Weston-super-Bock!

I could quite easily live in the Algarve. The people are so laid back and friendly, the beaches are beautiful and unspoilt and it is so cheap to live here. For example, a three course meal with ½ litre of wine or a pint of beer followed by coffee and a glass of port is 7.50€ in one of the restaurants up the road from where we are currently staying. In the bar next door a pin of Super Bock is 1.50€ and a large glass of wine 1.00€.

This time we are in the small town of Olhos d'Agua (Water Eyes), so called for the fresh water springs visible on the beach at low tide. It is situated midway between Albufeira and Vilamoura about 18 miles west of Faro.

The weather for the first 10 days was hot and sunny but the last 3 days have been a mixture of sunshine, showers and heavy rain.

Yesterday we waited for the rain to ease before leaving the apartment at around 2pm to go for lunch. We had just got inside a cafe, not 10 minutes walk away, when the wind got up and the heavens opened. Our lunch came and there was a power cut. By the time we left to return, some 20 minutes later, the sun was shining.

On the road just down from the apartment there is a bridge over a deep gully. No more than 10 minutes after we crossed it, on our way out, a mini tornado had blown through the gully uprooting trees, blowing the gates off and damaging the roof of a beautiful villa and decimating several gardens before blowing itself out before reaching the town.

If we had been walking over that bridge at the time ....................................

Well it's back home tomorrow then down to Lesley on Saturday to open up the caravan for a new season. Hopefully we will have better weather this year and the whole family will be able to enjoy the new and improved beach, which 17 million pounds later, is now complete.

Sadly my favourite fishing spot has completely disappeared in the remodelling of the coastline but there is a nice protected lagoon that I can't wait to "sling my hook" into!

Here's a brilliant video of the 12 months work compressed into 5 minutes, (look out for Janice and me in the anoraks at about 2 min 53sec):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uvTV7izExs&feature=player_embedded#!

Since my last entry we finally made it to Weston-super-Mud and spent a great few days in the Wetherspoons Hotel on the seafront. Unfortunately, as you can see, the diets have gone out of the window:

I leave you with Weston-super-Mud and "The Cafe" filmed on the promenade last year:

Update from Lesley next week!

Hey Ho!