Monday 12th April - A campsite

The start of another week and a fresh supply of money. We head to the supermarket before finding a cash machine and so pay by card. We top up with food for several days - at least four. We spend only 34 euro but as we have campsite fees and washing to pay for decide that as only multiples of tens are available at the cash machine that I will top up by a further 40 euro. This weeks total is accordingly 105 eoro. Campsite fees and washing / drying machines put paid to a further 22 euro. A wine box from the campsite mini market further reduces this weeks remaining budget to 42 euros. That said with a third of last nights curry remaining which with a couple of potatoes will make another dinner and the one left from last week we have plenty of food and drink for several days to come.

We are amazed on the drive down to the campsite which is near Amarcao de Pera at how green Portugal is and wonder if this is as a result of the rainy winter or whether this is normal. It is very pretty and the traditional houses very attractive. We did not really know what to expect as our collective previous experience is many years ago for 'him' and more recently a day trip for us during our road trip honeymoon.

We find the campsite and get booked in.

What an investment the spend turns out to be - we meet our new friends Lorna and Steve and are able to christen our barbecue. One of those 'must have' buys but still boxed from the day it was bought a little over a year ago!  We share a meal of grilled meats and salad and a few glasses of wine in our little home, all managing to squeeze round the table dinner party style, minus of course candles, flowers and napkins. Well I figure candles might be dangerous; a vase would fall in transit and folded squares of kitchen towel were much more accessible that the napkins!. We really enjoyed the evening sharing travels stories, life stories and in some cases the usual techy stuff. We have also washed two weeks of laundry and are now refreshed and set up for the remainder of our stay however long it lasts.

After a little bit of planning I am informed that we can spend a week travelling towards the point of the Algarve, a week travelling back for another few days in Altura and then a week getting back home. We are now roughly in the middle of April so I am not sure how we will fit that many days into this short month. The look of disappointment when I pointed this out! What a good job that he normally (always) does the toilet and I normally (almost always) do the planning.

We spend the day watching the washing dry, leaving late afternoon for a short trip to a cliff top stop which proves to be, as promised, stunning and includes a beautiful little whitewashed chapel right on the point which has been there centuries. The weather however turns to heavy rain which makes it very exposed so we head on to Silves for a pretty wet and wild night. From the aire at Altura, Jeff and Ilda are already here and Margot arrives mid-morning. 'Robert' is also here still chasing his infuriating back legs! We had been told about Robert by others who had stopped by Silves - particularly cute and quite healthy looking this little dog is ripe for adoption by any suckers who can't bear to see his hound dog expression whilst enduring the current heavy rain - not us of course we're tough!

Now the torrents have ceased we will have a look at Silves and let you know what we think later.