We left Lisbon early on Sunday morning via fast train to Faro. Faro is in the southern part of Portugal known as The Algarve region. The journey was a learning experience. We learned the following:
1. Do Not, under any circumstances move a little, old, Portugese women’s tiny shopping bag placed in the baggage area to make room for your own large backpack. Do Not assume the overhead racks can be used for shopping bags. Do Not try to reason with a little, old, Portugese woman who does not understand English.
2. Always check your seat number assigned. Do Not think you will not be awakened by a stranger who has the seat numbered assigned that you are comfortable sleeping in. Do Not assume that any other of the numerous vacant seats will work for this person.
3. Plan Ahead. Do Not use the bathrooms on a train if at all possible.
So, anyways, we arrived fine. Tried to take a taxi to the hostel, but we were kindly told it was only one block away……lovely little place, very comfortable, the house is practically all ours with a 24 hour reception. McDonalds is right next door, which is one of the few places you can actually find diet coke on ice and an affordable salad.
Our first day, we walked all over town, found a grocery store, drank sangria and then later, went out to dinner. We met the most charming, young man who worked as a waiter at the restaurant. He spoke great English and Portugese and shared lots of information with us about the area etc……his specialty was food. At the end of the evening, he started bringing us different salads to try………….kettlefish salad, some chewy mussle, cockrel, clam concoction, a seafood mix of shrimp and fake crab and a cod salad…..when we think of salad, we think lettuce and tomatoes…..not so here. He brought us more vino verde (green wine) and we had a shot of some strong, port like, liquor made from grapes. We were all having fun and laughing and sharing…….I tried to pay for everything, but he wouldn’t allow it. His name is Diogo Martins.
Yesterday, Molly and I rented bikes for the day……we headed out on a trail to a neighboring village, thru industrial areas, the salt flats and rural neighborhoods. We wound up and down streets , across a freeway by the airport and down across a bridge to the Isle de Faro. A Beach! We rode up and down the island, bought mats and napped in the hot sun. Molly swam in the Atlantic again and I walked and collected shells. Beautiful, long stretch of clean, sandy, ocean front.
We road bikes back towards Faro, stopping once at an auto repair business to try to adjust my seat, which continued to collapse. The locals were very helpful trying to fix it, but to no avail. The rest of the way back Molly and I took turns riding the bike with the broken, tilted seat…..standing up was the only way to go. That was an adventure! Still fun and the bike shop only charged us half day for our inconveniences.
They need more trails and directions for biking here. I think it is a perfect area to spend days biking from beach to beach. They only lack the system. Good opportunity for someone…………………….
Last night we went back to see our friend Diogo. We took him some smoked salmon from the great PNW and some soap from the farmers market in Bellingham. He again showered us with local treats, this time fish egg salad and octopus salad. I was just not in the mood………………….I spread it around my plate and pretended to eat some. Yuck. How is it, our tastebuds are so different? How come Diogo does not like peanut butter and jelly? I thought everybody did…………………..when he brought out dessert, I somehow managed. Marzipan cookies and a box of tasty sugar cookies to take home. Again, he would not let me pay.
We want to tell him about American food. I am having a hard time putting my finger on what that really is…………………steak and French fries? Corn on the cob? Jello? I don’t know really, help me out here.
1. Do Not, under any circumstances move a little, old, Portugese women’s tiny shopping bag placed in the baggage area to make room for your own large backpack. Do Not assume the overhead racks can be used for shopping bags. Do Not try to reason with a little, old, Portugese woman who does not understand English.
2. Always check your seat number assigned. Do Not think you will not be awakened by a stranger who has the seat numbered assigned that you are comfortable sleeping in. Do Not assume that any other of the numerous vacant seats will work for this person.
3. Plan Ahead. Do Not use the bathrooms on a train if at all possible.
So, anyways, we arrived fine. Tried to take a taxi to the hostel, but we were kindly told it was only one block away……lovely little place, very comfortable, the house is practically all ours with a 24 hour reception. McDonalds is right next door, which is one of the few places you can actually find diet coke on ice and an affordable salad.
Our first day, we walked all over town, found a grocery store, drank sangria and then later, went out to dinner. We met the most charming, young man who worked as a waiter at the restaurant. He spoke great English and Portugese and shared lots of information with us about the area etc……his specialty was food. At the end of the evening, he started bringing us different salads to try………….kettlefish salad, some chewy mussle, cockrel, clam concoction, a seafood mix of shrimp and fake crab and a cod salad…..when we think of salad, we think lettuce and tomatoes…..not so here. He brought us more vino verde (green wine) and we had a shot of some strong, port like, liquor made from grapes. We were all having fun and laughing and sharing…….I tried to pay for everything, but he wouldn’t allow it. His name is Diogo Martins.
Yesterday, Molly and I rented bikes for the day……we headed out on a trail to a neighboring village, thru industrial areas, the salt flats and rural neighborhoods. We wound up and down streets , across a freeway by the airport and down across a bridge to the Isle de Faro. A Beach! We rode up and down the island, bought mats and napped in the hot sun. Molly swam in the Atlantic again and I walked and collected shells. Beautiful, long stretch of clean, sandy, ocean front.
We road bikes back towards Faro, stopping once at an auto repair business to try to adjust my seat, which continued to collapse. The locals were very helpful trying to fix it, but to no avail. The rest of the way back Molly and I took turns riding the bike with the broken, tilted seat…..standing up was the only way to go. That was an adventure! Still fun and the bike shop only charged us half day for our inconveniences.
They need more trails and directions for biking here. I think it is a perfect area to spend days biking from beach to beach. They only lack the system. Good opportunity for someone…………………….
Last night we went back to see our friend Diogo. We took him some smoked salmon from the great PNW and some soap from the farmers market in Bellingham. He again showered us with local treats, this time fish egg salad and octopus salad. I was just not in the mood………………….I spread it around my plate and pretended to eat some. Yuck. How is it, our tastebuds are so different? How come Diogo does not like peanut butter and jelly? I thought everybody did…………………..when he brought out dessert, I somehow managed. Marzipan cookies and a box of tasty sugar cookies to take home. Again, he would not let me pay.
We want to tell him about American food. I am having a hard time putting my finger on what that really is…………………steak and French fries? Corn on the cob? Jello? I don’t know really, help me out here.
