I can’t believe we’ve been here 2 weeks already. In some ways, it feels like we only just arrived but, in other ways, it feels like we’ve been here forever already!
The apartment is starting to look like home. All our boxes are unpacked and anything we’re not using, from the apartment furnishings and equipment, has been stored away in our generously-sized storage room downstairs (which we have in addition to the generous garage parking space!)
The hire car has gone back today and we are now using our own car (as I type, Nik is downstairs doing ‘stuff’ to it!)
That’s quite a milestone for us. We’re now living here. No hire. No holidays. Well, apart from the boys being off school, of course!
Our car is a 1997 Renault Megane. Certainly not something we’d choose back in the UK but it fell within our budget. It’s clean, runs well and is almost immaculate. Something which can’t be said of most 1997 cars in the UK either! It met all our requirements for size and features so will do us until such time as we sell our car in the UK and have some money to ‘upgrade’ with.
While I’m posting ‘garage’ pics, here’s one of the other half of our area (in front of the car) which houses the camping trailer, pushbikes and motorbike (shot also includes our neighbours Honda Hornet!)
We’ve decided that the best time to visit the beaches, in this hot weather, is early evening til dusk. A couple of times now, we’ve gone down to the beach around 6.30pm and spent a few hours there. Most people are leaving at this time, for dinner, so the beach starts to empty out and the sky and skyline looks amazing as the sun sets.
There are some amazing photo opportunities here. I think it’ll feel like a long holiday for us until the boys go to school. There’s so much holiday ‘stuff’ going on round here that it’s just one big holiday destination (which is FAB because we get to be right in it but our apartment is on the edge of it so we don’t suffer tourist ‘noise!)
One more bit of news, we have visitors coming next Monday! This is great for us (and we’re very excited!) because we are really looking forwards to having people to share our place with. Anyone who has moved abroad will know what I mean!!
We visited Algarve Shopping the other day and, on the way back, took the N125 home rather than the A22 so we could scour the route for DIY stores to visit (we were hunting for a computer/study desk for Jake’s room!)
On this route home, we came to Pera where there is a Sand Sculpture Exhibition. We spent a good few hours walking round there and the boys were fascinated by the sand art. It was impressive stuff and the photos really don’t do them justice but I’ll post a few anyway. We hadn’t taken a camera with us so we only had the iphone to take photos with!
It was a great way to spend a late afternoon (and we did find somewhere to buy Jake’s desk!)
Every day we love it here more. Long may that continue
(a couple more pics, just for fun)
Leave a comment