it has been a few days since the last update but we have hardly had internet access. The last days we spent wild camping on a paradise-like spot at the deserted western part of the Algarve. Parked between rodondendrons and directly above a white sandy beach with cristal clear water, we spent our days with the girls playing on the beach, walking along the high and scenic rocky coast and bbq-ing.
Sofar, Portugal is very relaxed, clean and quiet. We are not being looked at anymore but I do miss the ability to have a chat with the locals since I don't speak the language like in Spain or Morocco. Sophie started her visit to Europe by exchanging her Morrocan kaftan for her Spanish Flamenco dress but sometimes she seems to miss the amount of attention she got in Morocco. But there will be a lot to explore in Portugal.
We spent our first night just across the border in the fortified town of Castro de Marim, where we came across two new large roundabouts without any side exits...
Next morning we visited the laid back town of Tavira and because Indian Goa used to be a Portuguese colony there were Indian restaurants everywhere. Hurrah!
In the coastal village Fuzeta we spent two nights. We found a nice parking place in the harbour near the beach and when woke up in the morning, the weekly market was build up here.
Via Quarteira, where we actually spent an afternoon on the beach, we passed on to Silves to visit the castle, which had great views over the surrounding countryside, and we walked through the towns winding sleepy backstreets on a hillside.
The next day in Lagos we chartered a small boat for the four of us to visit the grottos beneath the Ponta da Piedade, a dramatic wedge of headland with worn out colored sandstone cliffs and towers created by nature.
At the moment we are in Sagres, the most southwest point of Europe. The kids play in a inflatable swimming pool, Dorrit is doing some washing and the dogs lie under the car to escape from the sun.
Since a few days, Marlies seriously starts crawling, so we have to look for more beach in order to expand her territory. Sophie agreed to this. Dorrit and myself don't have anything against it either...