Sunday, June 10, 2007
Our week in Portugal was amazing. We had an adorable condo that was perfect with a kitchen and laundry. It also had a large pool complex with a playground, so the first day as we all got accustomed to our surroundings we hung out there. After the kids went to sleep we cooked dinner which we ate on the lovely the outdoor patio. There was a great beach very close by and a better one not far off.
Every other day we explored a nearby town. Each one was picturesque, the architecture was amazing with beautiful Moorish buildings and cobblestone streets filled every tiny village. Every town had a pedestrian area so we didn’t have to worry about cars mowing down our kids. A lot of the towns felt very similar to central america, but with out all the people with big guns.
And the people were wonderful. It wasn’t quite tourist season so most towns were pretty quiet and we had the beaches almost to ourselves. Restaurant staff did the best to entertain the kids or give us big tables to spread out. At the condominium complex we were probably the youngest guests by 20 years, so we either the staff that was happy to have some younger company or the guests that missed their grand kids.
It took a few tries before Lotus got the hang of the beach. Nate kept getting stressed out that she was eating the sand, but after showing her how to dig, make sand piles or collect shells her taste for sand started to fade. She wasn’t crazy enough to try to go into the freezing water. Only Nate and Glen thought that was a good idea. The last day there it was pretty hot, so I dove in for a second, but the Atlantic is not my thing. I love the water and the ocean, but I have now been in the Atlantic a few times and I must say it’s mean and nasty as far as oceans go.
Every other day we explored a nearby town. Each one was picturesque, the architecture was amazing with beautiful Moorish buildings and cobblestone streets filled every tiny village. Every town had a pedestrian area so we didn’t have to worry about cars mowing down our kids. A lot of the towns felt very similar to central america, but with out all the people with big guns.
And the people were wonderful. It wasn’t quite tourist season so most towns were pretty quiet and we had the beaches almost to ourselves. Restaurant staff did the best to entertain the kids or give us big tables to spread out. At the condominium complex we were probably the youngest guests by 20 years, so we either the staff that was happy to have some younger company or the guests that missed their grand kids.
It took a few tries before Lotus got the hang of the beach. Nate kept getting stressed out that she was eating the sand, but after showing her how to dig, make sand piles or collect shells her taste for sand started to fade. She wasn’t crazy enough to try to go into the freezing water. Only Nate and Glen thought that was a good idea. The last day there it was pretty hot, so I dove in for a second, but the Atlantic is not my thing. I love the water and the ocean, but I have now been in the Atlantic a few times and I must say it’s mean and nasty as far as oceans go.
