Day 261 (Tues)
So I did something naughty this week … I left the country without finishing an assignment - GASP! (Don’t worry Dad, I did get it finished when I returned!) but in the meantime I took a little sojourn to Portugal for 4 days with 4 lovely girls. On this trip we had the pleasure of flying out of Maastricht Airport, literally half an hour away by bus compared to 2 hour train rides to Amsterdam or Brussels airports, and it’s a pity we can’t fly out of “home-base” more often but unfortunately the routes from there are limited to say the least.
Regardless, we made the most of it this time, and after a truly stellar effort by Andra (Canada) to get to the bus stop in a flat 7 minutes after sleeping through her alarm (fully dressed and brandishing all the necessary documents no less!) we were up, up and away. Our destination was the port town of Faro in southern Portugal. All the travel guides recommend using the place for its budget airline airport, staying one night and moving on but we actually had the most relaxing and engaging 4 days without getting anywhere near a big city.
The gang for this trip
The first afternoon was spent wandering around the Marina, with views over the ocean and the airport which juts out over the water, discovering the old town and receiving an impromptu tour for 5 of the most interesting church I’ve seen in Europe so far, comprising about eight different altars. At dinner time we were sucked in by the “Playboy of Portugal” to eat at his restaurant – no joke this guy is apparently famous on YouTube for being a bit too smooth with the tourists! But, after watching us struggle to de-bone our whole (albeit delicious) fish, he did help us find a cosy, as the Dutch say, little bar for few caprihna’s and portugese beer afterwards.
AMAZING lunch on the first day - that's one WHOLE slice of bread!
Crazy enormous birds nest - and they were everywhere in Faro!
Day 262 (Wed)
The plan today was to get a ferry out to the Ilha Deserta (literally the deserted island) off the coast of Faro but when the solemn-faced man at the ferry ticket office told us the boats weren’t running that day because of 5ft waves (or was it 5m, I’m no good nautically) we weren’t complaining – we headed for the beach instead. A 20 minute bus ride out of town, there’s this curious strip of sand with crashing waves on one side, a few holiday houses in the middle and this kind of bay on the other side which abuts the airport (and means crazy views over the beach as we landed yesterday). The sun was shining but there was a fair wind whipping up the beach. It didn’t stop us from settling in with our supermarket picnic lunches and soaking up the rays. (Now, Dad, I’ll admit, I got a bit of colour, but can you blame my poor skin, its been eight months since it saw proper sunshine! Nothing too serious though). And, I’m proud to report we even went swimming – the waves were crashing, the water was probably about 10C and quite deep past the break point, but we dived in and pretended to like it! Mostly though it was just wonderful to have that sandy, salty, beach feeling again after so long. Back on the beach there was time for a cheeky beer (although its actually legal to drink on the beach) and then back into town for dinner (featuring eel stew, if you fancy!)
Bright sun over the beach
Day 263 (Thurs)
To the edge of the world, and beyoooond! That was the plan today as our group took a 3-hour train/bus trip to Sagres, the south-western most point of continental Europe (sometimes called “the edge of the world”) where these imposing cliffs rise straight out of the water, and the wind whips across the landscape, roughing up the waves. Looking out over the sea the next land mass is apparently Canada so there was just nothing as far as the eye could see and the sea just seemed to melt into the sky above. It was pretty sobering to think of explorers just setting off from a point quite like that and not knowing what they’d come across or if they’d ever return. Just as coursgeous were the crazy fisherman perched on the high cliffs with fishing rods! And heading back to the bus we experienced the other highlight of the day (of course involving food) - cracking a cold Sagres Portugese beer in its namesake town :D
The girls looking out over the cliffs which formed a few bays - Canada out to the right of this photo somewhere!
Sagres in Sagres!
That night we had a taste of the Portugese nightlife and it was the first time I have felt truly European because we didn’t head out until about 1am! All the euro kids in Maastricht head out to pubs and clubs so late they make us Aussies look like grandmas with our dinner at 8pm and home by maybe 2am. This night we had dinner about 11pm (where Andra scored meal of the night with an intriguing octopus and sweet potato hot pot type dish), drinks for a couple of hours (included a few glasses of Faro’s finest 1 euro-per-glass red wine!) and then explored a few clubs down some cobbled streets. When the last place closed at 6am we strolled to the Marina to watch the sunrise and flopped into bed about 7am :)
Sittin' on the dock o' the bay - where we watched the sun come up
Day 264 (Fri)
Our last full day in Faro was spent recovering(!) and soaking in the 28C weather, about 13C warmer than when we’d left Maastricht. I also continued my tradition of an espresso (which I seem to like every now and then in Europe but will probably never drink again when I get home) and these awesome portugese custard tarts. After a stroll to a park with gum trees(!), Ally, one of the other girls (all of whom were Canadian), and I went on an open boat tour out into the harbour and ocean. The water was beautiful and calm and the weather perfect. Even better was the company, a bustly mother from London and her gorgeous 3 year old son Joe, who took QUITE a liking to Ally. After trying to hold her hand numerous times little Joe even got up the courage to ask Ally if she’d like to go home with him?! Now there’s the real playboy in Portugal :P
Ally and her Portugese 'fling' :
Ally's amazing shot from our boat of a boat out on the water
Day 265 (Sat)
Unfortunately it was a very early flight home (leaving for the airport at 5am) but at least we were flying directly back to home-base. Pity I was also flying home to a 4000 word essay to finish … but definitely worth it :)
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