Adventures in Portugal – Vol II

Settling in to Alvor (all photos can be clicked to enlarge)

After somehow finding my way around chaotic Lisboa-Oriente, a combo bus, train and metro station in Lisbon one metro stop from the airport, I found the stop for Bus #67 that would take me south to the Algarve. No fancy digital boards here. Four hours later, the hustle and bustle of the city were left behind.

The Algarve, a region the hugs the southern Portugal Atlantic coastline all the way to Spain, is quiet right now. Just the local residents providing valuable service to folks like me (and apparently quite a few Brits too!) who are lucky enough to escape crappy winter weather. The humidity (80-90% range) is high even on warm sunny days, which keep my cantankerous sinuses in check. No clothes dryers so you need to dry your clothes on a rack outside, but they take awhile.

Alvor is my new ‘hood’ for the next few months. It is a small town with tiny streets that are more manageable on foot than car. And a beautiful beach.

*The red terracotta roofs of Lisbon are replaced with the warm, tan coloured tiles of the Algarve.*

First, a bit about the town. It has most amenities with numerous supermarkets, restaurants, cafes and drug stores. A nice lady runs an outdoor cafe just around the corner with the best lattes. She said “do you want cake with that”? You know the answer! It turned out to be a fresh baked apple muffin LOL.

*The bar and restaurant strip.Some are closed for either the Christmas holidays or the winter season.*

*The locals keep their mostly white and pastel coloured places spotless, constantly sweeping and washing them down. My street.*

The beach is about a 10 minute walk away, what can I say … it’s pretty amazing. When some friends arrive next month, we’ll have to be those crazy Canucks and jump in.

*Not too much development along the beach*. *Boardwalks adjoin the beach for miles.*

*Limestone cliffs, rock formations and caves are fun to explore (what DANGER SIGNS?)*

Feel free to leave a comment below. If you want to contact me my email is blaisemcneil@gmail.com. Thanks for visiting my site and I hope you’ll return soon.

4 thoughts on “Adventures in Portugal – Vol II”