We started the day with room confinement because the weather was rainy.We went to Sines where I washed most of my stuff in a self-service laundromat. It would have been enough just to wash the running stuff, but I took advantage of the opportunity.
The population of the small town of Sines is less than 15 thousand people. Located next to Cape Sines (Cabo de Sines), the town has a historic old town and a castle. Significant deep-water port; its best-known birthplace is the explorer Vasco da Gama.
While the 30-minute washing-program was going on, we jumped to a local museum, which was literally empty.
After washing came drying, during which it is started raining again. It did not take long, and the sun was shining.
We went to the castle. The castle was built in 1362 as protection against pirates.
On 8 July 1497, the first fleet to reach India sailed from the port of Lisbon. The young nobleman Vasco da Gama was placed at the head of the fleet.
On 16 December 1497, his ships reached the point from which Bartolomeu Dias had turned back, beyond which no European explorer had ever reached. They then headed north along the east coast of Africa. In Mozambique, they experienced the richness of trade in the Indian Ocean.
They saw Arab ships laden with gold, silver, spices, pearls, and rubies. The Arabs were incredibly enraged by the appearance of Christians. They did not even shy away from trying to seize the Portuguese ships. Nevertheless, Vasco da Gama managed to find a navigator who would lead them across the ocean to the Indian coast.
In May 1498, they entered the port of the city of Calicut. No one in the rich place needed the cheap goods of the Portuguese. Finally, da Gama was pleased to be able to set out for home with samples of spices and a letter to the King of Portugal, written by the Supreme Lord of the city of Calicut himself. The journey home took almost a year.
We went for coffee because we still had to wait until half past three when the castle museum opened.
