Dom Jose Ii Alvor

... have proved very difficult, hence we decided to move on. We continued to hug the coastline checking out the waves as we went. Nothing tempted us to jump in (the weather being poor also), however the coastline proved absolutely stunning between Odeceixe and our next destination Lagos. We were continually overwhelmed by the rugged beauty of the coastline coupled with the power of the ocean; we have some wonderful images which we will add to this blog ...

... Imposing cliffs drop into the sea, and it has an "end of the world" feel to it. I forgot my camera, so you should just google some photos.<br><br>I returned to the hostel to check my emails. Good news for a change! I have a host in Seville through couch surfing, and a host in Badajoz willing to take me on for a couple weeks of olive picking. Life is good. I joined Kirsten for a celebratory beer, and a wander through the streets of Lagos.

... a pile of flour, salt and yeast. <br>I don't doubt her at all.<br><br>She stirs it for a bit with the back of a spoon, until it begins to form a stodgy dough. She works it briefly until it barely comes together, then puts it in a bowl to rise. It hasn't been kneaded at all, and is thick with way too much flour. It looks horrible. I now understand why the bread is always so crumbly, and no one wants to cut it.<br><br>She gives me directions to finish the bread<br>"once it has ...

Aside from meal prep, I spend the day organizing (discarding) fresh produce. There's basically nothing to make a meal with, and we're not getting a resupply until tomorrow. We've pulled some nice Hake steaks from the freezer, which is an exciting start. I explore the property for inspiration. There are several varieties of wild herbs, and some forgotten tomatoes. I ...

... the kingdom of Dom Manuel I, the headland already had a beacon kept lit all night by the Capuchin friars. With a range of 95 kilometers, the present-day lighthouse is one of the most powerful in Europe. From the fortress of Sagres a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean is unforgettable.<br><br>Night show at Hotel Algarve Casino was spectacular. The dancers and the light show were truly unforgettable.<br><br><br>

... Our hosts were away for the weekend, so it was just us running the place. That's right, a guesthouse run completely by volunteers. It strikes me as odd.<br><br>I walked into the kitchen to get an idea of what was available. The plan is that I'll be spending a lot of time in the kitchen during my stay. The kitchen was large, and open, with a commercial feel to it with several gas burners, 2 gas ovens and steel counter tops. It had a sink at ...

... it was pretty tame until one of the toreadors almost got trampled by one of the bulls, the dude was lucky they dulled the tip of the bulls horns. <br><br><br>http://picasaweb.google.com /Jonny.D.Lawrence/20091016Albufeira?aut hkey=Gv1sRgCImA4oCXitDO5AE&amp;feat=dir ectlink<br>

... there, he was hilarious and exactly like a euro version of an American beach bum. <br>We also went to check out the lagoon, I got out for a couple tacks, the wind was super light and I crashed my kite and it deflated... fun. I had to walk my kite back through shallow water ...

... not "surfers" but we we&#8217;re much less scared of getting tossed by the big waves this time. We also came to the conclusion that it maybe wasn&#8217;t us that, but that it&#8217;s the size of the board that was hindering our performance....<br> <br>http://picasaweb.google.com/Jonny.D .Lawrence/20091011Sagres?authkey=Gv1sRg CMmMtI7egbGKvAE&amp;feat=directlink

... here one day - what a place! If there's anywhere I could settle in coastal Europe this would be it - and I will be pondering just that eventuality! Better wrap this up now but have to thank the wonderful Alexandra la Valletta for taking the time to show me around this paradise she calls home. There is no better way to see a place than with ...