It has been a while since our last update. Quite a bit to cover then…
So, we both thought we could do with some time away from the constant waiting for things to happen with the build. Plus we both wanted to get further afield and visit more of Portugal and eventually Spain and the rest of Europe properly.
The biggest stumbling block to that, was the lack of funds, particularly with the upcoming build and most of the money tied up with that project. But we discovered an online site which provides a service that suited our particular needs exactly…
The service is a house and pet sitting gateway, that allows us to both travel and be with animals. Both things we miss and want to experience. Also, we have a lot of time on our hands which will allow us to help others, who on the other hand want to visit their family and friends again without the worry of removing their pets from their normal environments and routines.
So, we joined the service at a small cost and applied for a few sits that would allow us to explore the Algarve before the summer crowds. We were planning to go down for a holiday anyway, so this would save on fuel also. We applied and were very pleased to be accepted for a sit near Lagos. It was for six dogs and a semi-feral cat. It might have seemed a lot for our first sit but as it turned out, it was a dream sit and we loved each of the dogs as they were so easy going.
The cat appeared twice a day on the roof to be fed and watered and was friendly too. Unfortunately Wayne never got him on camera, but he was great. The six dogs were all rescue dogs and their owners were such a nice couple. We were so glad they picked us to look after their house and the pets.
The house was only a short drive to Lagos but rural enough for the peace and tranquility that the Algarve is known for. And, as you know its just the type of setting we are looking for in our house too. It quickly became clear that the dogs were completely comfortable in our company, so it allowed their owners to get on with their holiday quickly and without worry.
The dogs in order of size are; Tom, Monty, Olive, Benji, Roo and Bella. Bella is the oldest and suffers from Asthma and is blind so needed the most care but is such a dear. Benji has lost a leg, but is such a trooper. It was terrific of the owner to stop and rescue him from traffic that was unbelievably just driving around him in the road. They picked him up and took him to a vet, who managed to save his life but not his leg. Tom can be a little grumpy, but is not always accepted by the others, so who can blame him. He loved to be with Wayne walking around the garden chasing oranges and avocados! Roo is very protective but also cheeky trying to steal Tom or Olive’s fruit. Olive is just crazy excited most of the time and was the first to raise the alarm when the cat arrived. Monty is just the sweetest mild mannered boy and really likes to be cuddled and fussed.
It really was a pleasure to be with each and all of the dogs who adored petting and attention. We loved them all and it was quite sad when it was time to leave, but if we are ever down again, I am sure we will stop to say hi. The owners were so close to our aspirations and principles it felt like we had known each other for ages!
We managed to see quite a bit of the western Algarve, in between chilling at the villa and relaxing with the ”kiddies”. We went to the most SW point of Europe, namely Sagres. It was a particularly windy day even though it was warm and sunny. It is very bleak and reminded us a bit of Portland in the Uk on a windy day. The highlight was sitting in a sculpture of a maze, and listening and feeling the power of the waves coming up through a blow hole. A german couple we shared the space with exclaimed it was like a train!
We made several trips to Lagos, which was the nearest town to our house-sit. Its a lovely place and we also got to spend an evening here with my sister as her flight from Lisbon was cancelled because of the BA debacle. We were glad we were there before the summer crowds arrived though!
We also managed to visit a megalithic site just a short drive at a place called Alcalar. It was three euros entry and we were slightly disappointed as there wasn’t a great deal to see apart from the main chamber. We were hoping to spend a bit longer learning about the site and the excavations but it was just down to the tourist brochure and a ten minute walk.
We enjoyed our walks at Alvor. Along the board walk at the western edge of the beach, as well as to the eastern edge of Alvor, along the beach with its many arches and up the cliffs to see the Grutas Baratas. A huge sink hole and cavern that you can reach by boat or swim from the beach. Also a bit further along the coast was Portimão, a town that has changed vastly since Waynes visits there while in the Navy. We did manage a morning trip there however, for a coffee and look around.
Our final outing was a bit further north in the hills. Monchique was a pleasant suprise and very pretty surroundings. Its somewhere we intend to return to for a longer walk at some stage. After a very nice lunch we headed up to the highest point at Miradouro da Fóia. There are lots of trails here that we are looking forward to trying out in the future. We managed to look around the very interesting craft shop and grab a coffee at the cafe before heading back and passing by the new F1 racing track.
We did manage one last visit to ”Home Sweet Home” cafe in Lagos for one more round of cakes and coffee too.
Just as it was time to return home the Sahara desert had kicked up a storm that was making its way across the Iberian peninsula and the journey was shrouded in an orange mist. Very surreal.
We stopped at our plot of land on the way home to check how mad the vegetation had grown and to see if we needed to get the strimmer out again. We had a great surprise to see that an engineer had been out marking the positions of the house dimensions with orange spray, so were pleased some progress had started, but we are still waiting for the technical wall to be built that provides the services needed on the site. It might just seem like just some crosses on the ground, but to us its the first steps on our journey.
Also, while we were away, our new friends in the village had completed building his ”man cave” bar, so were happy to call in and celebrate that too. Why wouldn’t you!!
So, thats where we are folks. We are now looking at flooring materials and kitchens this week, so keep your fingers crossed that the build will get underway soon! It has been a long wait, but one that we know will be worth it!
Our Portuguese Life 