Easter Weekend

   Rather chilly today but the sun was shining so it was quite bearable. I was out early (8:15) today to try to beat the shopping crowds but the second store I hit was quite a zoo. I think it was because yesterday was the Good Friday holiday and tomorrow the stores will be closed as well. But I had everything purchased by 10:30 so am all set for the family arriving tomorrow for lunch.

   Another trip I took in Portugal was to Lisbon and Sintra. The palace at Sintra was the summer spot for the royal family for many years and is quite beautiful. A special treat there is to have a small sip of cherry brandy in a chocolate cup which you eat afterwards. I had two!

    We also stopped off at Capo de Roca which is the most westerly point in Europe and was an extremely cold and windy spot. On the way back to Lisbon we visited another holidaying town, Cascais, where people were swimming in the ocean! It was a shallow beach so I guess the water had warmed up a bit. That night in Lisbon we went out for a meal of Cataplana which is a fish speciality. It had lobster, shrimp (with the heads on), clams and other fishy delights which we shared. Its name derives from the dish in which it is cooked.

The Royal Palace at Sintra. It was used by the royal family until the late 19th century and there are many fascinating anecdotes about its occupants.

The beacon at Capo de Roca, the most westerly point in Europe.

A quaint little shop on the narrow, winding streets of Sintra.



Flowers in bloom in Cascais. This was a warm day in early March.

I am stuffing the chocolate Easter eggs as I wait for the photos to load and have been nibbling shamelessly! Supper will be hard to stomach so I will wait until later (much later). I plan to cook some brussell sprouts with bacon - a favourite treat of mine - to have with fish and quinoa. from yesterday.
 

Albufeira, the Algarve, Portugal

  I mentioned Albufeira in my last post so here are some photos around and about the town. It is a short drive from Faro, the regional capital and local airport. It is quite a small town built on a hill so there is much climbing up and down. It was originally a fishing village and there are still many of the old fisherman's cottages. Many names in the area have "al" in them, denoting the Moorish influence.

The beach is surrounded by these sandstone cliffs. Luckily there is an escalator to return you to the upper town.

 

The narrow streets in the old town are mostly pedestrian and hold many interesting shops and restaurants

 

An interesting formation in the middle of the beach.

 

 

Huge breakers make for excellent surfing but not at this time of year!

Finally Spring!

   A beautiful day today - I managed an hour in the garden, tidying up and then just sitting basking in the sun. It felt so warm on my face, I could almost believe I was back in Portugal! Some Spring flowering bulbs are beginning to push up but it will be some time until they are in flower.



Inside "The Angry Friar"



    One of my favourite tours while based in Albufeira was to Gibralter where I dined in true Brit fashion at the "Angry Friar". I had a sumptuous feast of Steak and Ale Pie with loads of "chips". I also shopped at Marks and Spencers for some traditional English goodies - battered fish and Rhubarb Crumble. Luckily we were heading back to Albufeira that day so I had it for dinner.

   We also visited St. Michael's Caves which has a magnificent display of stalactites and stalagmites. This is where the Barbary Apes hang out but they were in small numbers as the day was wet and windy. The grotto was quite spectacular with colourful displays. Gibralter itself is a quaint little town with windy pedestrian streets which we explored in the afternoon. 
 

This is a cross-section of a very large stalagmite showing the layers that formed over billions of years.





A White Covering

   It hasn't been so cold the last couple of days but we have had snow - and lots of it! I have finally got the driveway cleared - my snowblower was only going in fits and starts, I think I didn't have the battery charged enough. I have left it charging overnight and will give it a go in the morning to see if that's the problem.

   I have started collecting all the paraphernalia I will need for my trip and will start packing tomorrow. The temperature in Portugal is mid-teens so a lot warmer than here. By the time I come home at the end of March it should be positively balmy!

   My fish pie yesterday was yummy and, as predicted, lots of leftovers, so no need to cook tonight.  I managed to squeeze in lots of vegetables and the cheesy (and garlicy) potato topping was delicious! I love one-dish meals, so easy to prepare and clean up. I still have some yogurt to eat up so that will be dessert along with some fruit. All the rest of the perishables will go with Judy on Tuesday when she comes to take me to the airport. I am getting quite excited!