Residencial Alfonso Iii Faro

... I talk briefly with a receptionist in a Best Western hotel. She's actually quite interested to hear my story, and takes my email in case she knows anyone that needs a bit of work done in exchange for room and board. This is the only beacon of hope, in an otherwise very bleak situation. <br><br>I eventually find the Youth Hostel, and thoroughly abuse their complimentary internet service. We'll see what tomorrow holds.

In Albufeira, we went to a Portugese bullfight, not the real deal as in they don't kill the bull, rather they stab them in the back with a bunch of arrows. I thought it was mean, especially the first bull because it was pretty much still a baby and looked scared instead of angry. Jon ...

... to sit with them. <br><br>That's all behind us now (including being last through customs in Faro - but we got plenty of travel advice and tips). The hotel we are calling home in teh Algarve over the next 5 days is called Monte do Casal and it is fabulous! Notwithstanding that they upgraded us to a Suite with our own private terrace with views to the ocean. Will upload some photos of the hotel (where no kids are allowed), but before we do that, some welcomed sleep is needed.

... from staying here, was lovely and quiet in the day time and very busy in the evenings, when lobster-red foreigners wandered the streets looking for dinner in one of the many characterful restaurants. Being careful not to judge the entire Algarve without having visited it, we did notice a standoffishness and a reluctance to communicate using Portanol. Too many Spanish tourists perhaps? In almost every bar, shop and restaurant, people were more keen ...

... discovering a gem of a local restuarant with amazing bbq chicken. 6 euro for dinner!!<br><br>The next day to fill in time before departing we looked at the Chapel of Bones, which was built from the bones of the monks from the local cemetary. Over 1200 skulls. Definite goosebumps eh!

... ferien zusammen mit christophs frau mischa, deren 1jährigem Ivan und dessen Grossmutter Dana.<br>Ist fast ein bisschen ein Kulturschock von den Hostals in Tarifa mit den travellers nun hier zu sein und die Gäste zu sehen,welche bei sonnenschein drinnen tv gucken oder im internet surfen, am flipper spielen oder im hallenbad (also indoor) schwimmen :-) <br><br><br><br> dabei hat es enorm schöne strände ...

... the south coast, holiday ghost towns continued with no luck and we eventually reached Faro, where the brightly decorated town was busy with shoppers. We found a hotel just off the centre and stopped, a lot later (and in another country) than we planned. I think I would have liked to stay in Spain a little longer but if you gotta go............... Supper was at a small, local café near the hotel. Distance driven 327 kms 203 miles

... Algarve is one of the most breathtaking places we have been. Something the English are well aware of. We have been doing this for four months now and we still can't believe how much we are experiencing. This is fabulous. We have one more country to wrap our heads around before we retreat to the Swiss Alps for the winter to circle the wagons and fully immerse ourselves in another culture. Bring it on Spain!

... in the shdowd of the end of the hallway and fell fast asleep...for a few hours, by seven the teens had begun their obstreperous mating ritual which, unfortunately for me, involved the terrace. So I was forced to take refuge in my original quarters. I dozed on and off between snorts with all my belonging pile on my head until 8:30 gratis breakfast. (two rolls, one slice of cheese, one slice of ham, coffee, butter, marmalade, yogert and Cornflakes in HOT milk....it was ...

Unfortunatley the weather is not going our way. Although, we were going to spend the night we decided to push on through although to vila real de san antonio, which is on the spanish border. We still had a few hour lay over, which was all that me and doyle needed to fully explore this city. We found the coast, picked some oranges, climbed to the top of a cathedral, and saw the bone chapel. We got back on a train and pressed eastward.