The day we returned from Seville, we were kind of pooped so we had a very early dinner in town at Ciao Baby.

D’s pizza was pretty good.

My seafood pasta as compared to the version that I loved at the Windsurfer right on the beach was okay. Our server who was also the owner’s son was exceptional.

The next morning we realised that time was escaping us very quickly, so we took advantage of the sun for a couple of hours, then drove to Portimao. For me the town was a lovely surprise. I had only heard other hotel guests say that it had a shopping mall which I wasn’t interested in quite frankly.

The streets in the old city were cobblestoned and narrow.

We walked until we could find the church and the town square as that is typically where all the action is (but not on this day).

We circled back and discovered many locals enjoying the sun by the harbour.

We hadn’t yet found a place to savour one of our favourite drinks back home-sangria!

The trip was winding down and we sat and reflected about the wonderful time we had together.

Upon our return to Alvor, the sun was still brightly shining so we had one last beach/sunset walk.

The evening was lovely and quiet as we strolled along enjoying this new place (to us) in the world.

We lingered until the very last moment, and then begrudgingly went and packed our bags, as our wonderful last evening was still ahead.

During our busy time in and around Alvor, we would be in daily contact with Canadian friends Jana and Kristy. They had recommended a Tascado Taberna Restaurante to us and we had such a lovely dinner, we wanted to return for our last supper.

We had a designated time to meet at the hotel and walk with them to the restaurant. A little past the appointed time, one of the women dashes into the hotel to tell us that they were still at their 4 pm spa appointment. We went on ahead of them and they joined us later. The crazy thing about this spa was that it was so affordable and the staff came in on their day off to take care of services. Amazing hospitality in Portugal!

When we arrived, we scooped up the last table that had not been designated for a reservation. The restaurant was certainly busier than the Sunday previously.

We were content to share some wine while we waited for our new friends. But there came a point where we decided we had better something into our tummies as we were certainly feeling the effects of the wine.

We started by sharing Shrimp Vol au Vent which was lovely and rich and so delicious when mopped up with the bread from the basket.

Clams in a garlicky broth were named after Bulhao Pato, a 19th century Portuguese poet. They too were amazing.

When the girls finally did arrive, they quickly caught up to our wine consumption and added grilled chorizo to the tappas selections. There were others but I neglected to get their picture.

D opted for a grilled tuna steak with salsa verde which he enjoyed very much. I can’t for the life of me remember if I ordered my own entrée.

I do know that one of our friends selected the house specialty -Shrimp Atascado. All dishes were piping hot and perfectly prepared.

They were oohhss and aahhss when we all tasted the brownie with chocolate ice cream. We also imbibed in our first tastes of Port along with a treat from the server -fire water with honey. The combination of all of the above, made me very happy that we were walking home.

Kath’s quote: “The great thing about new friends is that they bring new energy to your soul”.–Shanna Rodriguez

Love never fails.

 

 

 

 

 

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