It was a fairly quiet period leading up to Wayne’s sister coming out for a short visit. The weather had been lovely and we managed a few trips out and about exploring some places we had not been to, or seen yet. We found the small coastal village of Salema particularly attractive. The morning we were there was a lovely sunny day, but it was still February and when there was a breeze. It can still get a bit chilly, so we were a bit surprised as we wandered along what we thought was an empty beach, when a couple ran out to the surf in the nude! We both laughed and said “They wont be in there long!”, and sure enough they were straight back out shivering in their towels. It is always strange seeing these spectacular beaches along the coast almost completely empty. It is certainly not like this in summer. The beaches can be completely full of sunbathers, towels and parasols; you can hardly see the sand.
We also popped over to a beach just below Lagoa called Praia Grande. it overlooks Portimão. It was a lovely day and we were enjoying a relaxing morning. The pool cleaner then called to say he was coming a day early, so we cut the day a bit short to head back to put the dogs in before he arrived. However, it was a nice scouting trip and it looks worth a return visit at some stage.
We also spent a while cleaning and staging the property we are looking after for a visit from the photographer working for the agent who are selling the Quinta. But the weather was great and it was nice having something to focus on and see the nice results!
Finally it was time to drive down to Faro to pick up Wayne’s sister. The forecast for her stay was unfortunately not great. The weather was due to turn a bit wet and cold, but overall it wasn’t too bad, and when compared to the temperatures back in the UK it was still warm.
However, our first trip with her was to Sagres. Anyone will tell you it’s usually windy there. Plus with the cloudy weather it was cold and windy! But we still enjoyed it, and had an interesting visit to the museum, which we missed on our last visit there.
Eventually the weather began to improve. It was still a bit cloudy, but we decided to visit Albufeira. We set off only to be caught in a tailback. We suddenly realized it was the first stage of the Volta do Algarve bike race, so we peeled off and headed for the motorway. We reached Albufeira literally just before the bike race arrived and were the last car to be diverted off the road before the race arrived. We therefore took advantage of a footbridge over the road to get a great view of the race. Even after the race had passed and we were on our way back home we were passing race related riders and vehicles all the way back, as the race actually finished in Lagos.
It was Claire’s first visit to Albufeira. It was still very early in the year, so it was nice to stroll through the old town with hardly any tourists around. We also headed over to where we had stayed for a break last year passing the “strip” which was virtually completely closed with lots of construction and renovation work going on, everyone working hard getting ready for the holiday season. We actually walked a lot further than we had planned due to parking the car where we were directed off initially. Claire and Wayne were complaining of sore hips by the end, so we found a pastelaria on the way back to the car, and enjoyed a couple of coffees and cakes, while watching the cycle race unfolding on a screen in the cafe.
The following day the weather was gorgeous, but again the race foiled our plans. We were going to take a trip to Monchique, but it was also on the race stages route and most of the roads would be closed. The builder also turned up to carry out repairs to the veranda so we decided to stay at home and manage the dogs instead. The rest was welcome after all the walking the previous day any way.
Mostly during Claire’s visit, we stayed locally and spent lots of walks and time with the dogs, deciding it was like having teenage kids again. Because the builders were at the property, Wayne and Claire took the opportunity to have a quick road trip to Silves, Monchique and Foia taking advantage of the fact that the race had moved over to the east finishing in Taveira that day. The weather was quite pleasant in Silves and they enjoyed a tour round the town and castle. They then headed off to Monchique and a spot of lunch before heading up to Foia where Magnus Cort Nielsen had finished first the following day. There was no sign of the crowds or team cars and buses etc, we had seen crammed into the parking spot on the TV the previous day. And, they didn’t stop too long either, the view was a bit misty and it was a bit chilly to say the least up there!
Claire’s visit seemed to fly by, and before long we were dropping her at the airport. It didn’t seem that long ago we were picking her up from there, it all seemed to go quickly. Next time we hope she can stay for longer, especially if the house is finished.
Speaking of the house…
We had some online chats and a zoom call with the architects and it all seems to be going well. We can’t wait to see the progress ourselves in a few weeks, so make sure to subscribe to see that post!
Our Portuguese Life 