Trip to Lagos, Part 3 and final

 Thursday and it's breakfast at Lazy Jack's again, apparently we are a sucker for Joao's jokes and energy. He truly is a nice person. 

We were at the marina for breakfast and some ladies had purchased pastries to take away. They were on the wharf and a seagull swooped in and snatched the entire croissant from her fingers! True meaning of take away I guess... Then, of course, there was a gull fight to get a piece of it. They are bold those gulls.

Later in the afternoon I got a haircut from his wife Carina who does an excellent job. When I mentioned Joao's energy she jokingly said, you, the customers get it all, he comes home to become a couch potato. We had a good conversation about politics that she was careful to find out my viewpoint ahead to make sure there was no offence. They have two older dogs and a year old one that comes to work with her and she enjoys walking. 

This is the chillin' Mabell (spelling?)

I stayed downtown until Ryan and Angela could come in for dinner and we were treated to a young lady playing classical music on a digital cello. We carried on to have dinner at O'Mexilhao which specializes in seafood and Gin cocktails. It was a feast and a real treat!

Left to right: Regular with cardamom seed; cucumber; strawberry

Yes, you do see salad there, I try to have some vegetable and in turn get Ryan and Angela to eat their veggies, NO I am not their mom... and a plate of calamari on the left. I tried the mussels but Ryan and Angela enjoyed them the most. 

Good Friday now and I take the tourist "train" on wheels around the city. No commentary and basically went to two beaches and east of Lagos. If you want to go to those places it is a good deal at 5 Euros per one circular ride. What I'd forgotten was the tuk-tuk tourist ride is much better, taken the last time we were here. It goes through the city since it is much smaller and can handle the narrow streets and you get an amusing and knowledgeable commentary. Oh well, got some sea breeze and a hard seat for the ride. 

Before dinner Friday evening Ryan and I had cocktails at the Green Room which is a Mexican restaurant, I had a margarita and he had a espresso martini. Yum, haven't had a margarita in years.

Then we went back to the Dumplings House Momo and enjoyed more conversation with the owners.

Saturday we went to Odiaxere, a small village about 20 minutes by car for piri-piri chicken with Paul and Anja. It is tradition to go there because they know the owners well and the food is fabulous served sharing style with the chicken, fries and salad.

Chicken on the right.

Then we went back to Paul and Anya's home to meet up with their five rescue dogs, the shy one took a liking to me so I had lovely soft ears and head to pet the entire visit. They have a beautiful cacti garden around the edges of the yard which I envied. There are many storks in nests in this area, looked like an outdoor stork hotel in one field! 

Sunday we drove to a small tourist town and beach called Praia do Carvoeiro, walked in the sand under sunny skies and then watched people walk by, many with varying tinges of pink skin. 

Pepe said before we left, at least get your feet wet and in the sand at the beach, Ryan's reply, I'm a beach adjacent person but Angela complied.

The waitress, Lizzie, at Samir who's tag line is "I heart (love) sexy food and drinks" was friendly and spoke Spanish so she told us of the living conditions there, too expensive for locals, as we've heard from others. 

Then we drove to the top of the cliff to the boardwalk that seems to stretch for miles over the cliffs next to the sea and Algar Seco Rocks, beach is called Praia do Paraiso providing a very good view of what we see across the Algarve. 

That tent like structure is a restaurant you have to walk down/up to, not me thanks.

Last dinner was back in Lagos at Favorita, around the corner from the apartment as it was our last for this trip. This is how our table was reserved.

Chicken pesto spagetti - yummy!

Driving back to Sevilla on Monday it is hilly terrain with many farms, even a solar panel farm, but mostly orange and olive groves. The roads are rough in places so Angela would yell "butt clench" because it really does hurt the butt and back when going over some of the worse ones. 

I saw large rock walls, much like in the UK but these are boulder size winding across the agricultural fields, which made me wonder, larger animals? or using what is available with less effort to make them smaller... 

We took the rental car back to the train station which was crowded chaos, Ryan called an Uber since the taxi queue was very, very long. The times we have called this company for rides has been a good experience, drivers are courteous and talkative in Spanish. There is no hesitation about destination because they know the areas well and the cars are clean and comfortable. 

Great trip to a favourite destination that will always warrant a return visit. Friendly people, great food and being by the ocean, what's not to like? Thank you to Ryan for driving and most of these photographs, thank you to Angela for the butt warnings as she navigated and co-piloted. Thanks to my adoptive brother and sister for the wonderful experience!

Trip to Lagos, Portugal, Part 2

 Angela and Ryan worked the afternoon after breakfast until dinner time when we went downtown for dinner. We went to PIE where of course they serve savoury pie. 

The waiter and part owner was hilarious his name is Poly and said "what the heck, his father was into fabric i.e. polyester". More jokes, he comes from England and then told us his sad saga about his love life and missing his dog (the ex took it). Music was great spanning decades of favourites for all and we played a game using the app Shazam that identifies the music and performance, a guessing game which I was rubbish at but enjoyed. Anyway it was an entertaining evening. The entrance to this restaurant has dangerously narrow steep steps but we all made it safely. 

Next morning downtown to *ice cream* for crepe and omelette which was okay but the people and dog watching was just as good as the marina. Work again in the afternoon for them but I went to a used book store and spent a lot of time there hunting the dusty shelves, happy, happy! This is a store I've been to before, different people at the tills but feels like a musty, old person's forgotten library. It is not, but books are shelved by language and it's a treasure hunt because they are not filed any other way except loosely by subject. Fun for me, always the bookworm. Dinner was at Dumpling House, Momo, they had been closed for vacation until the end of March, the proprietor is a friendly Nepali woman who treats everyone like a friend and shares bits of her life with her customers. The food is top notch, familiar from the first year they started the business and we found it. Yummy! Different also to regular fare either here or in Sevilla. 

A general observation is that many, many people have dogs and since Angela and Ryan are "dog crazy" they always get a pet or scratch when walking by. 

Next day, now Wednesday, breakfast is at Viva close by, a touristic place but the waitress was friendly from the Philippines, living here since she was young and a nurse for her "other" job. Food good, service good, sunny day and none of that nippy breeze. Angela and Ryan went back to work and I went downtown with the intention of getting the Lagos train on wheels, something I enjoyed the last time, nope. Decided to look for sandals instead and voila found some.  

That evening we met with Emily and Lee and a couple of their friends not at the place they intended, but a modern beach seafood restaurant called Barraca in Burgau, their home town. Everything was excellent and had a modern twist on traditional fare. Views to the cliffs and ocean were uninterrupted, the sunset was beautiful but nothing can rival Freiburg's except the ocean in front!

I think Lee is a history buff, certainly interested in the past of their town Burgau. I wanted to show some pictures of the fishing village and fishermen and women but they are on a platform that I couldn't download from, sorry...

Trip to Lagos, Portugal Part 1

 I decided this year was the year to avoid Semana Santa, Easter week's processions down my street and the accompanied chaos that ensues. I suggested to Ryan and Angela we go to Lagos, Portugal, on the Algarve because it is a beautiful area we have been to before. We scheduled nine days this time due to work needs but a short time is better than none and the break from the tourist filled Sevilla is welcome. Although we just finished orange blossom season which is a delight in the city, scent wafts down from the trees as you walk under and I love it, as does anyone with a nose!

Arrived Saturday, it's about a three hour drive from Sevilla. Necessities shop at a supermarket for sparkling water, snacks and wine, careful how much we bought because it is a bit of a steep path to the front door of the condo. Dinner was at Favorita a pizza/pasta joint, I had a pan fried sea bream fish, yummy and not often available. 

We were entertained by a large sea gull who seemed to own the plaza, snow white with black dotted tail, yellow legs and feet and the red mark under the beak. Recalling information about sea gulls from way back, this was a female, red dot the younguns press to get food from. Enough trivia for now... The wind is constant here which is to be expected on the water but it has a nip to it that penetrates even with the welcomed sunshine.

Sunday we went "up the mountain" called Foia. https://www.travel-in-portugal.com/attractions/mount-foia.htm The journey up and back has a varied terrain, farming lands with grazing cattle, horses and sheep; large fields of solar panels; rocky terrain with a quarry and interesting rock formations. The trees are out in bloom with yellow broom, rampant on the highway and beautiful pink blossomed trees that we couldn't identify and many, many stork nests with storks on top. Lunch with Anya and Paul, at Foz do Banho (in Caldas de Monchique) a true Portuguese restaurant with great local food. I had a finely diced pork dish with lots of garlic, the most meat I've eaten in a long time, certainly in one sitting. 

Anya and Paul are good, long time friends with Ryan and Angela so it was catch up time with lovely, lively people.

Up the mountain further and at the top we were treated to a panoramic view of the entire area below, the time before (four years ago now!) it was in complete fog so a treat to see what was actually visible on a good day. 

Visit to the crafts market had me buying a small, original painting of a street lamp and met the painter himself. Bought a mother of pearl ring too, something I do when away, buy a ring, easy to carry and provides a memory.

Half way back down the mountain and it is coffee time so we stopped at Cafe Velochique in Monchique. They are a bicycle shop for purchase and rental (velo is french for bicycle) so you see the apt name. 

Ceramic sculpture in the fountain behind the cafe.

There were many that were going to or had had cycled up/down the mountain which I cannot fathom the effort it must have been! Steep, winding, narrow, two lane roads with very few shoulders but beautiful scenery, again, beautiful scenery!

Lexi chilling, she's not supposed to be there on the couch...

Monday and we head to the marina for a favourite place called Lazy Jack's where the waiter "knows our name" and tells dirty jokes very well. His wife is also a hairstylist so I have an appointment with her later this week.

I am not sure, at this early stage of the trip how many parts there will be to this writing but will keep you updated on the mini vacation as it unravels. 

Happy Saint Patrick's Day and a Procession

 The following pictures are a procession that passed by my windows on Saturday night. The drill, hear the noise, grab phone or camera and go peer over the balcony...

Sunday we went out for lunch to a restaurant Bruce and I used to frequent, frequently. It has changed ownership and been upgraded from the "old man" bar we enjoyed, now named Bodega Palo Santo and is quite posh now. So posh, in fact, that they tried to kick me from the table while waiting for Ryan and Angela! I didn't budge despite both waiters wanting me to, luckily Ryan and Angela turned up right on time and we ordered. Here are some observations which we thought made the reviews for it highly overrated. Tables are small, food advertised as original Spanish dishes did not taste as they normally do, i.e. tragically missing garlic in the pork one. The wait staff did not crack a smile to anyone throughout the service, Not One waiter smiled! Okay it is Sunday and restaurants all over Sevilla are jammed with people, nice day out for everyone, but it is that way every nice weekend. It made us think what is the management like here? Anyway food and service were passable but we won't be returning for overpriced, taste lacking food and grumpy waiters.

All in all, still a nice day out to people and dog watch!

Have a great Saint Patrick's Day if you haven't already, the parade downtown Toronto was held on Saturday. As I say every year, no green beer for me but I will be wearing green!

Happy Belated Valentine's Day

 Angela and Ryan met me at the flat to book our rental car for our week in Lagos, Portugal at Easter. This was my idea because while I respect and admire the traditions here for Semana Santa, it is a week of chaos. The week is one I have enjoyed and endured over the years but and wanted to avoid this year. 

Booking done we headed to Maravilla Social Club for dinner before the main event of the evening which is close by. Food was good, not excellent, they do do the appetizers well, not as well with the mains. Bathroom was clean, always a bonus here where many are not. One of us does a survey of the condition before going forth, and figuring if it's best to wait if you aren't urgent. Things you probably didn't want or need to know but basic skills here.

https://maravillasocialclub.com/

Main event being a blind date on stage with two possible people hooking up on Valentines Day! Spoiler alert they didn't.

https://www.eventbrite.es/e/blind-date-live-tickets-1982123095536?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

It was great fun, a bit raunchy at times, and the venue! It was in an old unrestored set of buildings in the middle of the city. Everyone who has space there respects others and just carries on with their chosen art form. The set up reminded me of Fan Tan Alley, Chinatown, in Victoria where my girlfriend's husband did his art and they lived there. Former, very basic rooms for the Chinese migrants, knocked down walls,  turned into an art studio. A challenging space to live in, i.e. plumbing and lack of proper kitchen but charming in it's own way.

This theatre is small but with the wall sized mirror on one side makes it look much bigger. The company and staff were friendly and welcoming, they served drinks which had the added benefit that you could choose to spend a Euro more and donate to charity. The show was definite improve style which I enjoyed very much in my life in Vancouver and haven't seen since. The style is made up, on the spot, quirky and totally spontaneous and filled with funny moments! Ryan added to the fun by asking questions which the audience were encouraged to do. It was a wonderful night and since I haven't celebrated Valentines Day in many years, a treat for me. 

I hope your Valentines Day was good, I have had many where I ignored the day altogether and that was fine too.

Cheers and love from Lexi and I. She is now deciding middle of the night to show her love for me to planting delicate licks or kisses on my face. I need to calibrate her clock, problem, she does not have one...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2026!

 

This year's Christmas lights across the street in Sevilla. Yes, I am here again and had three parties with friends in the first week and a half. There would have been another but I came down with a head cold. 

The four musketeers together again the night I arrived.

U.S. Thanksgiving celebration, left to right, Leonor, me, Rocio, Angela, John and Ryan. Leonor and John are my neighbours in the building and have lived in the U.S. Rocio came to celebrate with us, she is my friend who also cleans my flat and shares a caffe con leche every time while we catch up over Google translate. 

The meal consisted of three chickens with different sauces, thanks Pepe and left to right, sweet corn bread, mac and cheese, stuffing and roasted potatoes thanks to Angela and Ryan, great yumminess.

The hat maker shop or milner's Christmas display.

Not a Christmas tree but the sun hitting a tree in the fall in Freiburg.

Full moon I just happened to catch over the barn and misty fields. 

Merry Christmas and Happy, Prosperous, New Year to you!

Cheers, Bev and Lexi Cat 

Happy Thanksgiving to you Canadians!

 Wishing you a very lovely Thanksgiving weekend with friends and family and lots of turkey with the trimmings.

A pretty fall display, at a small shop, found in a neighbourhood of Freiburg.

All the Very Best! Bev and Lexi Cat