Portugal Here We Come!

We are off to Portugal and we have an extraordinary car! This might not have been a car we would of chosen but it brings a smile to us every time we see it. When Daniel (of Miguel’s Car Rental Agency) heard we needed the car for a month, he chose this one. “Ah,” he said, “you will need a new car to take care of you and take you where you want to go.” With great pride he hurried us to the back of the lot and handed us the keys to a brand new Neon Green (and I mean glow –in- the –dark- neon- green) Chevy Spark. It took our breath away! In about two seconds we both came to the same conclusion. We could find this car anywhere! Not pewter gray like the Alfa Romero we had last year-why that car looked like every other car on the road. But a neon green car, now that was something else! If we ever forgot where we parked it we could ask anyone and they would all know which one we are talking about! It is awesome. It only has an eight gallon tank but we go quite far on those eight gallons!

We did get our reservations for the Portuguese Military Base. There are a few bases in Portugal that have reciprocating privileges and this is one of them. So we are heading off to stay on the costal town of Lagos.

Lagos is in Southern Portugal and on the Atlantic coast. It is a small town that takes great pride in its heritage. Statues of all the great navigators adorn the walkways along the waters edge and throughout the town.

The Military base is a historical monument. The original fortress was built in 1430 and the retaining wall around the base remains to this day. Our quarters were built between 1814 and 1919 and are reminiscent of that era. Often times as we look out onto the courtyard we feel as if we were back in the days of the early explorers. Our rooms are simple but very charming.

We are greeted with a light breeze and the smell of the sea. There is something about that combination that evokes such a feeling of peace within us. We stand on the retaining wall that overlooks the sea and just breath it all in. The seagulls fly overhead and make a sound as if they are laughing at us, welcoming us, and hope that we too will be happy here. We are pleased with this welcome. Our courtyard is beautiful with a rock fountain and rosemary and lemon trees surrounding it. The aroma is so distinct that I will always think of Portugal when I recall that scent.

This will be our base for the next week or so. We will meander up and down the coastline until we move on. People are very kind to us and we fell very welcomed. We are thankful for a time and place such as this.