I didn’t write this yesterday as I came down with a nasty cold in the afternoon so I rested back at the apartment. We did have a very pleasant morning so all was not lost.
We like to find different ways to get to the old town and yesterday was no exception. This is a very secure complex with a gate to get into the grounds. Yesterday we came down to the closest gate to find that somebody’s key was stuck in the lock and we couldn’t shift it. We used a different gate and found yet another way downtown. We went through some very narrow streets and found a tiny shell and stone covered bar that was once a church.
We walked along the sea walk. It was much warmer than on previous days so there were a few more people on the beach. We noticed that more shops, restaurants, and hotels had opened up. The first of March seems to be the unofficial beginning of the tourist season. It was also Saint David’s day, and the night before we had seen a few revellers sporting tall hats with the red Welsh dragon on them and inflatable daffodils.
We stopped for coffee and then went to catch the little train which drives tourists in a circle around other parts of the town, including the Strip. This is the part where the Europeans come to drink themselves silly in July and August, for the most part. It is several blocks long and is mainly restaurants and bars. Here you can sing your heart out to Karaoke or get a tattoo if that floats your boat. We were glad that we are staying in the quieter part of town. I am sure that the Strip is where we would have stayed in the sixties. The train was good value in that, as seniors, we paid four Euros for a ticket that lasted all day and you can get on and off whenever and wherever you like. The round trip takes about 40 minutes.
We stopped for a drink and a late lunch. Brian sampled a traditional Portuguese beef dish. It was steak covered in ham and a fried egg with gravy and sliced fried potatoes around the perimeter of the plate. He didn’t check the price on the menu before ordering it and it came out as a whopping 24 Euros. Ouch! Lesson learned! On the whole, prices in restaurants, especially seafood, is much cheaper than in Canada.
By the time that we had finished lunch, the sore throat which had started the night before turned into a head cold so we took a cab back to the apartment for the rest of the day.
hubertsineuropespring2020 