I loved Portugal from the moment I
arrived back and was really excited to catch the train down to Portimáo. I reccommend
train journeys as one of the MOST relaxing ways to travel. The line down to the Algarve
passes through tiny little villages, where olive and cork trees are dotted all around the
hilly farmlands. If you havenīt taken this trip yet, go to www.cp.pt and book it now. It looks a far safer way to travel
than the roads.
I moved in with Michael and his family and strangely enough, it was
almost two days before I caught my first glimpse of Carvoeiro. From the comfort of the
car, it looked fantastic: cobbled streets, sidewalk cafes and beaches tucked under
impressive cliffs. This was the Algarve of the travel brochures. FANTASTIC! Settling into
daily life was easy - not knowing Portuguese (although I AM reading my phrasebook) is not
too much of a hurdle to overcome and I quickly learnt that the Intermarché was one of the
best spots to grab my daily groceries, among other things.
Carvoeiro.com was one of the first sites I found while preparing
for my trip, and I drove past the Palacio
de Cone with fond memories of hours spent on my laptop computer back in the office in
South Africa, a short trip away, but worlds apart from Portugal. Life in Carvoeiro is much
less complicated than Cape Town.
At least criminals donīt break into your car four times in one month, break into your
cousinīs house three times in three weeks...and... and... well I could go on, but crime
is just a way of life in South Africa.
I was really happy to hear that Portugal has been voted one of the
best places to live in the world, along with Canada. This is due to among MANY other
things, a low crime rate. Maybe I should nip up to the GNRon Monte Carvoeiro just to
confirm that!
I seem to have landed in the lap of luxury as working in Michaelīs
restaurant at night provides me with a fantastic dinner. The food really is great, I
prepare it! Hehehe, no just kidding, I only help out with the preparation of the starters
and desserts. He kindly lets me stay in the restaurant, which is a converted villa with
groves of orange trees on the estate and wonderful landscaped gardens which encourage a
rich bird life. Itīs great to see African Hoepoes and European Bee-eaters (both of which
are found in South Africa as well) flitting through the trees. Lets not even mention the
crystal clear pool. A great thank you to Michael and Sylvie!
Until next week where I explore Carvoeiro in greater detail.
Tarminha
Nick - nick@carvoeiro.com
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