Portugal for the weekend

This weekend Jose, Cooper and I headed to Portugal to spend one more relaxing weekend before the madness of the holidays descends upon us. We stayed at Jose's parents' apartment in the small town right across the border, Vila Real de Santo Antonio. It was especially festive this weekend with a Christmas market right in the town square.
Holiday goodies
We had to go to the beach for a long walk since Cooper loves it and we visited our normal haunts (see beer and Indian food) that we always frequent when we are in town. While walking at the beach we came across this gem of a truck driven by one of the many fishermen we encountered. I love hilariously small European vehicles. So silly.

Tavira
On Sunday we decided to visit another town nearby that we had never been to before, Tavira. It was less than a half hour away. We drove there, parked and wandered around a bit. They have a big, central plaza and lots cool, tiled buildings (one of my favorite aspects of older houses in Portugal). Plus there was a castle (like there wouldn't be) in which they had created a botanical garden. 


I really like these retro-ish houses. Portugal is famous for their ceramics and these buildings show off their tiles. Everything in Portugal in general is a bit run-down, a bit more shabby than it is in Spain but that in itself has its charm.
In the castle
Our weekend was great. The weather was sunny and surprisingly warm, plus we watched a couple other holiday movies (including Scrooged which was super dumb) and It's a Wonderful Life (which is wonderful, of course)! We love going to Portugal to relax and get away from it all. No phone, no internet, just hanging out.

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 9, 2013 at 10:13 PM

    Hello Allie: I found your blog several months ago but have just gotten around to writing this post to let you know! I love Spain and enjoy reading about your life there, even though I'm 54 years old. I think my main reason for enjoying your blog is because when I was your age, I had an opportunity to marry a Spaniard but did not and try not to regret my decision. I am so grateful for the internet, because when I read about you and other young (and older) expats living abroad, I feel I made the right decision. However, every once in awhile, coulda, woulda, shoulda takes over...darn!
    Take care and keep writing about the flea markets, vacation spots, cooking recipes, etc. I love them all.

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    Replies
    1. AllieDecember 10, 2013 at 9:07 AM

      Thank you so much for visiting! I am glad to hear that you enjoy reading about my experiences here in Spain. It's true that you never know where life will take you, if you would have asked me 5 years ago I would never have thought I would be living in Europe. I still sometimes wonder what the heck I am doing here! Sounds like you made the best decision for yourself though : )

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