Weekends and Weather

If there is one thing I can say about our weather this last six months it’s in a single work…..unpredictable!   I think I’ve been tanned and faded three times now!!  This past couple of days has been cloudy…….just have a look at this photo taken yesterday morning as we headed off for a day of adventure.

That’s Faro off in the distance and we thought we were safe as we were headed into the mountains towards Loulé…HA!!!  Started to pour rain just as we parked the car to walk to the market.  Good thing none of us are worried about melting……..and at least it’s warm.

The market was a madhouse, probably because everybody was trying to get inside out of the downpours but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless.

The morning dew still on the jasmine as we headed towards the car.

Marc coming up through the walkway at our quinta.

I thought this was amusing….two new statues in the market…..this one, male, surrounded by men…see next photo.

This one female, surrounded by a group of females!!

I don’t know if you can see the rain outside but it was torrential from time to time.

This woman is yelling at me for taking her photo!!! I apologized but she was having no part of it. She stalked me for about 10 minutes grumbling and shaking her fist at me.

The rain breaks and we head for the pedestrian street to help Laurie find a few souvenirs to take home.

Marc, patiently waiting for Laurie and I in a store.

Me, patiently waiting for Laurie in yet another store….LOL. We have been teasing her as normally she is not a shopper.

You can see the sky is darkening again as we head back to the car. Happily we did not get soaked.

Because  Loulé was totally congested, we could not get a table in our usual restaurant and as a plan B, headed towards São Romão and Cafe Correia.  We had eaten there with Pat and Gary and loved the food and as luck should have it, today they had the rabbit dish that I loved so much from last time…..only one serving left and Marc was kind enough to let me have it.

My rabbit…..so much I simply could not finish it…not even close. Loads and loads of roasted garlic cloves.

We shared this enormous platter of probably the best french fries I’ve had while in Portugal.

Both Marc and Laurie ordered the grilled turkey with onions and loads of garlic. This is one serving………Laurie could not finish hers at all.

Our dinner companion……thee female cousin IT!!!!! This evolved from a joke about bad hair.

Turned out to be a wonderful day and was capped with a lovely fire in our woodstove, great music and of course, company.  Life here is pretty darn nice for us.

Sunday morning was the gypsy market here in Estoi and Laurie’s first big market since arriving, she was a happy woman and managed to drop just a little money before the morning was out.

This little bar is just down the street from us and on the edge of a lovely square. It’s always occupied and has such a lovely neighbourhood feel to it.

They had to wait for me as I had forgotten my camera. Looks like a pretty serious conversation.

An abundance of colour to greet us just inside the market grounds.

The happy shoppers.

Laurie choosing some Portuguese knives with Marc’s guidance.

I can’t tell you how many people think we are brother and sister!!

No says Laurie, I don’t “touch” things!!!

Negotiating

Marco buying two large bags of tomatoes, about 15 in each bag and 1 euro per bag!! You should smell our kitchen right now as they slow roast.

And yet more colour.

I think we wandered and browsed for about two hours then headed home to drop our things off then back to Ana’s for lunch with Bonnie, Ken and Gwen.

Poppies along the route. They are starting to show up all over the place.

Marco, Ana and myself. We love her!!

Gwen and Laurie enjoying the after meal coffee.

Bonnie and Ken…..both they and Laurie will be heading back to Canada next Sunday……gosh, where does the time go.

The forecasted rain did not show up, for which I am grateful.  We decided to take a quick jaunt to Olhão and pick up a few things at the grocery store, which we did.  On the way back I stopped to take a couple of photos of a lovely old abandoned house both Marc and I are enamored with.  I did take a shot of the front last year but having found a tiny back road I had noticed that the back was equally as lovely.

Such a beautiful old house. The property is a state of decay and overgrowth and it amazes me the statue is still sitting outside.

I can only imagine this in its heyday. I think it’s quite beautiful.

A close-up of the statue. I think he would look quite fetching in my garden!!!

And another day starts to come to dusk………..Laurie and Gwen have just left for a night of debauchery (kidding)….live music in Silves.  Marc and I are about to pop the cork on a bottle of vino and he is making us a pan of mac and cheese with various Portuguese cheeses………I just might put on my jammies and really be slug like……..and comfortable.  Why not?