After the rain the weather settled into something a bit more like it.
Barril Beach
Cataplana at Cabanas Beach
Ridiculous amount of seafood stew. So good we returned the next day.
Cabanas
The House
Never expected to see a peacock on a trampoline! Watching the bats in the early evening.
Other
Not quite in the morning
But it improved significantly.
More Tavira
Let’s escape the grey English winter and enjoy the warmth and sun of the Algarve. It was beautiful at home, and lashed it down here ☹️.
Made the best of it (as you do).
Portimao isn’t the most lovely place in the world, but it was less wet and has a brilliant beach.
Solves was also a minor distraction – best cathedral in the Algarve, although to be honest there isn’t a heap of competition.
Thursday was an improvement but not much. At least the beach was looking moody.
Seems nice!
Tavira
Beach
Another non-adventure to get some early Spring sunshine. Tavira is only about half an hour from Faro on the Algarve.
No COVID tests required at either end, and just to show normality returns it took about 45 minutes to get through security at Stansted. Good job we were there early 😂.
Anyway, lovely house on a smallholding with a pond that you can swim in (haven’t braved it yet).
The noise from the frogs is deafening at times. Also bats, dragonflies and terrapins seem to like it.
As well as the tame peacocks
And the ridiculously friendly wild (one-eyed) cat who follows you like a dog.
So this time tomorrow we’ll be saying this time yesterday ……
It’s a bit unexpected but this seems to be the holiday where we’re both the keenest to stay. Funny, because no adventures or hardcore sightseeing – just a great flat, lots of sun and some decent temperatures and quite a lot of decent fish (and I don’t really like fish!).
Nothing new ..
But a lovely view over a lovely lunch. What’s not to like?
But first a couple of (minor, and really not profound) thoughts :
1. If you have an induction hob with instructions in Spanish, it would really help not to include a load of saucepans that don’t work on an induction hob (took us over 24 hours to work that one out);
2. Forgotten what old cars are like – no remote locking, no beepers to guide parking, no cameras etc etc ….
Anyway, we haven’t been far but have found a few diverting places for coffee, lunch, dinner, or just general mooching :
Garachico
Icod
And the world-famous (sic) El Drago tree
La Caletta
Puerto de La Cruz and Orotava
So unmemorable didn’t take any photos!
El Teide
10,000 feet – maybe next time.
Our Village
Our Balcony
It’s nice here!
Our local village
P
Coffee …
Walk ….
Lunch … (possibly one of the nicest fish ever – although the freshness and the view helped)
We’ve moved from Alcala to Icod
And this is the view from the apartment
I think it will do for a few days!
Had a trip up to Masca yesterday
That was just for fun on the way back – it was actually stunning.
Otherwise just a bit of mooching with the weather being warm but not always kind.
With a memorable fish dinner at Muelle Viejo
One of the many things I was looking forward to now I can see without glasses is swimming and seeing where I’m going.
No actual evidence exists, but it was fun!
And it’s a holiday so not a lot to report apart from filling in time between eating and sleeping.
And banana plantations must be one of the least attractive agricultural pictures – all concrete and plastic constructions. But banana blossom is weird.
