PSP Algarve Ride 2001

Daily Tails - Saturday 6th - In which we arrive in Portugal and go to Paradise.

Up before the alarm went at 5.50a.m. - the increased security required that we were at Stanstead at least an hour earlier than normal, so aaaaargh - pitch dark as got ready to set out on our "summer holiday".

Check E-Mail just before going as I'd publicised the new BMHS Website address via some Morganlists in the USA - glad to see the number of hits rising rapidly!

Finalise packing. I'm not sure about the weights of our bags, nor the daypack - this seems to be very heavy with camera, charger, books, etc etc etc.

More coffee please, then the taxi turns up with John & Alex already on board - pile in and off to pick up Elaine down the road. It seems she is the only one of the family who goes abroad, and naturally her parents are worried - her Dad rings via Mobile as he's out on a courier job and couldn't get back in time to say goodbye!

Seem to take a bit of an odd route but as it's Saturday and very early there is little traffic about, so we arrive not only with the extra security time in hand, but an additional hour or so! Check in. Coffee needed - Garfunkels has queue about ¾ mile long so we pitch into the bar and cause chaos with their serving system - coffee and Danish goes quite well.

So - ho-hum, what to do next. Go through into departure lounge and check out "tax free" shopping zone. Spend £0.00. Did see some nice sunglasses, just right for the ride, aha - reduced to £104.00 - no deal! Own sunglasses cost massive £6.99 - if they're going to get broken then don't use expensive ones! John is nearly up the wall with boredom, hopping from foot to foot nearly, until at last - off we go to the gate along with passengers for Alicante - hope we get on the right plane as they seem to be taking off from the same gate at the same time!

Charge aboard and get settled in. And Wait. And Wait. And Wait - aha! Turns out that there was a missing passenger who had checked in their hold baggage so that had to come out. Just as the missing passenger turned up looking no little sheepish. Wonder if their baggage got reloaded? Who cares! Nice flight enlivened by Charity Jail Break crew raising funds for Essex Air Ambulance - so chip in a bit.

Flight a little bumpy on landing (nit picking I know!) and can't compare landing at Faro with our experiences on Greek islands as Faro is Much, Much bigger, but not too busy as late season. Luggage appears quickly but last as usual, and off we go to find the hire car man. He is surrounded by a crowd - seems that Luzcars are very popular. So wait, and wait, with me standing by an Open Bar and NOT buying a beer! Aargh!!

Off on the Motorway to Lagos with John at the helm, and arrive at Quinta do Paraiso Alto in fairly short order. Wow - if this it's what it's going to be like - lead on MacDuff. (Or should that be Lay on Plum Duff?)

We meet the staff, who all seem to be very nice and quite typical of a good bunch of horsy people. Then we meet some of the horses who all look to be in fine condition, and finally we meet all the dogs quite a few of whom seem to have tangled with locals and come off worst. It seems that Jinny is a sucker for a sad pair of eyes, so I practice a bit, but cant quite manage looking sad as sitting by pool with a beer as Jinny arrives.

Sorted into rooms - wow again, very nice indeed!! Then off for dinner down the road at what can only be described as "off the tourist trail" and real Portugal.

Excellent meal - joined by Jinny's sons, both charming, fair haired & sun-bronzed - swine!. Great chiff-chaff all around the bar, football on the television, world war 111 (by the sound of it) at the next table, and then just as we thought it couldn't get better - the Amusement machine is re-filled and fixed - remember the ones at Blackpool or Southend where you had to manoeuvre the crane to grab a goodie? Well the locals have a slightly different approach. They manoeuvre the machine to get the goodie under where the crane comes down by tipping it this way and that. And get 6 watches out of it. And go outside and sell them so they can get back in for a drink or two. Good business indeed for someone - and the Café owner ignores it!

Back to QPA to finalise the "fixing of the bike" resulting in much oil all over John and I but finally managed to release the saddle from the top part, as John had brought his own.

Shirley's Comment - it looked more like all-in oil wrestling at times - the bike lost this round but managed to get it's own back later!

And so to bed, with Cicadas thrilling outside the window and wondrous night scents coming in through the screens. Like it, like it!