http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Portugal , Algarve en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:08:44 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:08:44 BST It is to hot over here We have left Portugal now and in Spain and yesterday it was hitting 43deg in Saville where we are now so very hot.Well Portugal was pretty much the same heat but no way as bad so was heaps easier for sightseeing. We covered pretty much North to South in the week we had there starting in Porto up the North end. I seemed to be a very old city with all narrow streets and we go http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-303608.html We arrived at Lagos bus station not having a clue where we were. luckily we found ourselves someone who could help and we ended up walking across town to the camp site. Wewell josh put up a tent well done us. it was pretty hot but we had the sea breeze. the tent was smaller than we remembered we chilled out in the park and had an early night ready for one day detox we were in the tent chatt http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-302784.html I'm not sure if that title is real Portugese or not. It's my best guess at the translation of the Portugese beach. I spent my days in Portugal alone or with the Spanish girls who shared my room at the hostel so I didn't actually learn more than a few words of Portugese.But I didn't go there to learn Portugese. I went there to relax on the beach and that's pretty much all I did. Like Martil I http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-299547.html hola againits been awhile but life here seems to have increased its pace ALOT the 3rd week the one right after malaga and gibraltar was quite busy. it seems that i just decided to take full advantage of my vacation time here and that meant giving up some things...since i couldnt give up class or sight seeing or shopping OR hanging out with friends and going out..it seems sleeping was the first http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-291962.html Yeah so much for staying here for three or four days. We've been here for almost three weeks now but after some serious beach serious sun and serious partying it's time to move on. Jay and I were very close to finding jobs here and staying until the middle of July. Eventually though we decided to keep moving see most of what we came here to see and come back next May for jobs.Lagos is a sm http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-290738.html For Halliersquos last weekend in Europe we decided to do a fiveday trip to Lisbon and Lagos Portugal. We took the midnight bus from Sevilla after saying goodbye to Donny and Julia for the last time. As we found our seats a redheaded boy in the back of the bus gave us a knowing nod acknowledging that we were all Americans. Ben as he calls himself Benji as I took to calling him approac http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-277802.html Hi GuysWell I know it's been a while since my last update so i'll try and make this one reasonably informative. In terms of what i've been up to my job is still going really well and Nina and I are enjoying the fine weather. It's so nice being able to spend our days with friends in the Parks or Zoo rather than being stuck inside indoor playgrounds whilst it's pouring with rainMy flat is going r http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Albufeira/blog-273850.html Dear friends of MaddyI decided to publish this after the interest in the McCanns seemed to be freshly in peoples minds. I hope that those of you who are still interested in helping to find madeleine will spread this information...as perhaps it will help to find out who dunnit...Ive had an incredible amount of people reading my articles on the disappearance of Madeleine and it shows me that I must http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-272163.html Hello everyoneGreece was amazing and now I'm in Portugal until FridayThere are 4 of us and we are staying in a resort on the beach. We spend our whole day at the pool and it's so nice to just relax in the sunshineWe didn't know it but this resort caters to Germans so everything is in German and all the workers speak German. It's also almost all old people but some of them are niceYesterday I http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Albufeira/blog-271718.html we went to tavira today to hang out on the beaches. there was no one on any of the beaches they were totally deserted. The common building's in the city were amazingly built like museums or something. like the old buldings in calgary. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Tavira/blog-269477.html Meeting at 11 in Zuffo area all happy to say goodbye to parents from the coach window... At last we started for this adventure far away from Italy for 13 days On the road for MilanMalpensa we laughed and joked we listened to music and we had fun. When we arrived at the airport for someone the anxiety started to grow we waited still a bit of time before doing the checkin and later wal http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Faro/blog-269197.html On Wednesday there was the workshop of the teacher Eccli. Everyone had their own Portuguese partner and they had to taste Italian typical foods. At the same time we were taking photos or note down the expression on their face. After the workshop there was a conversation looking for a new identity with the architect Lago Monte Pedago. From 1200 to 1300 we had to return to school but before we http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Faro/blog-269196.html Hey Everyone So this is sort of my fairwell blog to you all. I am in my last week of classes here in Spain and will leaving in two short weeks. I cant believe how fast everything is going Im looking forward however to my month of traveling and visits. It should be a fantastic time and will have to tell you about it when I get back since I dont have the time to really write in the next month http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-268596.html When in Portugal we explored Lisbon the capital city for a daynight and a small beach town named Lagos for three. Lisbon is very city like although itrsquos definitely not your average city. It has a lot of old Moorish influence which comes from the ancient Arabs and Moroccans. There is a labyrinth of windy roads with no names in the middle of the city. One of the explanations for this com http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-266793.html April 13 2008We left leaving Portimao this morning so it was breakfast and onto the bus for an hour until we arrived in Albufeira an Arabic influenced town. We were given 5 hours here so we headed to the beach. Now since we especially me were a little colored from the day of tanning before we lathered up our sunscreen before laying out. We didnrsquot have much to do so again walks happen http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Albufeira/blog-266762.html April 12 2008We went to the free breakfast and it was delish because there were peaches and pineapple and chocolate muffins Then Julie Katie and I headed to the beach. The beaches in Portugal are gorgeous There are cliffs and rocks all over. We found a place to lay and started to tan. I went for a couple walks because I was getting bored and wanted to see more of the beach. Around 3 after 4 http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/blog-266757.html April 11 2008After getting ready this morning Julie and I met Katie at the bridge and walked to where we would get on the bus to Portugal. For once in my life I stayed awake on the bus because I was too busy reading my book ldquoPlaying for Pizzardquo by John Grisham. A couple hours after we left we arrived at the boat to take us to Ihla de Tavira the island we would spend 5 hours at. We h http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Tavira/blog-266754.html We were very excited to be going to the beach town of Lagos today after the weather was against us at San Sebastian. Our one and only aim sit on the beach swim and generally do nothing. However not everything turned out quite as we had plannedhellip On the way there we had a quick exit off the train at Tunes to transfer onto the train to Lagos and just as the train doors were closing I re http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-263722.html Wow what a trip 4 nights at an amazing apartment with everything included as far as cooking untensils a dishwasher wash machine that noone used stove oven hugggge porch to hang out on 3 bedrooms a living room dinner table tv two bathrooms and 7 other amazing roomates Plus a beach that I didnt want to leave.. and it happened to be called playa de anaSo even though the trip took a l http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-262678.html Friday... after a 6 hour bus ride we arrived in Lagos at about 10pm. We found our hostal... which was by far the nicest hostal ive seen stayed in. It was filled with people around our age and there was a huge entertainment room with couches and a big tv and a couple computers. Our room was just the 6 of us that came together Me Cody Colleen Adam Alex and Brad. We settled in and then went to http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-262657.html Last Thursday my friends Jess and Alex and I hopped on a train to Sevilla and then took a bus to Loule Portugal. We spent the night there and hopped on another bus to Lagos and spent a few days there then headed back to Spain where we spent a day and a half in Sevilla and saw our first glimpse of the Semana Santa holy week festivities.Portugal is beautiful especially if you escape the sprawlin http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-257662.html EnglishAt the moment we are taking a day off from biking and we are staying in a small town called Alvor next to the city Portimao. We have been traveling for about a week we left from Punta Umbria which is a small beach town in Spain where Rocio's sister lives and now we are in Portugal. We've mostly been traveling along the side of the highway. So far weve mostly been camping althouhg one http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Albufeira/blog-254692.html Were leaving our beloved village in two days. The month has gone by so very quickly. Weve discovered so much more about this area than we understood last year on our first visit. Our favorite discovery is the beachcliff walks that paralell the sea. The sea has changed greatly on this visit. Weve had a series of easterly winds and storms. So weve seen our quiet wave action turn into pou http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-249294.html The Arabs named this part of Portugal lsquothe Algharbrsquo land of sunsets but upon our arrival it was difficult to see anything much less a sunset After the most droughtstricken summer on record the heavens were wide openhellipjust in time for our three night stay. For much of the duration the high winds whipped the branches of the palm trees from side to side and the sky remain http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/blog-249206.html Weve just returned from a threeday bus tour that was great fun. The first day we drove to Seville Spain for a few hours. What we saw of the city was beautiful the Plaza of Spain a beautiful building built for a 1929 Exposition the old Jewish Quarters and St. Marys Cathedral. The latter is twothirds of a UNESCO World Heritage Site that also includes a royal palace. Well be going back http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-246977.html We made two trips to Loule last week. The town is the largest in the interior of the Algarve between the sea and the mountains and is known as a great market town. Our first trip however was to go to their Carnaval They have the largest carnival celebration in Portugal with a parade of 17 floats. The parade was around and around the same four long blocks in town where the street is separa http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-245558.html Were finally bestrirring ourselves to get out on the road somewhat. Two of the places weve recently visited are Sagres and Monchique.Sagres is where Henry the Navigator set up his famous School of Navigation in the 16th century. Hed gathered the best minds in Europe to study navigation which started Portugal's ability to explore so much of the world. They believe his school was out on a pro http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-244220.html My sincerest apologies for not writing sooner. There is something about this place that just mesmerizes us. Whereas in Funchal there was a definite beat to the city and I wanted a routine here there is no schedule routine or desire to make plans. We are just so happy to BE here.A word about where we are The Algarve is the southern coast of Portugal Western Algarve is the least developed http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-243172.html