Above: The Southwest corner of Portugal, Sagres.
Below, our place, Casa Ceu Grande in Carvoeiro pinned below
Below, our place, Casa Ceu Grande in Carvoeiro pinned below
January 2024 -- Amy turned seven while Con and I enjoyed 18 days in Canada. We even celebrated an early Christmas and my 69th birthday before returning to Portugal for Christmas and to bring in the New Year. Jane and Ray invited us for New Year´s Eve dinner and a crazy fun card game which we played well into the wee hours of the morning. I finished my first mosaic art, a birdbath. It´s been in our garden for a week now, and the once bathing-crazy birds have yet to explore it.
Below: A gorgeous hike with Jane, Jayne, and Rita; our fondue party; winter succulents in bloom; a valley of almond trees in bloom; my second attempt at mosaic; and the beautiful faces from our Babes and Books club pot luck party.
February 6 -- Con, Jane, Ray and I drove together to Cascais, 3 hours away on the west coast of Portugal to visit our good friend Rita who is cat sitting in a gorgeous house with a 190 degree ocean view. We celebrated Con's birthday with a padel game, followed by a hike to the ocean, and a fun social night in a fish restaurant within walking distance of the house. Weather is warming, spring flowers are competing for the Most Beautiful prize with the almond trees. Cascais is a gorgeous sea-side resort town, the "riviera" of Portugal, boasting the most expensive real estate in the country. In 1870, the Portuguese royal family (no longer a monarchy) would come to Cascais for the month of September consequently attracting other nobility. The houses pretty much all resemble mini palaces. Sintra is just 30 minutes away by car, a major tourist destination as it's populated by many historic palaces, castles, and scenic estate homes and gardens. Below: Pena Palace, Sintra. Credit Google.
February 11 -- Jane, above in the pink, decided to walk up the windy, scenic beach road to the house where we were staying, taking photos after photos, until she fell into a hole, breaking her hand. Yesterday, I replaced her with Ray (in the blue) for the Carnaval Mixed Padel competition in Portimao. We placed 5th out of 16. Not bad.
February 14-- Valentine's Day padel
February 25 -- Yesterday, the rain stopped about noon and Jane, Rita and I set off on our ebikes to Alvor for lunch with plenty of ocean views and a detour through a forested area. Nearly out of the forest, having circled a few paths not one hundred percent sure how to get out, and with the trail narrowing, disaster struck. A stringy bramble attached itself to Rita's back tire and pulled her and the bike over the embankment. She went head first and the force of her heavy bike pushed her to the bottom but luckily the bramble held her bike to just hover over top of her. Her ankle was snagged between her handle bars and the dirt which had impressively swallowed part of the handle bars locking her in an awkward position with one leg up and trapped. Jane grabbed the tire from the top of the ledge and I slid carefully down the ledge through the blood claiming bramble to Rita. After unwinding her foot from the handlebar, we assessed our bodies and bike believing we came out okay. Later, I realized I'd lost my expensive sunglasses. Just before sunset, Con drove and Jane and me back to the forest and Jane and I hiked to the accident site and viola, there they were.
March 2 -- Two days ago, Con and I flew to Zurich, Switzerland to overnight before continuing via train and bus to Obergurgle, Austria. The bus dropped us right in front of our luxurious Hochfirst, Alpen-Wellness Resort.
DAY 1: we rented our ski equipment for the next day, then tried out the 31 degree inside and outside swimming pools, whirl pool, "nude only" sauna, and lastly, dressed "Smart Casual" as instructed for the delicious six-course dinner.
DAY 2: following breakfast, we purchased our five-day ski passes, donned our ski gear, went up the icy T-bar lift, where Con got to the top, lost all confidence, and slid-walked all the way back down to regretfully return his passes and ski equipment. The sun was warming the crunchy slopes softening them for me, for more comfortable solo skiing. Unfortunately, my plantar faciitis had me joining Con sooner than anticipated and we lounged in the inside/outside pool.
DAY 1: we rented our ski equipment for the next day, then tried out the 31 degree inside and outside swimming pools, whirl pool, "nude only" sauna, and lastly, dressed "Smart Casual" as instructed for the delicious six-course dinner.
DAY 2: following breakfast, we purchased our five-day ski passes, donned our ski gear, went up the icy T-bar lift, where Con got to the top, lost all confidence, and slid-walked all the way back down to regretfully return his passes and ski equipment. The sun was warming the crunchy slopes softening them for me, for more comfortable solo skiing. Unfortunately, my plantar faciitis had me joining Con sooner than anticipated and we lounged in the inside/outside pool.
March 5 -- The ski slopes at Obergurgl were near perfect conditions. I skied all levels, blue, red, and black. By early afternoon, I packed it in to join Con in the gorgeous swimming pool where at 3, the outside pool opens. We swam under enormous snow flakes which continued through the night and well into the morning.
March 6 -- We woke to 56 cm of the white stuff and is still falling now. All lifts were closed, as well as the roads due to possible avalanches. We watched helicopters shooting explosions into the mountain sides that night hoping to prevent unexpected avalanches. Our attempt to leave a day early was impossible. Con anticipated transportation chaos with the German strike pending, and booked our flight out of Zurich which was so smart.
March 7 -- Rising early, we departed the hotel at 7:30 still witnessing helicopters still blasing explosions into the mountain. Roads were open, but train chaos was happening. Luckily, we manouvered around the chaos, arriving in Zurich for our flight. By 3 am, we set our heads upon our pillows at home, and it felt good.
March 6 -- We woke to 56 cm of the white stuff and is still falling now. All lifts were closed, as well as the roads due to possible avalanches. We watched helicopters shooting explosions into the mountain sides that night hoping to prevent unexpected avalanches. Our attempt to leave a day early was impossible. Con anticipated transportation chaos with the German strike pending, and booked our flight out of Zurich which was so smart.
March 7 -- Rising early, we departed the hotel at 7:30 still witnessing helicopters still blasing explosions into the mountain. Roads were open, but train chaos was happening. Luckily, we manouvered around the chaos, arriving in Zurich for our flight. By 3 am, we set our heads upon our pillows at home, and it felt good.
March 13 -- Above a promo picture of the Stomp show we saw in Lisbon yesterday. It was brilliant, flawless, clever, and interactive. We loved every minute of the show. The theatre district of Lisbon is a cool place to hang out. Lots of funky shops, brand-name stores, and theatres.
May 19 Long Weekend in Alberta -- We arrived in Canada mid afternoon and by 5:30, we were enjoying a padel game with Nick and her regular padel partner. Friday morning, we drove 1.5-hours north to Red Deer ready to begin our family reunion. Brit, Kris, Nolan, and girl friend Quin arrived following a two-day drive from Saskatchewan. Later that day, Nick, Bryant, Dex, and bonus grand daughter Ashley arrived from Calgary. Courtney and Hailey missed our weekend due to the National's volleyball competition in Edmonton for Hailey. Two houses were rented nearby, and we called Lindsey and Les' place "Home Base". Saturday, the girls went shopping. I'm sure Red Deer enjoyed the cash injection, followed by a meal at Brown's. Sunday, we went bowling. Our scores weren't worth writing home about, but the memories sure were.
June -- Returning the first week of June from our 2.5 weeks in Canada, summer was well upon us. Geert and Loes stayed in our house while we were away, taking care of "the babies" as Con calls them -- the plants. We splurged on a Jura coffee machine, having enjoyed Nick and Bryant's while in Canada. You name it; we can make it.
Friends Sheena and John pulled a group of our eclectic friends together for tapas in Portimao. Below, our friends from Portugal, England, California, The Netherlands, and Canada.
Agnes, pictured below and I won the padel tournament in Carvoeiro, receiving a Lucky In Love skirt.
Sheena, Jane, and I walked the cliffs to Benegil and as always enjoyed the breathtaking views.
Liza and I partnered in a tournament in Vila Real de San Antonio with scores that didn't favour us. The ladies we played were unbelievably rude and quite frankly unkind. One example, they ran to the net to contest a serve given to Liza that was clearly out (my call). Shouting at us, we simply gave in. Liza said calmly, "Ladies, it's just a game, life is too short." The youngest replied, "And, shorter for you!" The six Carvoeiro ladies spent the night in Ayamonte, Spain (just over the bridge from Vila Real) enjoying a late night of tapas and cocktails. Why not... "life's too short".
Friends Sheena and John pulled a group of our eclectic friends together for tapas in Portimao. Below, our friends from Portugal, England, California, The Netherlands, and Canada.
Agnes, pictured below and I won the padel tournament in Carvoeiro, receiving a Lucky In Love skirt.
Sheena, Jane, and I walked the cliffs to Benegil and as always enjoyed the breathtaking views.
Liza and I partnered in a tournament in Vila Real de San Antonio with scores that didn't favour us. The ladies we played were unbelievably rude and quite frankly unkind. One example, they ran to the net to contest a serve given to Liza that was clearly out (my call). Shouting at us, we simply gave in. Liza said calmly, "Ladies, it's just a game, life is too short." The youngest replied, "And, shorter for you!" The six Carvoeiro ladies spent the night in Ayamonte, Spain (just over the bridge from Vila Real) enjoying a late night of tapas and cocktails. Why not... "life's too short".
JULY -- Daughter Bridget, hubby Kris, and grandsons Nolan and Kolton arrived from Saskatchewan, Canada for their first visit here. The boys went shark fishing returning six hours later empty handed. No surprise since Con and I never saw a shark in our 14 years aboard Big Sky. They golfed a few times, kayaked in the Lagos grottos, played padel a few times, visited the Carvoeiro village a few evenings, had a hot afternoon in the Atlantic beaching at Praia da Rocha, and hung out in the pool. Temperatures were low 30s.