Part One:
We left for our holiday just in time -- the Netherlands began to become the gray and wet Holland we'd heard about but not really experienced.
We flew by way of Gatwick (Alex had the foresight to book the package with a UK travel company (Thomson) which meant we were with other English speaking guests and staff at our destination). During the few hours we spent at the airport waiting for our flight to Faro, I managed to lose my passport (without realizing it until I was approached by a woman whose husband had found it and was already on his way to security to turn it in!) After a few moments of panic, I retrieved the passport - and will never hear the end of it from Alex, who had recommended that he hold onto it for me so I wouldn't lose it. I'd put it in my back jeans pocket and it had fallen out in the pub. Just so you all know I'm still me!
We arrived late on a Thursday evening in Faro and got to the Falesia Hotel in Ohlos D'Agua, a bit weary, but very excited about our holiday and ready to do a whole lot of nothin'! Since we'd arrived late and dinner in the hotel had been served much earlier, they sent a tray to our room with some fruit, meats and cheeses - characteristic of the service they provided for the next two weeks (because this is a 'half-board' resort, there is not actually room service - they'd done this because they'd done their homework on their guests.)
The following morning we got ourselves organized in our room, which we'd upgraded to a room that was quite large, in a quiet part of the resort and included robes and slippers as a nice perk. We slathered ourselves with sunscreen, donned our summer gear and decided to walk around Ohlos D'Agua and then into nearby Albufeira for a walk-around.
Portugal is colorful - very colorful. It seems that no matter where you look, you see brightly-colored flowers in bloom. The architecture is quite special, and the people-watching was just terrific. We had a relaxing day of just wandering around, getting accustomed to the sun and heat, stopping for the occasional beer.
We left for our holiday just in time -- the Netherlands began to become the gray and wet Holland we'd heard about but not really experienced.
We flew by way of Gatwick (Alex had the foresight to book the package with a UK travel company (Thomson) which meant we were with other English speaking guests and staff at our destination). During the few hours we spent at the airport waiting for our flight to Faro, I managed to lose my passport (without realizing it until I was approached by a woman whose husband had found it and was already on his way to security to turn it in!) After a few moments of panic, I retrieved the passport - and will never hear the end of it from Alex, who had recommended that he hold onto it for me so I wouldn't lose it. I'd put it in my back jeans pocket and it had fallen out in the pub. Just so you all know I'm still me!
We arrived late on a Thursday evening in Faro and got to the Falesia Hotel in Ohlos D'Agua, a bit weary, but very excited about our holiday and ready to do a whole lot of nothin'! Since we'd arrived late and dinner in the hotel had been served much earlier, they sent a tray to our room with some fruit, meats and cheeses - characteristic of the service they provided for the next two weeks (because this is a 'half-board' resort, there is not actually room service - they'd done this because they'd done their homework on their guests.)
The following morning we got ourselves organized in our room, which we'd upgraded to a room that was quite large, in a quiet part of the resort and included robes and slippers as a nice perk. We slathered ourselves with sunscreen, donned our summer gear and decided to walk around Ohlos D'Agua and then into nearby Albufeira for a walk-around.
Portugal is colorful - very colorful. It seems that no matter where you look, you see brightly-colored flowers in bloom. The architecture is quite special, and the people-watching was just terrific. We had a relaxing day of just wandering around, getting accustomed to the sun and heat, stopping for the occasional beer.
I had to buy a cheap pair of flip-flops because the sandstone with which most of the walking areas are made is very slippery. I'd worn a new pair of sandals which I found treacherous - slipping and tripping hazards. We took another cab to the old town of Albufeira - much prettier than 'the strip' area (which is full of party-goers in the evening). We spent quite a while at Sir Harry's Pub - an English pub in the square and then we wandered to another restaurant for an early dinner of Piri Piri chicken - a dish for which the area is famous. Essentially they take a whole chicken, cut it up and grill it and then it is served with Piri Piri sauce, the base for which is olive oil and very hot chili peppers (typically the best come from Angola). The sauce can vary from place to place, but always hot enough that you must be careful how much you use!
We now have our own Piri-Piri oil marinating in our kitchen and it will only be a few days now before it is 'ripe'! I'll let you know how that works out.
We now have our own Piri-Piri oil marinating in our kitchen and it will only be a few days now before it is 'ripe'! I'll let you know how that works out.
And at the end of the day, as with most days on this trip, we ended up poolside, reading, doing crosswords, having cocktails, participating in the afternoon quiz and just chillin'. Many evenings (including this one) we had dinner at the hotel (fabulous spreads with different themes - Italian, Portugese, Asian, etc.) and watched the show put on by the Thomson holiday reps. More on this later.
This is the end of this entry (and I'm still working on pictures and a video - there are more than 600 photos that I need to organize!) Now that Going Dutch is at the printer and about to be printed and mailed, I can spend time on that (although we leave for Edinburgh on Friday so there'll be more to tell about that as well).
Cheers :o)
This is the end of this entry (and I'm still working on pictures and a video - there are more than 600 photos that I need to organize!) Now that Going Dutch is at the printer and about to be printed and mailed, I can spend time on that (although we leave for Edinburgh on Friday so there'll be more to tell about that as well).
Cheers :o)
No comments:
Post a Comment