Birthday in Portugal



HI!
For my birthday I was treated mahusively to a 5 day vaycay to Portugal, and it was so so needed. I haven't been abroad for a good 5 years, and I'd forgotten there was a temperature over 12°. So sit back, and let me prove to you that the sun does indeed, still exist.


Day before going, and my sister had bought me a tripod! You can see the relief in Jonny's face, no more Sunday hours dedicated to trying to capture my elusive good side. 

So Day 1 involved getting up at 2.30am (ouch), frantic getting everything together, then airport! It was so strange to be in an airport bar at 4am, and instead of a double rum and coke, I'm ordering WAFFLES. I had downloaded 5 books on to my kindle (liiil bit too optimistic) and promptly disregarded them and bought a book, The Enchanted April. Then on to the plane, and off we pop! I slept a bit, read a bit and we arrived around 10am.

AND IT WAS HOT.

We got into a taxi driven by a Patrick Swayze look-alike who communicated through his playlist that he was cool (I think they love Rolling Stones over there, I head Satisfaction about 10 times). Then we got to the hotel, and it was beautiful. Unpack, then beach!...BEACH. THE THING I HAVEN'T SEEN FOR SO LONG. It had the sea and everything. 

Oh and it was also my birthday this day, I forgot on the day as well in the excitement of HOLIDAY!



There is nothing quite like being in England when you wake up, then being in sunny and warm Portugal by midday. ordering pizza and cocktails by the beach, and then opening some birthday cards. Bliss.


I ordered a pina colada, and when she brought it out I thought she'd jazzed it up for me because she had seen my birthday cards. Sparkler and everything. But no, that's just how they do pina coladas out there, and I'm good with that!








Then we returned to our room, and there was a new addition to our minibar (Jonny did hourly inventories). They must have seen it was my birthday when checking us in and popped this in our room. TREATED!




Then out for a birthday meal, to an Italian feat. Carbonara.  The guy who talked us in was wearing a coat and GLOVES. Because it's February it did get more chilly in the evening, but not GLOVES cold.


Then Day 2, a walk to the center of Albufeira and then a walk back on the beach!


The exact moment it hit Jonny just how annoying I am











Escalator down to the beach, I can go with that!










Dat sun-in-the-eyes look






Mahusive succulent anyone?






I love the colours in this one, it's gotta bit of purp purp!





Day 3 is a chin-chilling beach day, YAY. It was so good, after my weeks (months, years, eternity) of complaining that I had no time to relax and read, to just sit on the beach in the sun with a really good unique book. BLISS x 10.









Oh god, the pizzas were heaven, All the cheese and olives.



AND THIS. We got back to the pool, fancied a little dessert, just told the man at the bar and 10 minutes later we were tucking in on some profiteroles and apple tartin, by the pool, whilst it's warm,
reading my book. AND IT WAS 3 EUROS! So muthafoofin good.



Day 4 and the melancholy starts to set in that it's the last full day when all you want to do is set up camp for the next few months there. The sun got just a little bit more precious. We walked to another beach, saw lots of pretty flowers and had a look round a few shops, in which the only way I could convince Jonny not to buy a musket, was because it'll put his luggage weight over the limit.
























Day 5 was the last day! Packed, did a little shopping then returned for THE BEST SUSHI EVER. It was 11.90 euros for all you can eat. That's right, all you can eat on sushi. SUSHI. And they were so cute, they had a little note on the menu saying food is precious and only order what you can eat. I think we had three rounds of three different kinds of sushi, and it was all so delicious. I think we broke their heart when we said no to dessert (dessert would have been included in the all you can eat, for just 11 euros, WHAT) because we had to go and get our stuff together. Oh god my mouth is just watering thinking about it now. Please, please, please if you ever visit Albufeira, check out Sushi Hut.






Then we finally polished off the free fizz by the pool, read a bit, then into the taxi to the airport! It seemed to take much longer than getting here, and when we eventually got home at 11.30, it was make-up off and straight to bed.

And that's it! And now I want to do it again and again and again. Can't wait to pay off my student loan (what's that bank? I promise I don't have one that I should have paid back ages ago) and book some more hols!