The Algarve
We're leaving for Lagos today... hiring a car, and driving to the Algarve, the South Coast of Portugal.
We employed an Uber driver to take us from our hotel to the car-hire pick-up location with our luggage. Uber is ubiquitous in Lisbon.
The Europcar office is strategically located to avoid having to drive through narrow Lisbon streets to get to the main highways heading out of the city.
However... Ruth strategically left her jacket behind at the Torel Palace so after picking up the car, the first task was to drive back into town to pick it up. Argh!
An hour later, we're finally leaving Lisbon in our VW Touran, driven by yours truly, and navigated by our old friend Veronique, the lady inside Google Maps.
Not long later, we're driving through the Portuguese mountain-side (well hills anyway), looking over towards the South and the Troia Peninsula.
We will be taking a ferry across to this peninsula later on, but the drive there was full of scenic views.
Isn't she gorgeous?
Not so gorgeous to me when I found out about the jacket being left behind.
But, every now and then, rarely I know, even I can be trying. So onwards and upwards as we continue along our journey, admiring the views in complete marital harmony.
It's a shame we have the hazy outlook, but it is what it is.
Eventually we arrive at the ferry station and Veronique, Ruth, and I drive onto the boat for the short crossing.
Looking back from the deck of the ferry, you can see the mountainous terrain we traversed.
Those hills are where I took the photo of the peninsula.
Our foodie guide in Lisbon, Joao (you can call him John) recommended we have lunch at Restaurant Donna Bia. Sure enough we had an outstanding meal there.
Here's Ruth after finishing off the seafood pot; I suppose you'd call it a Portuguese version of a Spanish Paella (but I wouldn't say that out loud here).
Next stop was our accommodation in the Algarve called "Farmhouse of the Palms".
We decided to base ourselves out of town a bit, and day trip to the major towns and sights. We had our own wheels now and driving for an extra half-hour here and there made more sense than packing up and moving each day or two.
Here's a view from our balcony... very nice indeed.
You can see we're relatively high up overlooking a green valley and a town called Sao Bras... not much there, but I mention it so you can work out where it's located.
The room we had was very spacious, and the owners, Frank and Veronique (not related to the lady of Google Maps fame) couldn't help us enough. It made for an extremely pleasant time, although I found breakfast very complicated.
Check out all the colours I had to choose from just for starters:
And it didn't stop there:
But I worked it out in the end. I left the cold cuts to Ruth and polished off all the other colours myself.
I needed extra energy because this was going to be a big day - Louisa's 21st birthday.
Our gorgeous daughter Louisa had been living in Lagos, on the Algarve, for a few months but unfortunately her stay was prematurely cut short due to an unforeseen business hiccup, and so whilst we had planned to celebrate Louisa's 21st with her in Lagos, she was now back in Melbourne.
But, life goes on, and I'm pleased to report that the hiccup has been put behind them.
Here we are taking a selfie to toast Louisa outside where she worked while in Lagos:
We can see why this is a favourite spot. Lots of activities at night, but also an extraordinarily beautiful beach.
Thankfully it isn't high season here right now, but I can imagine this would be filled with sunlovers at peak times.
And from the other side of the hills you see above, here's looking back towards Lagos:
A bit like Port Campbell and the Great Ocean Road.
It's clearly a place to play... even the statue of King Sebastian is rather fun looking. This guy apparently travelled to Africa to Christianise them, but he never came back leaving Spaniards in charge in his place.
But the Portuguese never gave up hope of Sebastian returning, and today this statue symbolises their hope for the good times to return. The statue was inaugurated the year before the dictator of Portugal was overthrown.
Interestingly, the authoritarian dictatorship was deposed by military coup on 25th April 1974, the day we celebrate ANZAC day. So our two countries share the day as a public holiday.
Also celebrated is Henry the Navigator - Portugal's age of discovery started in 1415 under this ruler. Something like 400 ships departed from this port (Lagos).
And what would be a visit to a town without a stop at a church... here's an illegal snap I just had to sneak in.
Before the day ends in Lagos, we just had to experience one of its top seafood restaurants - Dom Sebastiao.
I've learned that with all the fresh seafood around, Portugal isn't the place to order hamburgers.
I'm looking forward to the colours of tomorrow's breakfast.
We employed an Uber driver to take us from our hotel to the car-hire pick-up location with our luggage. Uber is ubiquitous in Lisbon.
The Europcar office is strategically located to avoid having to drive through narrow Lisbon streets to get to the main highways heading out of the city.
However... Ruth strategically left her jacket behind at the Torel Palace so after picking up the car, the first task was to drive back into town to pick it up. Argh!
An hour later, we're finally leaving Lisbon in our VW Touran, driven by yours truly, and navigated by our old friend Veronique, the lady inside Google Maps.
Not long later, we're driving through the Portuguese mountain-side (well hills anyway), looking over towards the South and the Troia Peninsula.
We will be taking a ferry across to this peninsula later on, but the drive there was full of scenic views.
Isn't she gorgeous?
Not so gorgeous to me when I found out about the jacket being left behind.
But, every now and then, rarely I know, even I can be trying. So onwards and upwards as we continue along our journey, admiring the views in complete marital harmony.
It's a shame we have the hazy outlook, but it is what it is.
Eventually we arrive at the ferry station and Veronique, Ruth, and I drive onto the boat for the short crossing.
Looking back from the deck of the ferry, you can see the mountainous terrain we traversed.
Those hills are where I took the photo of the peninsula.
Our foodie guide in Lisbon, Joao (you can call him John) recommended we have lunch at Restaurant Donna Bia. Sure enough we had an outstanding meal there.
Here's Ruth after finishing off the seafood pot; I suppose you'd call it a Portuguese version of a Spanish Paella (but I wouldn't say that out loud here).
Next stop was our accommodation in the Algarve called "Farmhouse of the Palms".
We decided to base ourselves out of town a bit, and day trip to the major towns and sights. We had our own wheels now and driving for an extra half-hour here and there made more sense than packing up and moving each day or two.
Here's a view from our balcony... very nice indeed.
You can see we're relatively high up overlooking a green valley and a town called Sao Bras... not much there, but I mention it so you can work out where it's located.
The room we had was very spacious, and the owners, Frank and Veronique (not related to the lady of Google Maps fame) couldn't help us enough. It made for an extremely pleasant time, although I found breakfast very complicated.
Check out all the colours I had to choose from just for starters:
And it didn't stop there:
But I worked it out in the end. I left the cold cuts to Ruth and polished off all the other colours myself.
I needed extra energy because this was going to be a big day - Louisa's 21st birthday.
Our gorgeous daughter Louisa had been living in Lagos, on the Algarve, for a few months but unfortunately her stay was prematurely cut short due to an unforeseen business hiccup, and so whilst we had planned to celebrate Louisa's 21st with her in Lagos, she was now back in Melbourne.
But, life goes on, and I'm pleased to report that the hiccup has been put behind them.
Here we are taking a selfie to toast Louisa outside where she worked while in Lagos:
We can see why this is a favourite spot. Lots of activities at night, but also an extraordinarily beautiful beach.
Thankfully it isn't high season here right now, but I can imagine this would be filled with sunlovers at peak times.
And from the other side of the hills you see above, here's looking back towards Lagos:
A bit like Port Campbell and the Great Ocean Road.
It's clearly a place to play... even the statue of King Sebastian is rather fun looking. This guy apparently travelled to Africa to Christianise them, but he never came back leaving Spaniards in charge in his place.
But the Portuguese never gave up hope of Sebastian returning, and today this statue symbolises their hope for the good times to return. The statue was inaugurated the year before the dictator of Portugal was overthrown.
Interestingly, the authoritarian dictatorship was deposed by military coup on 25th April 1974, the day we celebrate ANZAC day. So our two countries share the day as a public holiday.
Also celebrated is Henry the Navigator - Portugal's age of discovery started in 1415 under this ruler. Something like 400 ships departed from this port (Lagos).
And what would be a visit to a town without a stop at a church... here's an illegal snap I just had to sneak in.
Before the day ends in Lagos, we just had to experience one of its top seafood restaurants - Dom Sebastiao.
I've learned that with all the fresh seafood around, Portugal isn't the place to order hamburgers.
I'm looking forward to the colours of tomorrow's breakfast.
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