03.-12.04. Algarve (Salema)

We are in Portugal !! :-)

When we arrived at the dreamlike Eco Camp in Salema, we were enchanted by the country and its people. We have never been welcomed so kindly at any other place - proving the Spanish proverb 'If kindness had a home, it would be Portugal'. The entrance sign 'Here you'll find a paradise' lives up to its promise... We are in the midst of a blooming flower landscape, the most beautiful white sandy beaches, huge Atlantic surf waves, and wonderful rugged rock formations in the west of the Algarve.

It's really a great place to live! - at least this time of year. As a German expatriate told us at the laundromat, it's almost impossible to walk through the crowds of tourists in the summer. So we are even happier to be able to enjoy the Portuguese spring undisturbed.

Actually, we don't need to leave the small pretty fishing and bathing village of Salema and the camp in the nature park anymore - it's so beautiful here. But to explore the Algarve a bit, we are taking a few small trips in the surroundings. We visited Sagres at the westernmost point of the Algarve and the southwesternmost point of continental Europe - Cabo Sao Vicente. Here, we saw 'the last sausage before America', impressive, massive cliffs, and overpriced but sinfully delicious ice cream.

The green, blooming landscape with goats and cows grazing, the sparsely populated small old towns, and then the many dreamy sandy beaches surrounded by picturesque and quirky cliffs captivated us.

On April 8th, we visited Sandcity - the sand sculpture festival in Pera. Artists from all over the world created figures out of sand. This year, the theme was 'Music' and we recognized many musicians made of sand. In the afternoon, we went to the well-known town of Lagos and met up with friends who are currently on vacation here. I personally really liked Lagos - with its colorful shopping alleys, the historic market square, and the many small restaurants. Unfortunately, Peter wasn't very impressed after being offered marijuana on the street, his image of the city was ruined. :-) And even though he declined, we frequently found ourselves subjected to passive smoking in the narrow streets.

So for the remaining days, we prefer to stay in the fresh air outdoors. Speaking of fresh air - it smells incredibly of flowers everywhere in nature here, something between jasmine, fresh grass, and rosemary. We enjoy this intensely during our long stroller walks.

Today we did a wonderful coastal hike, which was rewarded with the most delicious Fish & Chips (even better than the ones in New Zealand). We walked along steep cliffs from bay to bay, very close to the coastline. It was fantastic - I hope the photos give you an idea of the dimension.