Visiting Portsmouth and Norfolk

 Visiting Portsmouth and Norfolk

October 7 and 8, 2023

After a night’s sleep, we all felt a bit better.  The morning was taken up with various boat jobs—launching the dinghy, planning the first section of the ICW, removing the wind steering system, attaching the davits to the back of the boat. We were contemplating going to shore, when some substantial wind and rain arrived.  Hanging around the boat seemed the wiser course.  

Late in the afternoon, we took the dinghy to shore in Portsmouth.  To our surprise, the little area where we usually tie up was experiencing some high water conditions.  Tying up in the usual spot would have required walking through about four inches of water.  We did spot a ladder that allowed us to scramble up onto a higher level dock.  After some fooling around we had the dinghy secured and set off to find a place to eat.  

The tapas place we went to was truly exceptional. We tried a trio of game sausages, a Mexican shrimp cocktail, and veggie pot-stickers for our small plates.  These were followed by a hummus and tapenade combo, seared tuna and Cajun pasta.  We managed to force down dessert.  The stagger back to the dinghy was a tad more challenging as we all felt we had over indulged!  Motoring back to the boat through the dark, while watching the lights of Norfolk, was a magical experience.

Sunday started slowly.  Our primary objective was a trip to the Food Lion.  We got our grocery items and returned to Cotinga for lunch.  The ambitious boaters, Mike and Rod, went ashore on the Norfolk side for a second walk and photo shoot.  The lazy element stayed aboard and tried to nap. 

Dinner is now cooking and we are hoping for a cozy evening.  Maybe we will be able to stay awake long enough to watch the Patriots game from this afternoon.... 

Gloria

Glass Buildings (1) - Norfolk

Glass Buildings (2) - Norfolk

Glass Buildings (3) - Norfolk

Mural (and statue) depicting the Norfolk maritime supply chain

Prow of the USS Wisconsin