Managed to nip off this week to sort-of-sunny Portgual with Liz T – a much needed break for her and a few nice days away for me too.
Stayed at the Tivoli Marina Vilamoura hotel – a resort hotel not exactly being my usual haunt, but actually it was a very good one. (Despite it being Easter holidays – schoolgirl error! – and therefore needing to screen out the screaming of various over-excited sprogs on the plane, around the pool and down our corridor.. Thank god I packed the earplugs.)
Bit drizzly on arrival and for day 2, so popped to the supermarket to get various gift-y bits and bobs and by Wednesday it was sunny and time to hit the sunbeds. Also had the Beach Club just beyond the hotel, only marred by my not-so-favourite duff-duff-duff musical soundtrack that got louder by the hour. Come 3pm we had to retreat back to the pool, chased by the somewhat chilly wind picking up.. Made us laugh as pretty much everyone there was about our age and looking equally resigned to the enthusiastic DJ's musical offerings..
And Vilamoura Marina was a pretty little spot with good restaurants, bars and even the 19th Hole pub, where we had an arrival drink on Day 1, before it filled up with sunburned golfers on the lash.
Easy to get to from Faro airport, 25 mins, and even having to still wear masks when in restaurants and shops didn't detract from a good few days away, some excellent cocktails, too much steak, a cheeky pilates lesson, the first pina colada of the year, several beach walks, a cheeky bit of octopus and other seafood, waaaaay too much of the hotel breakfast and a great chance to catch up x