You can feel the change of season in the Algarve, somewhat due to a change in the weather and the change in tourist traffic. July and August saw a huge influx of visitors from almost every corner of the world. Now that summer has passed and schools are back in session, the visitor demographic has changed overnight. Like the flipping of a switch, gone are the large European families, college students on summer break, and wedding parties. Now we see mostly couples without children, and retirees here to enjoy the weather, golf, food, and attractions of the Algarve. Even though there are still a lot of visitors here it feels more manageable and less chaotic.
With the beginning of Autumn, we say goodbye to the hot days of summer (August, globally, was the hottest since records began in 1931, and in Portugal, August this year was the 10th hottest on record). We are now enjoying mild warm days in the mid-70s cooler nights falling below 60 and a few days of rain. More of our kind of weather, although we do enjoy the warm summers too. It's nice to feel the cooler nights, see the pomegranates ripening in trees all over our communities, and the vineyard vines changing colors to red, brown, and yellows.
In the garden, The last of the cherry tomatoes are harvested, the second planting of tomatoes are ready and the fall fruits are taking over. Pears, Grapes, Pomegranates, Persimmons, and Mary's Chilis are in abundance.
Dinner out with expat friends celebrating Gloria's Birthday
We had our first minor mishap with the boat this month. Motoring east out of Portimao on a calm sunny day we were admiring the caves, cliffs, and clear waters when we ran across the top of a submerged rock outcropping. Fortunately, we were cruising under 10 knots but scraped the entire length of the point of the V on the hull, narrowly missing the prop and motor housing. Not knowing the extent of the damage we motored back to the harbor and contacted a diver to check out the hull. The scrapes penetrated the anti-fouling and in some cases deep into the gel coat but didn't appear to punch all the way through. Out of an abundance of caution we had the boat hauled out of the water and into the dry dock for repairs. 14 days later we're back in the water and ready for more adventures.
Our wine groups usually take the summer off because many members are traveling. AWS starts up again in September at Quinta Baradus, a beautiful restaurant/winery set adjacent to the vineyard where the outside patio makes a great place for lunch and socializing on a warm September day. We met new members Kris & Jeff who are from Paso Robles and have moved to Tavira on the eastern end of the Algarve, we agreed to meet for Brunch in Portimao later this month. We also met long-term members Jean and Patricia, Patricia is Irish with a heavy accent, and Jean is French, they invited us to their home in Lagos for dinner later this month.
Wine Mine, the other wine group that we have joined started up again with a lunch instead of the usual dinner tasting at Veneza, restaurants, and wine shop. We were sat at a table of fellow travelers who are attending a trip to the Dão region of Portugal in May of next year @ Quinta Madre de Água
Beach walks have gone from crowded to nearly empty but the beauty of the scenery doesn't change.
Similar to what we were seeing along the California coast, King tides happen here too with this month's tides proving to be tough on the waterfront villages. Most areas see light flooding from the rising seawater, and thankfully no storms or storm surges for this one.
Oktoberfest is celebrated in a big way in the neighboring village of Porches. There is a large Biergarten facility that hosts two weeks of food, entertainment, and of course beer. We had a group of 14 expat friends join in on the festivities with us.
Dinner out with friends at one of our favorite places. Luar de Foia is located in the foothills above us in the village of Monchique. Fantastic views down to the coast provide a nice setting and the food is always good too. The traditional Algarve tomato salad with ripe tomatoes onions, and oregano marinated in Portuguese olive oil and vinegar. Gloria had the Black Pork cheeks stewed with chestnuts, Mary and Larby had the large tiger prawns which are always a nice treat and I had the Black Pork Leg with Monchique potatoes.
We were invited by our Portuguese neighbor to attend her granddaughter's 18th birthday. We accepted the invitation gratefully but were a bit nervous not knowing the cultural norms and expectations. We were the only non-Portuguese attendees but were welcome to the family event with open arms. There were a few guests who spoke English and were always looking out for us, translating conversations and activities so we could participate. The venue was beautiful perched on a cliff above the ocean near Portimao and the people, the food, and the festivities were really fun. Boy do the Portuguese know how to throw a party!
Were off to Tuscany in early October meeting friends from the US, staying in Agriturismo's out in the Tuscan countryside.
Barney and Sonny continue to live the dream. A new toy is always welcome although its lure is somewhat short-lived due to short attention spans. They are both kings of leisure finding a comfortable spot to lounge around seems to be their favorite hobby.
As always we hope everyone is doing well, healthy, happy, and thriving. We miss you and love you all...A lot!
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