Since the girls had the week off and we wanted to mark Euge's 40th (can't have a party with no friends!) we decided to plan a short trip to Portugal. I had never been, but it's a popular destination for the locals here and apparently in the summer half of Wandsworth (our SW London borough) is there, in the area called the Algarve, looking for sun. It's a three hour flight so we left early Sat morning, arrived in Faro and then drove about an hour to Praia da Luz on the SW coast. I had no expectations really but was very surprised as to how clean it was and the landscape was a bit of a mix between California and Utah. Very dry and lots of sun, with a steady breeze and temps comfortable in 70s. The coast is very cliff-y and the beaches are in coves with cliffs on either side, and there are spots where you can drive all the way down to the beach and park!
We stayed in a great 2 bed apt with a view to ocean on one side and view to pool on other. It was IMMACULATE - I've never stayed in a cleaner place (and we've probably been in 25?). Not a spec of food in the kitchen on dishes, in drawers, not a spec of dust, and not a hair ANYWHERE. Portugal in general was amazingly clean to us - prob because we live in filthy London.
The food was wonderful - E says he ate more fish in five days than he'd eaten in the last five years (I know, Mom, not a good statistic!). We ate tons of the local and standard fresh caught in the morning, then grilled for lunch or dinner: sardines. We had lots of sardines (a bigger fish than I thought it was) and lots of their little bones. We got the hang of removing as much of their bones as possible, but the rest you eat and they are packed with good things for you. Anyway, we had tasty sardines, a dish called cataplana (in the copper pot) and the most delicious fish we'd ever eaten, red bream. At our "favorite" restaurant, they had anchovies in olive oil with fresh garlic and that was heaven - Mia esp liked it. So tons of good seafood. And of course everyone likes a good Portuguese bun.
The Portuguese language is one that I am not familiar with, but everyone spoke English so that was not a problem. As most of you know, languages have always interested me and written Portuguese is a romance language and similar enough to Italian and Spanish that you can figure out what you are reading - but pronouncation and understanding spoken are ENTIRELY different. The first time I heard it on the plane going there, I thought I was listening to a Slavic/Russian language. Over the course of our stay, I decided that spoken, it sounds like a combo of Russian and some Spanish. VA-ry interesting.
Eugene's actual birthday was tons of fun. We had a wonderful day and had so much fun giving him his presents (went all out on his 40th!!) and had a wonderful dinner at our fav restaurant in Burgau, next town over.
Anyway, before I belabor this and never post it...I'll upload photos now.
Our first evening - so happy to be warm and have sun!
Made Euge take photo of Libby and me!
Fun times with Dada and Libby
Another restaurant shot of Libby and me!
Mia eating her new fav - anchovies and garlic on bread
Chloe with the squid she insisted on ordering (but Daddy mostly ate)
Cataplana - mmm
Happy beauty on the beach
I was thrilled to get this photo of a "typical" Portuguese older man - saw so many wearing cap, sweater, pants and socks with sandals - in mixes of gray and brown. I think they think us tourists mad in our summer attire.
Oh my GD is she not the cutest?!?
View on beach with cars parked.
Oh my GD, this was too funny - the bday boy was getting too much sun and asked me to go buy him a tshirt - this was the biggest they had. Lovely print. Doesn't he look pretty?
My handsome husband on his 40th bday, about to open presents.
Libby wants to play in daddy's beer.
The best shot ever. Color coordination was not planned!
Bday dinner at our fav rest in Burgau.
Sardine bones and king prawn remains.
I was very demanding that photos be taken of me too, can you tell?
Utah reminding landscape.
Girls on cliff at Sagres - western most point in Europe and probably the windiest!
Sagres fishing harbor.
The ubiquitous grilled sardines - dock workers grilling them outside their "office."
View from our front balcony to ocean
View from our back balcony to pools
Mia with a final ta-da!What a great trip. Highly recommend Portugal.
3 comments:
I think I need to add Portugal to the list of places I want to visit... it looks like you had a wonderful time! Happy birthday Eugene! (And I agree, Libby is so cute with her sunglasses on... all of your girls look adorable!)
Looks like Euge had a fabulous b-day -- makes 40 look not so bad ;)
Was thrilled to see you included in photos too....all too often it seems the mums are always hiding behind the camera!
Lovely pics of the Algarve -- have only been to Lisbon and the beaches just west and they cannot compare!
Vanessa, you look wonderful!
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