What we do

We spend our days with very limited objectives. We walk a lot, usually 8 to 10 kilometers a day but sometimes as much as 15 or more. We have no car so we walk pretty much wherever we go. As we have little food storage facilities in refrigerator or cupboards, we shop for groceries every couple of days or more. It is about 3.5 to 4 kilometers to the supermarket and back. We buy our bread and wonderful Portuguese treats at a separate bakery about 10 minutes from our rooms, and the wine store and the internet cafe are a 20 minute round trip walk.

I have been getting up around 7 am when I do a bit of organizing of photos and blog preps. Then I spend a bit of time trying to learn some Portuguese. John and I walk every morning from 8:30 to about 9:30; then we have breakfast. Ruth and I have been walking the beach to "old town" mid morning, depending on the tide, where we just stroll around or go to the post office, pharmacy or do a bit of shopping for our grand children (or ourselves), have a fresh squeezed orange juice, coffee or beer at Sir Harry's bar or elsewhere and return home when we feel like it.

The afternoons are time for some photo shoots, water colour painting, reading, naps and general relaxing. Drinks down by the water may happen around 4 or so. Again, depending on the tides, we have been walking the beach again before supper.

In the last few of days Ruth and I have visited a couple of art exhibits in "old town" and at the public library.

Over the next few days we are more heavily scheduled. Tonight we are going out for dinner to one of the nearby large apartment-hotels. On Saturday we are off to the town of Loule, about 40 minutes away by bus, to do the Loule farmers' market, then to a concert at the Municipal auditorium in Albufeira in the evening. Sunday we are going for lunch and music at a local Saxophone Bistro about 5 minutes from our rooms and Sunday evening another concert at the Municipal auditorium.

Plans are developing for a visit to Faro, the capital city of the Algarve province, about 50 minutes away by bus.

The photos are:
1. We walk,
2. We eat or drink,
3. We walk,
4. We eat or drink,
5. We shop.

But we also read, paint, take photos, visit art galleries, the library and the used book store and we go to a concert or two.

It's tough work but we are handling it well and the days too easily slip away.