Trip to Algarve

For the young lady’s 10th birthday we went on a 4 day trip to Algarve, Portugal. We love Portugal and its people so much that this is our third trip to the country. We are seriously thinking of buying a property there as we are yet to see a more friendly, respectful and secure people anywhere else. And we have been to and lived in a few countries, to say the least.

On day one, we reached the 3 h b fales@ia hotel in Olhas d agua. It was an 8 am flight so we reached at 11. Our conscientious young one finished her Kumon on the flight. So, as soon as we landed, it was straight to the pool. The hotel was positioned on a cliff over looking the sea, so the view was quiet good. The weather, as expected was boiling hot in the high 20s. After the pool,  some pizza from the snack bar and changing in our spacious and clean room, we tried walking down the steps to the beach. However it was pretty late by then and people were coming back, so we decided to just take a rain check.

Though we went for the standard room, it was spacious and pleasant. The sea facing rooms were not refurbished and those blocks did not have a lift so it all worked out good.

K had fever the previous few days, but still had been at work..I had been running around sorting the new uniform and my Diwali stitching and the young one had badminton camp for the previous two days, where she played for 4 hours each so, we were all knackered.

Also, with a lot of effort from all of us, the young one had made giant leaps in her scores in the k.  Sol last mock test and the inspire mocks 7, 8 and 9 , so we were in a well deserved rest phase ;)

We went in to town to have dinner at  taste of Punjab, where the food was tasteful enough. 

After a restful sleep, The next day we had breakfast overlooking the cliff. We love the food in Portugal usually, but the standard here was  not as good as Madeira or Lisbon but still higher than any other country’s Hotel. The fruits especially were of a very high quality. But no variety of nuts for my porridge or hash browns for the little one.

After taking a few snaps, we went to the beach, played a bit and then we set for our dolphin watch to Albufeira..  we were supposed to go horse riding but that didn’t work out. Though the boat trip was pleasant enough and we saw the cathedral caves and the secret caves formed by rocks that were more than 20 million years old and we loved the submarine and Sphinx rock formations, we could not spot a single dolphin.

We had a quick lunch nearby and also lots of pastries at the famous cafe creek cafeteria ( nothing extraordinary but reasonable enough)and made our way back to the hotel. Dad and daughter went for a swim, I read my Good earth yet again and then went down to join them for the walk to the beach. I took my usual morning my walks in the beach while they rested and played in the waves.

They went for Thai dinner while I had the remains of their pizza from the pool and read my book.