Weeks 11 to 13
Time passed quietly and pleasantly through January.
We went for some longs walks bought some super fish and meat at the local municipal market, lots of very pleasant and very cheap local wine and had some very pleasant evenings with fellow campers Val,John (you would all like John cos’ he was the guy who hosed me down from head to foot with freezing water the first time we met) and Cassie the dog.
Weeks 14 to 17
Moving week.
We had been at Vila Nova de Milfontes for so long we have almost taken root. We have to move south as Sue’s friend and former boss Karen is coming to Portugal’s Algarve for a group golfing holiday and we have arranged to meet up with her so we have moved to Camping Canelas just outside Armação de Pêra on the western end of the Algarve not far from Portimao.
We have been invited to dinner in an Alvor restaurant on Monday evening with Karen and her entire group. Thinking it would be nice not having to drive home we had a look at Camping Alvor, just a short walk from the restaurant. Perhaps driving home would not be such a bad thing!!
We visited Camping Alvor during our first Adventure over the winter 2011/12 when we stayed at the top or sunny end of the site, this time the top or sunny end was packed to bursting while the “dismal” end was virtually empty and very dismal indeed. A Brit that was just leaving said they had been before (to the top end) and enjoyed the site and area so much they had returned and intended to stay a couple of weeks. Two days after arriving they were leaving saying that it was depressing at the bottom end of the site and they had no plans to return.
Not fancying driving back to the campsite after dinner we had a look at local hotels and booked a room at the four star Pestana Alvor Park Hotel. We had a “studio apartment” an air conditioned set of rooms with a little kitchen with tea and coffee making facilities, a complimentary bottle of wine and pack of “pastel de nata” tarts, a good sized bedroom/lounge. Also included was access to a big heated indoor swimming pool and sauna and, most important, it was walking distance to the restaurant and all for just €44.00 per night, thats less than £20.00 per head.
Our night at the restaurant was very enjoyable - good food, good wine (with plenty of it) and good company followed by a night in a real bed in a real room, what more could you want?
We had another afternoon with Karen (when the golf course allowed her to escape) which was pleasant indeed.
After Karen’s visit we had intended to move further east to visit friends Ann and John however the sites at the eastern end of the Algarve seem to be full, almost to bursting so we have decided to stay put and visit by car. If you are prepared to pay the (inexpensive) tolls to travel on the A22 you can get from Sagres in the extreme west of Portugal over to the Spanish border in less than an hour and a half and from Camping Canelas to where Ann and John are staying is under an hour.
Week 18
We have had some very pleasant days and meals with Ann and John including a visit to Praia da Marinha, one of the most emblematic and beautiful beaches of Portugal and listed as one of the 100 best beaches in the world. Of course, like the other 99 countries Portugal lists Praia da Marinha as the absolute number one.
Praia da Marinha.
Having been at Camping Canelas for around five weeks we really must move on, Sue’s Aunt Brenda and Uncle David are visiting next week so we’ve gone back north to São Martinho do Porto where we will move into a villa for a week leaving the caravan lonely and neglected.