Visit to Algarve and late Thanksgiving

Recently we had a long weekend and Jose, Cooper and I headed to the south of Portugal. I love this part of our neighboring country because though it is quite similar to the south of Spain, it has it's own charm. We usually stay at my in-laws' apartment right across the border in Vila Real de San Antonio. It is less than two hours from home and we can walk to the beach when we are there. This area of Portugal is really popular with retired people from all over Europe and we enjoy exploring the villages that dot the coast as well as heading a bit in-land every once in a while.

 One of my favorite things about this time of year is the Christmas festivals, fairs and markets that pop up all over. Vila Real is no different. In their main plaza there is always stuff to do, see and buy. This month there was a holiday themed fair going on complete with an ice skating rink.

There was a stand in the market with its own wood stove where they were making bread that looked FANTASTIC. We kept planning on going to buy some to try it but there was always a line (and we ate at our favorite Indian food restaurant twice over the weekend).


We also visited a village called Mertola which was an important place during the era of the Muslims and Romans for its position on the Guadiana River which divides Spain and Portugal. We visited the castle on top of the city as well as the church which is actually a converted mosque. Mertola is quite beautiful and it reminded me a lot of Ronda which is a gorgeous place here in the south of Spain. The village had lots of winding, narrow streets and due to its location high on a hill, fantastic views of the surrounding landscapes.






Our last outing during this weekend in the Algarve was to the mall in Tavira, another village about 20 minutes from where we were staying. We got a lot of our Christmas shopping out of the way and found that they have a theater that plays films in their original versions. Yay! That means we can go see American films how they should be seen, in English. I also found a bear that I wanted to steal but thought someone might notice.

This weekend we finally had time to celebrate Thanksgiving. We invited over Jose's workmates and their wives and I cooked a small turkey (the only I could find) plus stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy. The only thing we were missing was cranberries which is actually my favorite part of the meal. Oh well. Next year I will remember to buy some when we are back in the U.S.


Better late than never, I say. We had a good time and now I am in a food coma as I write this to avoid cleaning up the mess in the kitchen. Tomorrow...

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