The next day we went to Praia de Luz in the Algarve. We left the kids in the tent while we went to the restaurant - joking!!! It was actually where Mick used to work in a restaurant. It was my idea of hell on earth. The John Bull Pub serving roast Sunday lunch and Sky TV on the big screen. A wedding where all the guest were over 16 stone and wearing cerise. A beach front absolutely full of sun-loungers and umbrellas so you can't sit down for free. I had accidentally left my swimming costume in the rucksack which was locked in the trailer so whilst everyone else swam, I stood there up to my knees feeling so completely alien although surrounded by my own kind. We tried to find Mick's old restaurant but things had changed so much he wasn't even sure if he had the right street.
Needless to say we didn't stay there long. We went to Boca de rio just up the coast which Mick remember as where the old convoy type travellers used to go. I was a little sceptical (no, Jenny sceptical, that can't be). We were just in time, the place was unchanged except now most of the 'travellers' now travelled in posh motorhomes. But just on the cliff above a huge JCB was carving out a new road to connect it to the hell on the other side of the bay.
Even the mullet in the waves were still there as Mick remembered. Teo kept finding dead ones which he used for bait to fish in the river. He sat for hours, very patient and wasn't at all concerned that he never caught anything. Mimi just digs. Where ever we are she find some sand and sieves it into her bucket, adds water and makes castles.
The picture is me beating my washing on a stone in the river beside the beach. Not too bad so far (remind me I said that in a few months).
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