Sunset Walk on the Beach

Our next day in Portugal was spent much like the previous day, relaxing on the beach.

Lunch at the snack bar.

Afternoon glass of wine in the hotel.

A satisfying seafood dinner under the moonlight.

But the highlight of the weekend had to be the sunset walk on the beach with my love.

Promise

'From sunrise to sunset,
I want to watch it with you,
From sunrise to sunset,
I want to live it with you,
I want us to walk our sunsets together,
Love you forever.

Vizard Dhawan

Do you celebrate when the sun finally dips below the horizon?

Maybe with giddy applause?  Or a sweet kiss?

Do you strain your ears to hear the distant hiss of fire meeting water?

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | SUBSCRIBE | BLOGLOVIN

A night on the Old Town

After our relaxing day in the sun, it was time to experience a little bit of Portuguese night life.

Albufeira has been a tourist hotspot since the 60's and it comes alive at night.

Our hotel shuttle dropped us off near the Old Town so that we could explore. 

The Old Town has all of the bars, restaurants and shopping that you want in 

a much more relaxed atmosphere than "the Strip" which is more popular with the younger crowd.  There is a central square surrounded by narrow, cobbled streets.

It felt so good to just stroll around, sit in the sun and have a cocktail.

As the sun set, it was time to find dinner.  We were eagerly enticed from both sides by attractive, young waiters to try their restaurant.  We eventually settled on one close to the beach.

Here is my most important tip for Portugal.

When the waiter asks you if you would like to start your meal with bread and butter, say YES.

We started every evening meal like this.  The little tubs are butter, sardine paste and yummy cheese.  I usually try to stay away from bread, but as we were on vacation we indulged.

The waiter then led me to the fish cooler to pick out my dinner for the night.

I had grilled sea bass all three nights were were there.  So amazingly wonderful and fresh.

After dinner, we took a little walk on the beach and soaked it all up.

Just writing this post, I'm aching to be back there in that place with everything that it had to offer.

As the evening wore on, things started to get even livelier and we weren't quite ready to go home.

Check out this Cosmopolitan that I ordered.  I'm completely spoiled now and expect every Cosmo from here on out to be in a big honkin' glass with a sparkler in it.

The live music was terrific.  But the people watching was incredible.

Instead of a Bachelor/Bachelorette Party, the Brits celebrate with a Stag Party (for the guys) and a Hen Do (for the girls).  This usually involves a weekend away and Portugal is a favorite destination.  The guys dress the groom up in the most humiliating costumes and pour drinks down his throat.  One groom on our flight home was in a playboy bunny costume, complete with fishnet pantyhose.  It's the craziest thing I've seen.

The ladies are a bit more creative and they all dress up together.

You can just imagine the trouble they all get up to over the weekend.

As things got rowdier, we decided it was time to get back to the hotel.

We hopped in a taxi, but not before one last free shot of neon green liquor of some sort. (cough syrup?)

I love the Algarve.  It has something to offer everyone, quiet relaxation or a fun party.

It was exactly what we wanted and needed that weekend.

And, Oh, the sunsets!  I'll show you in my next post.

(p.s.  I'd love it if you would click over and Like my Facebook Page.)

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | SUBSCRIBE | BLOGLOVIN

A Beach Weekend in Portugal

Since we crossed the pond, our holidays have been completely different from the first year of our marriage.

(By the way, Brits use the term "holiday" instead of "vacation", and that's a term I've picked up.

I hope my American friends will forgive me for my assimilation.) 

Our holidays living in Texas involved a quick hop down to the Caribbean and

time spent relaxing on a beach in the blazing sun with a cerveza in hand.

Our trips here have involved exploring, a lot of walking, schedules,

museum visits and a lot of getting from here to there.

Don't get me wrong, they've been fantastic!

But, we were in desperate need of a relaxed, quiet beach weekend and some sunshine.

(Have I mentioned?  Coldest UK Spring in fifty years.)

 Matt scheduled a Friday off and after work on a Thursday in May,

we boarded an EasyJet flight from Gatwick for a 3 hour flight to Portugal.

EasyJet plus Portugal equals Stag Parties, so expect to be annoyed entertained by loud, drunk and "cheeky" young Brits.  (And by cheeky, I mean obnoxious.)

Luckily, we booked a hotel that was on a very quiet beach away from the partying Brits.

 We used Yellow Fish Transfers for round-trip transfer from the airport to the hotel which was much cheaper than a taxi.  They were fantastic and I highly recommend them. Our driver welcomed us to Portugal with a smile, a clean, air-conditioned van and a complimentary bottle of red wine.

 

Hotel Vila Galé Praia is located about 10 minutes from the popular spot of Albufeira  in the Algarve region of Portugal.  It's a 40 room hotel in a quiet residential neighborhood with a 2 minute walk to the beach.  It was perfect, very clean and comfortable.  We were greeted with a cold wet cloth and a glass of tea to revive us from our journey.  There is a pool, gym, spa, restaurant and bar, everything you need for a relaxing weekend.

As soon as we were settled in to the hotel, we headed straight for the beach.  By this time it was already dark and deserted, but we had a wonderful seafood dinner and listened to the waves.  Praia da Gale Restaurant is one of several places to eat on the beach by the hotel. It's casual with indoor and outdoor seating.  We had the first of several delicious seafood dinners.  It was the perfect way to settle into our relaxing weekend.

Early the next morning it was straight to the beach.

We were both desperate for the feel of the sun on our skin to replenish our Vitamin D stores.

We paid €13 for a space with two loungers and an umbrella all day

It was perfect.  The beach was pristine and there were lifeguards on duty.

The sand was soft and white.  The water was freezing, but there were many people who were braving the cold.

I just sat there soaking it up and watching all of the little beach babies playing in the sand.

 There were several sections with interesting rock formations to explore and climb on.

The rock pools were full of shells and creatures to fascinate.

 

  There were a few ladies discreetly going topless at both the beach and the pool, but no big deal. We had lunch at one of the other beach restaurants, O Galeao Snack Bar.  They had a great salad.

Praia Gale is perfect for a couple or family looking for a nice, quiet beach.

 

After lunch we spent some time in the hotel pool. 

With our skin all warm and tingly from the sun,
we then cleaned up for a trip into Albufeira via the hotel shuttle. 

But, not before a glass of wine on the patio outside of our room.

More on Albufeira in my next post.

Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
I'm sorry if I don't say it enough.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Happy Fathers Day!!!

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | SUBSCRIBE | BLOGLOVIN

We booked and paid for everything on our own.  There was no compensation of any type for any of the businesses linked in this post.  As always, all pictures and opinions are my own.