We took advantage of the holiday weekend last weekend by taking a short trip to Portugal (specifically, the Algarve, or southern coast) for the holiday weekend. Our trip started at the
Four Seasons in Vilamoura. This was a wonderful choice for our family because it was a complete getaway with all the amenities our kiddos (and us) enjoy. Specifically, we had a large apartment so that the girls could have their own room and lots of space to run around, several pools to choose from, and a spa and restaurant on the grounds. Plus, the town had a little train that stopped by the hotel to take visitors into the downtown marina.
We spent a lot of time by the pools!
Our favorite pool was the 2-foot toddler pool that allowed Ruby to swim without her floaties on.
The train to downtown: Ruby loved it!
A view of the Marina in Villamoura, Portugal.
After a couple of days in Villamoura, we met up with some friends to explore some of the Algarve. Our first stop was
Fiesa, the International Sand Festival in Pera, Portugal. We had visited a similar display back in Washington several years ago, so it was interesting to compare the two. The one in Washington was held in a parking lot, this one was in the middle of some rolling hills. One thing that made this one different is that it was one whole unit of sand. Each display worked into the next one, whereas the sand sculptures in Washington were each separate (I think that festival may have been a competition; this one is just for fun). Like the Washington display, this had signs that described the scenes and also named the artists. The theme of this year's Fiesa was "music" so all the sculptures had that in common.
This is a Portuguese singer. Of course, I forget her name, but I do remember that she became famous for her ad lib singing when she forgot the words to her songs.
Mozart
Ballet
Broadway
Bono (apparently, I only took photos of things that started with "B")
Ruby with her favorite display: Frozen
Next we headed to Sagres, the southwestern most point in Europe. We ate lunch at a cozy little restaurant and then headed to the Cabo de São Vicente. This stop was breathtaking, since it's atop enormous cliffs and there are no buildings around, except the lighthouse. In the old days, this would be the last stop sailors would see before heading out to the great unknown - or the edge of the world.
It was a little windy. Ha ha!
After all this touring, it was time to settle "home" for the next couple of days. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of the cute little country house we . It was such a cute find! Set amongst farms in the rolling hills of Aljizur, Portugal, the home had lots of space for all the kids to run around. The simple home had white wall, exposed beams, and extra toys, which is always a win for us now. There was an outdoor area to sit, eat, enjoy the scenery and watch the kiddos play. It was the perfect spot to get away from it all.
Making "stone soup" out front.
Our first full day started with a lazy breakfast and then we loaded the kids into the cars to go exploring. We were told there was a nearby beach. It was only about 15 minutes away, but this was not an easy drive. It involved unpaved roads with lots of dips, rocks, and steep inclines. We had to take it super slow. However, the sight at the end of that "road" was well worth it. The beach was more rocky, but still had a beautiful view of Portugal;s coast. We only stayed for a half hour or so, but there were other families who were camping close by.
Our second beach was also secluded but in a different way. We parked at the top of the cliff and then walked down a steep, windy road to get to the actual beach. This beach was gorgeous and not too crowded. We loved it!
Ruby flew a kite (with dad's help)!
We ended up eating lunch close by at a fabulous restaurant (name to come in a later post). It was a perfect beach day with lots of sun and sand. At the end of the day, we headed back to the country house for a smorgasbord of food for dinner and to kick back after another lovely day in Portugal.
