Amazingly ended up on our selected Porto visit campsite and indeed the only pitch remaining, next to a Dutch couple I had met a month earlier standing at a campsite bus stop to travel into Granada. This coincidence was further compounded when we found them also occupying the table adjacent to the one we unknowingly took, at a cafe in the middle of Porto.
At the beginning of my time away, it was very funny to come across a work colleague who happened to be crossing the same Barcelona street in front of the market at the same time as I was. After the initial brain processing, which told me he looked abit like Tom, I came to realize it was actually him!
Loads of the usual Dutch, Germans and large ex-pat communities it seems of Brits in the busier Algarve.
There seem to be quite alot of Asian men working in various capacities on building sites, and in the fruit & vegetable sector which although in the Alentejano is nothing on the scale of Spain, including ‘plasticos’ coverings of the crops, it seems to be the only other main sector in addition to tourism in this area. According to Diogo (see post ‘Every Cloud’) there is very little work other than seasonal tourism outside of the main bigger cities – population of Lisbon only seems to be around 250000 – and the average wage is 700eu per month. Whilst the northern europeans have brought investment to the Algarve, they’ve pushed up property prices, and indeed the food prices in the supermarkets in the southern coastal areas are the same as in the UK. Diogo manages a campsite, but lives in an apartment, as can’t afford a house.
If I didn’t think I’d managed to leave schedules behind, I do after today. And the story is:
Google maps on my little screen (smartphone as opposed to non-digital more contextual map) said the distance to Lagos was about 5 miles. Eminently cyclable it seemed so duly set off fully loaded with beach stuff, including parasol, book etc. Well at least twice that later via main road I finally arrived determined to sort out how I was going to get back without having to cycle that same distance/route, and knew that there was a train line and station, so thought I could at least get most of the way back. It has to be said that the pressure is mounting for the purchase of a Brompton folding bike which I could sling onto a bus, or in a normal-sized taxi.
Turned out there was a water taxi, from Lagos to Alvor which would have taken my bike, subject to space, but not operating today due to rough seas, so the station turned up trumps with a local train running at 15:13 which would get me to the nearest station of Portimao, meaning I’d only have to cycle the 3.8 miles then back.
So I only spent about 1.25 hours hanging around Lagos, before arriving back at the station in very good time, to enable me to negotiate whatever it would take to get me and my bike on that train, including fighting off any other cyclists (number of bikes limited) who may not want to queue in an orderly fashion according to arrival time. Therefore at 14:45, entered the station – no-one around, train in – brilliant. Happened to glance up at the station clock to see it showing 13:45. This now ‘chimed’ (pun appropriate) with my having previously noticed but absentmindedly dismissed as just a phone/GMT thing, the time on my phone being an hour behind my watch. 🤔 Decided I’d better check that the station clock was accurate! and having this confirmed, meant that I had been an hour ahead of everyone else in Portugal since I crossed the border 7 days ago. It also explained why everyone was getting up about an hour later than me, and corrected my assumption that people seemed alot more laid back here.
Anyway – the bits I saw of Lagos indicated it was indeed a busy, but pleasant holiday hotspot, very nice marina, beach, waves.
replica of the sort of ship they sailed in 15th century to explore the seas
Have become aware of how difficult it can be to make decisions and then actually implement them, particularly those which involve stepping out of comfort zones, when one is doing this completely solo. And all sorts of things are outside the comfort zones, from driving a 7m long vehicle along unknown roads guided by satnav, to waiting for buses where no obvious stop is evident, to wondering whether the cycle track to Malaga really does involve that bit on the busy main road, to buying a crossing on a little boat to the beach and not knowing how often the little boat expects to enable the return journey! And I’ve found that it doesn’t get easier. But what propels me to make the next decision and the next are the prizes I have seen – amongst them the Canal du Midi, Carcassonne, the Rondas, Malagas, Cuencas, Cabanas beach, Andalucian countryside, Bay of Cadiz and more. It has been and so is, worth it. I must and will keep doing it. After all, what’s the worst that can happen, apart from eg ending up at 2000 metres in the Pyrenees with it snowing, down to 0.5deg and no snow chains?! And almost repeating the exercise 4 weeks later in the Sierra Nevadas, although at least it wasn’t snowing, and the road hadn’t got narrow enough for me not to be able to turn the van around. And I do not enjoy mountain driving unfortunately. Takes me about a day to recover from the adrenalin and stress hit. Still, seeing Granada is worth staying on a campsite up there in the foothills.
Using 4G, mifi or campsite wifi means that one is never alone, or I’m not with my extended crew, and am very happy to be able to watch Line of Duty, Champions League, Federer playing the tennis opens, – currently Madrid – The Good Fight etc etc via Prime, BT or Sky Sports subscriptions (mine or others’ – thank you) and ExpressVPN where necessary.
No this is not a post about how one’s stress/urge incontinence is managed beyond the onboard toilet – still haven’t added the SheWee to the equipment set – but I want to note the simple pleasures that I on many occasions actually verbalise to myself given that I’m travelling solo for the most part. It is becoming abit of an unconscious habit, which can be somewhat embarrassing in the toilet block or when washing up. Anyway – have realised that that’s obviously a role that the blog gives – ie a willing listener, so here’s my starter for 10 paean of praise:
So fortunate – am I really doing this?
Have to pinch myself to say that yes, I am living in beautiful weather, in beautiful locations, and for example here on Cabanas campsite, with access to great showers, site swimming pool, lovely beach 1km down the road, restaurants and shops there, cheap trains along the Algarve coast 0.5 kms away, lovely Tavira a cycle ride away, wifi which supports Champions League streaming. Yes it could be seen as living on a carpark, but for 8.82eu per day – the cost of the cheapest car parking in Leeds, I’ll take it. Plus one of the shrubs in my little garden is blossoming. Into my 3rd day here – perhaps move along tomorrow or day after further along the coast.
The beautiful flowers and trees and in combination with the buildings
Getting up and just putting a tee-shirt and shorts onbecause it’s warm enough
Bacon butty and coffee Not eating very much meat these days, but still hanker after this plus the odd quality porky pie, or well-done sausage; this is my first bacon in almost 2 months; what could be better
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