had my feet on the sand i would go and find the board. The poor board was caught in the current too and i had to run along the beach to get it, problem was, the tide was coming in fast and was already lapping at the foot of the cliffs which makes things very tricky, even more so with the current trying to drag me back out to see.
I got the board but was a little cut off from the beach and i had to wade back around the point. My legs were tired and my muscles cramping – a stark reminder of how dangerous the sea can be, even for someone like me with extensive local knowledge.
I was glad to get back to the car. Headed home to get a spare leash and then to Mareta this afternoon.
Similar thing there – heavy shore break. I waited for a break in the sets and paddled out to safety. Once i got there, i was scared. The waves were steep, i was on the 10’2”. clean up sets would come through and take everybody out. If i wanted a ride in, i had to either take one of the big ones or take a chance on my timing and hed in 10 metres to pick up the smaller stuff, but in between the bigger sets.
I took my change and headed in and tried for a ride on the smaller stuff and made itto the relative safety of the shore break – took 3 on the head before there was enough of a break fro me to drag myself out of the water.
twice in one day – i had been very scared – so much so, i dont think i can even be bothered to rally the subaru back home. Tonight i will sleep well, tomorrow, the post office and maybe another surf
The November Archives 