Loving the Holiday

Monday May 14, 2007
We are half way through this amazing holiday, the Sunshine, the colours and the smells are wonderful here. We’re on the southern coast of the Algarve region in Portugal. Local history is deep with Moorish flavours, crusades and pirates. The culture is a fascinating blend of Latino, Mediteranean, North African and European and the food is …. Fish, pulses, piri prir fish (in hot chillies) spicy chourico (sausage) and salted fish! We don’t really like fish!



Our villa is spacious, cool, clean, well equipped and comfortable with an awesome pool, we have daily maid service and a gardener & pool man. We even have a cute little hire car with air con – thankfully! This is such a relaxing & delightful blessing from our God.


Every evening I walk out onto the flat roof balcony in my pyjammas and breath in the warm sweet air I look out over the white plastered homes with their Moorish chimneys stretching toward the sea and the light from the lighthouse, I listen to the crickets and the waves crashing in the distance and I breath out… and I talk with God.

Every morning I wake up early I open the shutters and walk out onto the balcony to watch the ear;y morning shadows of the palm trees creep across our pool, the sweet scents of olive groves, orange trees & flowers fill the air and I breath in… and I talk with God.


Tuesday May 15th
Yesterday evening we ate fresh fish at a cute restaurant by the beach at the end of the lane here. The mackrel was just delicious and watching the setting Sun was fabulous too.

This morning we drove inland to the Sierra Monchique region, a pretty Portugeuse town in forrested mountains with fresh springs and beautiful pottery. On the way home we stopped in Silves which is probably our favouite place here, a enormous castle on a hill with traditional narrow cobbled streets around it where ‘real’ Portugese folk (not pretend ones?!) go about their lives disappearing into fascinating doorways a tiny cafes. Right now I’m sat by the pool enjoying solitude. Adorable Beth & the children have walked down to the beach to play and I’m getting some work done editing a film. I’ve got Frango & Patatas frites in the oven (that’s chicken & chips!) for when they come back and I just love the Sun and the relaxed pace of life here. I could be tempted to live in such a climate, but probably not Portugal.

Wednesday May 16th
One of the kids favourite things here is to walk along the beach early in the morning before anyone’s there and whilst the tide is out. The rock pools are deep & clear and there’s literally thousands of them filled with fish, giant spiky sea slugs, anenomies, urchins, shells, crabs & other crustanceans. There’s loads of caves, tunnels, bridges, and deep crevaces to explore too in addition to the soft sandy beaches and coves.

Thursday May 17, 2007
How amazingly awesome, refreshing and relaxing was that, it was a little sad to leave the villa behind and as I’m sat here on the plane watching the fabulous Portugeuse coast disapear below me I’m browsing through all the photographs and remembering fondly already .