First Post from Portugal - 2014

One view from our rooms

There is absolutely nothing worth reading in this post so you can just look at the photos if you like. And remember that you can see a larger version of any photo by clicking on it.

Wednesday, our arrival day, was essentially lost in the fog of too little sleep during our 6.5 hour flight. I do know that it was a beautiful sunny day and the temperature on arrival at 7:30 am was 12º C on its way to 16º C! Not much accomplished but we did go for a couple of short walks to the bakery and a mini mercado - a small grocery shop - to pick up some stuff for lunch and dinner.

In fact, much of a cool, off and on rainy, Thursday was also consumed by shopping for groceries and bits of necessary kitchen equipment and other paraphernalia that our stingy apartment/hotel owners fail to provide. And because we do not rent a car and are too parsimonious to hire a taxi, we have to make a few trips to the "super market" in order to bring home enough staple items such as sugar, salt and pepper, spices, vegetable oil, dishwashing soap etc. and day to day groceries to last a few days.

Sunset Wednesday evening

On our way home from the last shopping trip we were approached by a woman offering a promotional treat of waffles, fruit preserves and hot chocolate, so we took her up on it and enjoyed both the food and chat with the person who had invited us in. It turns out that she is from Germany, here helping her friend set up a small business which sells such things as "healthy drinks", ice cream, frozen yogurt, smoothies, etc.

So, we walked quite a bit yesterday and the good news is that Ruth was able to walk pretty much discomfort free - much improved from last year here and the more recent winter walking at home.

In the evening we rested while tensely following the scores, period by period, of the Canadian Women's hockey encounter with pesky American rivals, and went to bed overjoyed at the come back gold medal victory by the Canadian women! That's way it's supposed to be in women's hockey! Hopefully the men can do as well.

Beach frolickers

This is in the realm of way too much useless information, but we were very happy to find that we do not have to go to the bar for wi-fi! Our rooms are in a kind of "cul de sac" area that happens to be right adjacent to the bar but separated from it by by a permanent wall and a locked door - but close enough for us to access wi-fi - a service which seems now to be essential to life! And, if the stars are appropriately aligned and one holds one's mouth just the right way, we can occasionally get that critical set of curved lines while sitting in our living room! Life is good.

Sunrise Friday morning

Walked into old town today then back to the super market for a few more kitchen things and a few groceries for the weekend, then to the bakery for bread. Ruth walked all the way with minimum discomfort which is very encouraging!

More sunrise Friday morning

And, the beach! I did go to the beach, though briefly, Wednesday evening and had to share it with  a lot of other people, some cavorting in the surf. (See photos) But this morning I resumed my usual routine while here - I was on the beach in time for the sun's anticipated rising. Even though the sunrise was un-spectacular it was wonderful to be back there on the beach with only one fisherman with whom I had to share i

More about trips being considered next

15, 500 steps today!