Hello my little Blogettes and thanks for checking in. I had a day off yesterday as basically I was too bloody idle to pick up my iPad. It was supposed to be a day of rest and all that, like as if I do anything else for the rest of the week! We did very little yesterday, collected seashells, phoned the folks back home and then sat on the beach with our books. It was an odd day, the morning was proper cold and windy, I actually wore scarf and gloves which looked a bit bonkers with flip flops. By 11am it was up in the 20s, not a breath of wind and scorchio.

Met up with the gang as soon as the clock struck 5 and headed to Pedro’s Bar for sundowners. Sangria was order of the day, absolutely delicious! Yet another magnificent sunset.

Returned to the van for supper. I had bought a lovely chunk of cod from the market so decided to make the typical Portuguese Bacalhau dish with rice, potato, cod and egg. The Portuguese are crazy about salt cod. It hangs in every Supermarket and smells rank! You smell it long before you see it! They import it from Norway apparently, despite the fact that they have an abundance of the fresh stuff in these waters. Anyway, a sprinkling of fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon and job’s a good un! Not exactly roast beef and Yorkshire puds but no complaints!

This morning we moved on, back down the Algarve some 20 miles, to Alvor. We were last here before Christmas for our Pre-Christmas cocktails! Seems like light years away!

We arrived at the Aire which was quite busy.

Our mates, Henry and Lizzie, the Travelling Wibbillies, are already here along with Marina the bubbly Italian lady who we met previously and Sibille and Tomas, a very nice German couple. Carlos the owner parks us up and we are immediately accosted by an arrogant Danish guy who tells us we are blocking his sun then his exit. We are doing neither. His huge Concorde van makes our 9 meter Dolly look like an ice cream van, he is taking about 3 pitches with that and his motorbike. This is the first grumpy person we have come across since we left UK. He complains to Carlos about “the Engleesh” who politely tells him to do one. Yes! (does a little air pump!!). He is really horrid and shouts at me saying go back to England. How rude! You always get one! I know, let’s go for a nice walk on the beach and forget the nasty man! I am going to erase him with my magic Nintendo Wi Eraser thing ( I wish).

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Your feathers can’t stay ruffled after views like that! I really like Alvor. Our friend Helen from back home in Derbyshire recommended this place, her family have a place here, lucky devils! We stopped on the way back at a beach bar and had a Galeo Escuro, strong creamy coffee, with some home made sticky almond tart. Yummy! Diet’s out the window then. Back at camp, Marion and Tony have arrived. Looks like tonight is party central! We still have gallons of booze left over from Christmas!! I have a nice bit of lamb braising with a bunch of Bay leaves and garlic in the slow cooker, the van smells amazing

All in all, it’s been pretty damn good for a Monday (at least I think it’s Monday!)

I shall sign off for now my friends. Tomorrow is another one! TTFN.

Xxx