The Algarve (Albufeira & Lagos, Portugal)

Woke to the wonderful sounds of waves as we are in Albufeira- southern coast. Have a great hotel for 55 Euros a night. We see nothing but beach out our balcony. No coats and sunny during the day and need winter coat at night.

There aren't many people here- low season I guess. Feels like just us and 4 Brits in this big hotel. Hotel Sol e Mar.

The town is all packed on the water- winding each little road after another. Bridges of walkways over other walkways. Reminds me of a maze. We were literally in a cave-looking path and couldn't figure out how to get to our hotel which was directly above us. Crazy. Nearly needed to leave breadcrumbs and a compass. Maybe a jetpack.

Had a great dinner of spaghetti and soup and olives and Kev found what is probably the only veggie burger in Portugal- was excellent. Ate at a place with heatlamps on the beach boardwalk. They beg you to eat there.. wasting their words- seafood, blah blah, steak, blah blah..

Went to a bar last night where and American woman (black vest) from DC sang 'At Last' per my request and we danced and other people decided to for the first time that night too. She nearly screamed when I tipped her 2.20 Euro. She said she never gets tips. She says when she tips people they look at her like, 'What is this for? Trying to buy something?'

Then we left and were invited to a local 'raggae' party by a local woman (on the right of the pic of the 3 of us) who had just put her baby down to sleep. She was so inviting and nice and fun. We danced there and met her friends and found our way back and listened to the waves.

On our 3 hour drive down here from Lisbon, we were desperate for some food in a very non-touristic area. We finally settled on a desolate restaurant in the desolate Ourique, Portugal where we seemed to have the best odds of finding something vegetarian. The woman spoke no English. She showed me the menu, pointing out about the 20% of the menu that they actually had available. We thought about bailing and drudging on to the south, but then were somehow able to figure out how to order a tomato, lettuce and onion salad and a vegetable soup. They were surprisingly tasty! Kevin was eyeing the fruit in the refrigerator case and I was so certain it was only for show that I mocked him a little. But they pointed and gestured and Kevin nodded to the pear. They took it and sliced it so exquisitely. It was the best pear I had ever tasted.. ate my words.

Now we'll go to breakfast.  So many squalking birds on our balcony.

We make our way to Lisbon tonight to see it before we fly back to London.