We woke up to a sunny, windless day. I went for a walk with the dogs, first through the woods, then between the houses, and we comfortably reached the bakery, where I bought fresh pastries for breakfast. The rolls are very crispy and there are so many different kinds of sweet treats that it's a real challenge to choose. This time, I chose a small almond cake and figs baked with almonds. They are deliscious!
Ingrid made a mouthwatering breakfast: fried bacon, potatoes, baked vegetables, fried eggs, and I squeezed fresh orange juice to go with it. D'Arcy was in charge of tea and coffee, and Brenda set the table.
After a hearty and sumptuous breakfast, we set off. Our first stop was Faro. My friends wanted to exchange their rental car because they had had several problems with it: once it wouldn't start, once the on-board GPS didn't work for a whole day, and then the trunk couldn't be opened for days. It was a Renault Captur, which is actually a very comfortable car. They got a slightly smaller SEAT because the rental company didn't have any cars the size of a Renault Captur available at the moment. They will get a bigger one on Saturday. Two more of their friends are coming from Canada on Sunday, so they need a car that is big enough to fit all their luggage as well.
After Faro, we went to Loulé, where there was already a great carnival atmosphere. Loulé is Portugal's oldest carnival city, mentioned as early as the 19th century. At that time, these carnivals were still quite "violent." The main thing was that people threw eggs, flour, sandbags, and broken plates at each other, "redressing" past grievances with this behavior. In addition, they could write poems and stories in which they could satirize politicians, social situations, and famous people.
Fortunately, tempers have calmed down in terms of violence, and now the emphasis is on the costumes and dances of the parade participants and the performers, the huge pupets (politicians, famous actors, athletes) on the various "stages" pulled by large tractors, as well as the decorations.
I really enjoyed the whole thing! It was colorful, liberating, with all kinds of people, children, young people, middle-aged people, elderly people, people with disabilities—and music that made me start dancing on the side of the road. Then a girl from one of the dancing groups stepped out, took me by the hand, and pulled me in. I didn't even have time to be surprised, I just had to keep dancing, no questions asked. I danced with them for about 20-30 metres, and when I thanked her for her kindness, she hugged me so tightly I could hardly breathe.
Every day brings a new, beautiful experience, and I just soak them all up.
We left the dogs at home, and by the time we get back, they would have been alone for six hours, so we slowly made our way to the car and said goodbye to Loulé. At home, D'Arcy came with me for a nice little forest-beach combo walk with the dogs, then they got their dinner, and we went into town to a Chinese restaurant where they were playing one of Céline Dion's old Las Vegas concerts on TV. It was funny that four Canadians walk in and Canadian Céline is singing.
Well, dinner was heavenly! A small restaurant, nothing fancy, but the food?! I ordered a three-course menu: crab chips, spicy soup, a pile of rice, curried prawns and vegetables, and a small glass of beer. It cost 17 euros and was divine, and I was very full. D'Arcy had Singapore fried noodles and couldn't stop raving about them. I have to try them this week.
Back home, we played cards for a while. Unfortunately, I didn't win, but I still enjoyed myself and we had a good laugh.
That's how the second week of our adventure went. We're still having a great time. Starting on the 16th, we will be alone until Friday, as Brenda, Ingrid, and D'Arcy are sailing to Morocco for a mini-vacation. Until then, I will be holding down the fort "at home" with the dogs and we will go on some day trips. We will have a lot to do and we will have fun doing them.