First stop picking up the car at the airport. This could have been a disaster. We ended up being really lucky. The Avis counter had 2 people servers and 2 people at the counter. The guys were getting a little antsy, renting cars takes for EVER. I popped into the airport to grab us some coffees. Off I go and the first tunnel I come to is the actual rental car area. There are at least 30 people at every counter. Oh my goodness, people were looking very angry. I whipped through, grabbed the coffee and appeared back at the guys with a big smile on my face and told them how lucky they were.
We crossed the amazing Vasco da Gama bridge which from the side looks like a sailing ship (no stops for pics :( ) The highway is amazing, no one on it and the speed limit is around 140. 2.5 hours later and our first stop is at a beautiful supermarket called Apolino for supplies (yes a few bottles of wine were bought) and the boys new favourite rum called Plantation.
After a few wrong turns, round abouts are handy for retracing your steps we made it to Vilar do Golf. The facilities are amazing, a lovely little 2 bedroom villa with a full kitchen, dining room, living room and a lovely patio. Where our neighbourhood cats are waiting to great us. Cheddar was the first to join us, the only thing we had to feed him was vintage cheddar cheese, hence his name. Whisky appeared next, black as night with green eyes and very petite. Then a beautiful Siamese we named mocha. Next day we had to get cat food - lots LOL. We were all loving it, a little piece of home so far away.
Unpack, check out the facilities and dinner at Bobby Jones the golf restaurant on the facility. Lovely facility and staff but the food was a wee bit over cooked, but for a travel day we all wolved it down. Back at the room, we turned the heat on full blast, it was a wee bit cool our first night and we were still recovering travellers :).
Day 2 off for a morning walk along the beach before we headed to Faro
Our day started with a lovely breakky on our patio. It is so nice to sit outside. Then we were off for a walk along the beach before we headed to Faro. Before the beach is a large area of salt flats and tidal pools with lots of birds and clamers getting their catch for the day.
Did I mention that we seemed to be staying in the golf capital of the Algarve. When you googled golf courses in our area there were so many little flags you couldn't count them. And we didn't have a golf club between the 4 of us. There was a lovely boardwalk along the salt marsh. If you were lucky you might find a golf ball. Or should I say if you are a golfer you might be lucky and find your ball. We did see one guy on a bike pick up a ball sitting on the path and ride off with it. LOL
The beaches were just starting to get ready for their busy summer season (highs of 45C in the summer) with wall to wall people. The little wicker cones beside the fish are actually umbrellas for the beach chairs.
It was a great way to get our legs warmed up as we were heading to Faro, about 35 minutes from where we were staying, also the home to the regions international airport with trips to everywhere around Europe.
You are probably wondering where are the cliffs. Don't worry they are coming, from Villamoura to Faro it is beach and from Vilamoura to Lagos it is cliffs and beaches.
Tip: If the waiter brings a breadbasket be prepared to pay for it and that price might be /person. We had one breadbasket that cost us 12 euros. Also keep in mind a bread basket there is a meal, there is bread, olives, sardine pate, sometimes tuna. Our neighbourhood cats loved all the little tubs of sardine pate we brought home for them. :)
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