Old Links renewed with the city of SETUBAL

                                  EVORA built 1931

                                          RECORDACAO built in 1961

SETUBAL has been a city in Portugal since 1860, today with just under 120.000 inhabitants is in my opinion one of Portugal's best kept secrets, a Country with many, it is strongly associated with my childhood and teenage years, I lived only 13 miles away, I used to go there with family and friends for the many wonderful things on offer, gastronomy, if you like fish, it's the place to go, incredible beaches, some of the most beautiful I have seen in my life, Portinho da Arrabida is a typical example of that, this beautiful city is 40 kms south of the Portuguese Capital, Lisbon, it has a beautiful bay, a protected Natural Park at Arrabida and the TROIA holiday resort with marinas, beaches and fabulous accommodation, I will come back to this subject in more detail as soon as possible. Setubal is located on the northern bank of the river Sado, so clean and unspoiled that has had  bottlenose dolphins as residents for decades, yes decades. Setubal was the fourth busiest port in Portugal in 2012, commodities exported are cement, paper and fertilizers, last September I was there once again and had opportunity for some ship spotting as well, it was good to see two old freinds from my childhood years, the beautiful EVORA, built in 1931 and still cruising with passengers just for pleasure and the RECORDACAO built 30 years later and unfortunately abandoned, must have bone between the two vessels over one hundred trips on them. Photos 23.9.2013