Weekend Weather Warning!!

Rain has been in the forecast for a few days but once again, despite desperately needing it, we don’t get much of it. It rained yesterday morning for an hour or so then cleared up and today, not a drop until about 10 minutes ago it started to drizzle a little. I’m thinking it’s time to start doing my naked Canadian man dance by the pool to see what I can conjure up!!!

Last evening we enjoyed a marvelous visit/dinner/card game at (and with) Pat and Gary. It’s never ending fun, especially the two lively games of Oh Shit! and while there Pat took me out for a walk to show me an area where she and Gary had found orchids. Turns out that there are hundred of them in a large field right beside where they found them. I was in my glory.

Also, as we stood admiring all these gorgeous orchids I looked up and was immediately captivated by the depth of colour and beauty all around us. I thought it worthy of a photo.

Olhão Market was our destination today, a first visit for James and Laurie since their last time in Portugal. This market holds fond memories for all of us for different reasons and today was great in that we, all of us, got to make new memories all over again.

Our habit this year has been to arrive, park, purchase our bread from our favourite bakery en route to the vendor’s market. Today, because of a detour, we enjoyed a walk through an area I hadn’t been in awhile. I’d forgotten how lovely Olhão is and this tease makes me want to return, park the car and wander for a few hours.

Once we arrive at the market building, I have taken the role of staking out a table for us and then I sit back to enjoy my first bica while the others shop…….notice how I manage to get away from any responsibility for shopping?? Once the others finish shopping, or need a break from it, they join me, enjoy a coffee then head back to finish the shopping. And just a moment it suddenly hit me……..I end up paying the bill!! Not sure I’ve been so smart after all!!

My view today as I sat watching and waiting for the others.

We had bumped in Michel and Louise while shopping and had a lovely catch up chat. Later we bumped into them again in the restaurant we had chosen for lunch. A small world it truly is! I offered to take our purchases to the car and meet folks at the restaurant and on the way back I wandered into part of the old quarter. Such charm.

We had chosen to eat at the marina, which has never been a bad choice for us and today was no different. As I said, we bumped into Louise and Michel, who arrived minutes after we sat. The waiter wasted no time in putting tables together for us when he realized we knew each other.

And then the food…….

Six adults, lots of food, including tuna spread, bread, olives, marinated carrots, bottle water, beer, half litre of white wine, coffee all around and the total for all €69.00. Six happy campers waddled out of there!

Another great day has slowly evolved into evening. And, since I started this blog, it is officially raining…no naked Canadian man dance necessary!!!!

Two shots today that I stumbled on as these were growing literally on the side of the road and were more or less hidden by a large recycle bin. It’s only because I stopped to look back that I noticed them.