We had a relaxing start to our day. I was up early. Then Ross got up and finally, Irene woke up. She hadn’t slept most of the night. She said she only got to sleep around 5:30 am and she’s really tired today to the point that she’s falling asleep as I drive through some fabulous landscapes and towns.
We had a tea, and then I made them breakfast of bacon and eggs and fresh bread. It was about 12:30 PM by the time we got out the door (late!) and I had made plans to take them to several areas so it was going to be a tight schedule.
The first place I took them on tour was to Porto Covo; it’s about 35 minutes north of where we live. It has a fabulous long beach and very few people on it. I don’t think my guests could believe how gorgeous the beach is. As Irene said, each beach is better than the one before it. We spent a lot of time there, walking in the sand. This is the beach that I’m taking my friends Carol & Charlie to paint and photograph. The waves were crashing against the sand as we walk through it. It was so beautiful.
Next I took them over to another area of the town,the harbour, where the fisherman keep their boats and where they go out in the morning to fish. We stopped in at the restaurant, Azul Do Mar. I had been there before, and today we had a beer together. It was really a nice break.
From there I took them south to another incredible beach Malhão, which can be accessed by a long, washboard road down to the water. I warned my passengers how bumpy ride would be. They couldn’t quite believe that it would be that bad, all 2 km of it. But the beach at the end is incredible. I had at one point read in my Guidebook that there was a beach that was OK if you wanted to be nude and Irene and I ( Cougars!) did notice a nice set of buns there. I think that might’ve taken Ross by surprise.
The next place I took them was a little bit south again, to Vila Nova de Milfontes. It’s a town I visit a lot and I really do like it. The beach is fabulous as well and if you drive along the roadway, you can go out to what I thought was a lighthouse, but it’s not; it overlooks the area where the river flows into the ocean. You can get quite panoramic views of the town along the river and out to a wide ocean. It is really beautiful to see but I imagine that in the summer you wouldn’t be able to drive and park out there. It would be so busy .
We returned to Zambujeira and landed at my favourite Indian restaurant. All three of us had wonderful dinners and I introduced Irene and Ross to Farouk, the young man who runs the restaurant with his brother. Farouk graduated from university as an engineer but his brother asked him to come to Portugal and start opening restaurants. I hope they succeed.
We were back at the house by shortly after seven and we sat around outside; it was a lovely evening. We drank port and talked.
Tomorrow is another day for touring. Ross and Irene only have tomorrow and then Sunday at noon, they’re catching the bus to go back to Lisbon. For them, it’s been a really quick trip. I do get the sense that Irene is a restless soul; she cannot settle too long in a place. I think Ross would be quite happy with a few more days here.
