Friday 9 September we sailed out of Lisbon, with a big crowd of people watching the gun salute at Torre de Belém. We've had a lovely week in the Portuguese capital with great events and visits on board, as well as visitors from the public. Next stop is Málaga, Spain!
The passage to Lisbon over the Bay of Biscay offered 15 days of both beautiful sailing with windfilled sails and quiet weather. It was a beautiful sailing leg with dolphins and whales accompanying us on the way, as well as a swimstop outside of Lisbon.
Monday 5 September, we arrived in Lisbon, greeting the city with a gun salute outside Torre de Belém. It is the first time that Götheborg has visited Lisbon, an exciting stopover given Portugal's long seafaring history. We moored at Cais Rocha Conde de Óbidos with a great view of Ponte 25 de Abril, and we were open to visitors almost every day of the stopover.
A highlight of the week was that the Swedish-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce (CLS) celebrated its 40 year anniversary on board, with more than 110 guests attending. The ship, as a symbol of Swedish trade, provided the perfect setting for the event. It was a beautiful evening with networking and tours around the ship as the sun set over the ship and Lisbon.
Another highly appreciated event was that the Swedish School in Lisbon visited the ship, with students from six years old and up. It was a beautiful day, with the crew on board being just as excited to greet the children on board as they were to see the ship. Before the visit, the children had learned about the ship, its history and the impact that the Swedish East India Company had on Swedish economy in the 18th century, so they were well prepared and had many questions. Thank you for coming!
We would also like to direct a very big thank you to the Embassy of Sweden in Portugal, the Swedish Ambassor to Portugal Elisabeth Eklund, and Embassy Consular Sara Lagergren. On Monday 5 September they organised for the Swedish crew members on board Götheborg to vote in the Swedish elections. It was a very special occasion (in the world's best looking voting – if we may say so ourselves) and a fantastic effort from the embassy.
Now we're on our way to Málaga! Hope to see you there!
Opening hours in Lisbon:
5 September: 15:00–20:00
6 September: 13:00–21:00
7 September: 10:00–17:30
8 September: 10:00–17:30
Ticket sales for the Gibraltar stopover in April is now open. Götheborg will be moored at Mid Harbour Marina 6–10 April. Book your tickets online now to save your space on board! Subject to availability tickets are also sold on site at the ship.
This weekend (18–19 March) will be our last in Barcelona. Monday 20 March at 10:00 we head out after nearly five months in this beautiful city. As this is the last chance to visit the ship in Barcelona, don't miss out! We're open Saturday and Sunday, and the ship will have full crew and of course look her best.
Are you 18–25 and want to sail with us? This is a great opportunity to get part of the payment payed by a grant! STAS (Sail Training Association of Sweden) has decided to give a grant of 2500 SEK each to four people 18–25 years of age. With only four grants to hand out, don't hesitate to apply!