Thursday, 31 October 2019

Portugal - last full day at Alvito (Gardnerville, NV via Frankfurt, Los Angeles, and Reno)


Tuesday 20 October 2019


Our final day has come. On Tuesday we start our packing and clean the house after which we make a last trip into Alvito.  We need to get fuel for the car and Patricia needs money.  As it is in the centre we have a last coffee together at our favourite place, Pastelaria Zelia.
 





For good measure a few more of the famous door handles (if I haven't shown them before....)






And a last picture of the farm by night





Wednesday 30 October 2020


The friendly town taxidriver picks us up at 7.45am to drop us off at the railway station of Vila Nova de Baronia.  Two hours later we are at Centro Vasco da Gama opposite Oriente railway station, and since we have some time on our hands we stop for a cup of coffee and wander around a bit.


Oriente railway station


Centro Vaso da Gama




Our last selfie together at the airport

When it is time to leave we catch a taxi to the airport and that's where our ways part.  Patricia is off to Sweden and I am going to catch a flight to Frankfurt, where I arrive later at night. I knew the hotel was within walking distance, but even so, it was not easy to find. I stayed the night at the Hilton Garden Inn.




Hotel room Hilton Garden Inn, Frankfurt

From Frankfurt my next flight will take me to Los Angeles where I will spend another night at a hotel before I will finally get a big hug from Kevin after his arrival the following morning.



Wednesday, 30 October 2019

Portugal - fourth week II (Tavira, Lepe (Spain), Mértola)


Friday 25 October 2019

Today it's onwards to Tavira, where our exchange partners, Johanna and Wolfram, have parked their caravan at Camping Ria Formosa for the duration of our stay.  We don't leave very early, as we enjoy our breakfast and a last chat with host Greg, so we arrive around noon. 

We walk around the camping and have lunch at the camping restaurant.




At the restaurant, waiting for our hosts to arrive

Yes, I could make that my motto ;-)

Not long after we make our way to our place for the night, another airbnb: Casa da Osga.  This time it is a self-contained room at a farm outside Tavira, with a fridge and coffee making facilities.  There is more, but we don't need it all.  The room is great, as is the bathroom.  We can sit at a large table outside and I go and enjoy the late afternoon sunshine and beautiful views from a deck chair next to the swimming pool.






















Saturday 26 October 2019


We pack up again after breakfast.  We had brought the basics from home, which came in handy.  We drive the short route back to Tavira and join Johanna and Wolfram again at the camping.  The plan was to go on a short boat trip to a strip of beach where we could walk.  We take the car I am driving as theirs is a VW Caddy, which can only take two people.

A lovely walk on Cabanas Beach is followed by coffee at the beach restaurant, after which the boat takes us back and we go for a short drive to restaurant O Escalho for lunch.  This is the first and only time Patricia, nor I, enjoyed our meals.  It didn't only taste not good, but it was exaccerbated by the fact that it was nearly cold.  It took us a while to get over it and even at night time we were still not very hungry.



A selfie with the selfie-stick.
I have a bit to learn.




The wind playing with my hair...







O Escalho restaurant

A church next door



Anyway, that was that and we dropped off Johanna and Wolfram after lunch.  We didn't leave too late as we had to drive across the Spanish border to Lepe where we had booked a room at Hostal Ciudad de Lepe.


Lepe



Hostal Ciudad de Lepe

our room

We arrived early enough, but.... there was no one at reception, nor did anyone answer the phone.  We had to wait till a Spanish couple arrived who apparently knew how to alert someone.  We finally got our key and were in.

I am getting further behind with my writing, but from memory I think we went for a walk after we'd checked in and tried to find a few geocaches, without any results. What we had for dinner? I have no idea. :-)

Sunday 27 October 2019

In the morning we pack and find a place where we can have a cup of coffee.  We find one in the main street and a busy place at that.  Next door they sell churros which need to be dipped in chocolate.  People are lining up and they sell like hot cakes.  Not for me though! An espresso will do me fine...





  
After that we drive back towards the border, but first we want to find a few cashes before we are back in Portugal as I want my virtual souvenir for Spain.  We find two:


#2127 -  121 - Via Verde del Litoral (cache)





#2128 - 123 - Via Verde del Litoral (cache)






  
After we've found the caches we notice a shepherd (or is it a goatherd) with his flock of goats.








As it is still early in the day we make a detour to Isla Cristina where we walk around the beach area and later at the markets.  There we discover a tapas restaurant where we have a most delicious lunch of four different tapas.

Market at Isla Cristina

Lunch at La Paraita del Peret

Ensaladilla

Queso Frito con Miel

An egg dish, but I have forgotten the name

Atun con tomate






  
After our visit to Isla Cristina it really is time to leave Spain (via the big bridge on the border) and make our way to Mértola, which is halfway on our trip home at Alvita.





We arrive at Mértola at about 2pm.  Initially we are having a hard time finding our guesthouse, but after a few tries we finally can wind our way up the very, very narrow streets all the way to our accommodation.  If I had known beforehand how narrow the streets would be I wouldn't even have tried, but we made it with an inch or so to spare between mirrors and walls....

 
our accommodation





Impressions of the town and its castle














 
After we have settled in we go for a walk and take oodles of photos.  Then its time for a quiet moment at a little restaurant where we enjoy an ice cream.

Monday 28 October 2019




As there wasn't enough time the day before and we were rather tired, we walk to the castle this morning or rather call it: climb to the castle.  It's worth it and we learn more about the castle and its surroundings and enjoy beautiful views.



early morning fog



a cemetery in the castle grounds



photo of Mértola from a pamphlet

that's how narrow the streets are where I had to drive



Patricia walking up to the castle



Back at the car

After our walk we drive home for our last day at Alvito.