Category: Uncategorized
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Monday marks my first week in the Algarve
Mountain climbing, again! This time, not so high and they provided concrete stairs for part of the upward climb. It was the usual suspects that gathered at the trail head of Cerro da Cabeça outside of Moncaraphaco. It’s not as high as Sao Miguel and further east. Randy, Harald, Patricia and Gary, myself and Jackson…
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Sunday, Sunday…
It was my first Sunday in the Algarve this year, January 14. Being the third weekend of the month, it was gypsy market time in Estoi at the local fairground. We all met up, Randy, Marc, Harald, Bela, Patricia, and Gary at various points in the morning to attend the event. It’s a colourful, loud,…
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Climb Every Mountain…and try to keep your feet dry!
Friday January 12, 2024 dawned grey and cloudy with a bit of a nippy breeze. Our destination was the top of Cerro de São Miguel, 411 metres above sea level. The hikers were Randy, Harald, myself and Jackson, of course. Harald and Randy have been hiking buddies in the Algarve for a number of years.…
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Sunrise…Sunset
We began Wednesday early – saw the sunrise! Unable to sleep after 3 a.m. The curse of jet lag. It was all good. We eventually set out on a short hike to a close by favourite spot. The sun broke through the cloud cover and it was a rather nice day for walking uphill! It…
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Our 2024 Portuguese Adventure Begins
The Estoi Pousada bell tower from the Quinta parking lot. It’s feels wonderful to be back in Portugal, again! We (Jackson and I ) arrived in Estoi, Portugal last evening, Monday January 8, after a flight to Lisbon from Montreal and a train trip from Lisbon to Faro. It was the best kind of trip…
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2023 Ottawa Tulip Festival
Tulips as a symbol of friendship The Ottawa Tulip Festival has been on my bucket list for a long time. Each year something would clog up the short time frame in May when the tulips would be be in bloom and it would get put off until another year. This year turned out to be…
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These are a few of my favourite things…
There were walks through the tidal pools near Faro Beach, the beach itself, exploring local pathways, tracks and roads and most of all, the people. It became my home away from home because of the people – and Jackson! It was a hot, sunny day and the boardwalk and trail through the tidal pools was…
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Monchique Memories
Monchique and storks go hand in hand from my point of view. As we drove into the historic town, the hills were lined with stork nests on top of electrical poles, and posts of all kinds. It was a road trip for Randy, Marc and myself. Jackson had a rest at home that day as…
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Saying goodbye in retrospect
The end of my sojourn in the Algarve came too soon on April 3 when Jackson and I boarded our flight in Lisbon for the six hour journey to winter. It now appears to be Spring where we live on Rigaud Mountain. A fitting time to look back and revisit share some recent travel memories.…
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A home away from home…
At this point, the village of Estoi does feel like home. Exploring its small streets and alleys with Jackson is always good fun. He now thinks most of the territory is his – although he does have considerable competition in that department and the p-mail is more than extensive. Shopping in the local stores and…
Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground 