PORTUGAL

Monday 22nd October.
After last week with Carol and Chris we caught up with all the chores and serviced the Winnebago ,then went for a swim and got ready and packed for our trip to Portugal with Vidal and Gissy on Tuesday morning,In the evening we had pork steaks and lyonaise potatoes,our first meal in for a week!
Tuesday 23rd October.
We set off to Portugal in the morning in Vidals BMW using the same route as we had two weeks ago,but it did not take as long as it does 150 mph on the Autovia and as we arrived we also discovered that Portugal is still on BST,one hour behind us in Spain-we had not noticed this last time! We booked into the same hotel in Villa Real de Santo Antonio for two nights on a cheaper rate than last time,then walked into the old town and had a light lunch of Chicked Piri Piri and salad washed down with the local strong beer! We went over to Olhao to the site where we met Frank and Rosemary last time and who we have been keeping in touch with by e-mail,they welcomed us once again and helped us with some more facts and details-thanks! We then went into the old port of Olhao and had some drinks on the front as the sun set over Faro.In the evening we went again into the old town of VRSA and had dinner at the restaurant we went to last time washed down with a terrible bottle of Portugese sparkling rose!! On the way back we stopped for a coffee and brandy to finish off a good day and make our plans for the next day.
Wednesday 24th October.
After breakfast at the hotel we shot up to the Autovia that goes across the middle of the Algarve and went down to the most western point in Europe at Cabo de S.Vicente just past the town of Sagres.We had last been here some 35yrs.ago – nothing has changed in this part of Portugal! The pictures show the rocky coast line with the Atantic breakers coming in,sometimes in the winter storms they come over the top!! the lighthouse is really at the end of the world and you can go right up to the cliff edge as the picture of me and the girls shows. We then came back along the old coast road past Sagres towards the old fishing port of Lagos which has changed some what but not for worst,that came next when we went into the concrete jungle that is called Portimao and got lost for a short while-too long!! We then carried on past Lagoa and down into Albufeira and called into the site that we had seen last time-we had a surprise! The people on the main spot who we met on the way across from the ferry and who warned us about the breaks on the trailer had left-sadly due to illness but their friends had taken over the spot ,but just below them there is a very good,large spot with all the amenities that we require but they would not let us reserve it,we offered to pay for a month in advance to get the best rate but the answer was still no!! very uncopertive people in the office.So the folks on the prime spot ,Eve and Barry have taken our details and we are going to keep in touch with a view to a move at the end of the month after we have made our minds up!! We then went down into the old port of Albufeira and walked around all the back streets and down onto the beach front.The pictures show the beach and the old town which have not changed but the rest has become another concrete jungle full of high rise buildings and English beer bars-ug!! The last picture shows the oldest fish restaurant “Ruina” on the front which has not changed-only the prices have gone up!For a change we spotted a very good Chinese restaurant and had a lovely meal as the sun set and the full moon came out. We then headed back to VRSA after one “Helluva” day.
Thursday 25th October.
We took a late breakfast and had a walk around the local market before we set off to Cadiz to show Vidal and Gissy the city, The road in goes over a bridge and into the new part of the city which is a very long straight avenue with over a hundred traffic lights! They change in sequence!! then you go down to the port through the old citywalls where the Atlantic liners come in. We then went for a tapas lunch in our favourite restaurant which we have spoken about before on the beach front and had some magnificent tapas washed down with the local vino blanco which come from just outside Cadiz When we came out we found on the beach a sand sculpter who had made thr largest crocodile that you will ever see! Check the picture out.The road from Cadiz goes through the mountains and past the wind farms to Tarifa past all the kite surfers on the sandy beach around the bay.We had a drink as the sun set over the African Riff mountains in a bar that is built into the very old city walls.We finally called into Estepona marina for a late pasta supper before we got back to the site after 1500kms!! This takes into account when we got lost in a small village,looking for petrol and ended up in the "Dead" centre-the cemetary going round and round!!