The Pourquoi Pas? arrived at Mindelo, the port of the island of Sao Vicente, in the Cape Verde archipelago on July 11 in the morning. The cruise is scheduled from July 12th to August 24th, including the two days of making the ship available to the scientific team before and after the mission. The scientific team arrived in Mindelo in dispersed order. Some arrived on July 9th, another group on the 10th and the vast majority arrived on July 11th with the TAP flight from Lisbon. A large part of the ship’s crew and the team in charge of the Nautile submarine arrived on the same flight.
Mindelo harbour with the Pourquoi Pas? – © C. Hamelin 
Beach in Mindelo – © C. Hamelin 
Mindelo – © C. Hamelin 
Mindelo – © C. Hamelin 
Arrival at Mindelo – © A. Briais
The trip went well, apart from a lost baggage, and the team was nearly complete when we met on the evening of the 11th to visit Mindelo a bit and discover the cuisine and music of the island of Cesaria Evora. Mindelo is a city in full development. Several old buildings have been tastefully restored and the new buildings fit in well with the landscape. The colorful houses give a colorful charm to the city. Plantations of oleander and other tropical trees and shrubs, as well as palm trees form a pleasant setting. The sea has an incredible color, an intense and deep turquoise, inviting to swim before dinner. Done !
By M. Maia