Day 1 Mon 1st Feb
This is now my third holiday abroad in three months. It’s
getting easier but was tough this morning because of the early start. I got up at 3:30am, arrived at the airport at
5am and was in the lounge bar for 5:30am. A tough morning indeed made better
with a couple of beers to kick off the day.
I was once again enticed by the wonderful in-flight food on
offer and had the meal deal bacon Panini, sour cream Pringles and a small
bottle of wine. The flight wasn’t too bad and I learned a bit about Portugal’s
wild life. The couple next to me were avid bird watchers and had come to the
Algarve for this very purpose. The lady did 90 percent of the talking, not
uncommon amongst couples while the husband slept through most of the flight. He
was obviously a seasoned traveller.
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| Rio Apartments, Vilamoura |
I walked around Vilamoura marina admiring the boats before taking a well earned rest in Figo, a restaurant I would later spend many happy
hours in. Today, I was introduced to Ray and Steve ‘the hat’, two amazing guys
that I spent much of my time with on holiday and now consider as good friends.
We chatted for a bit and spoke with a couple that were drinking Sangria. This
is not something I would normally drink but the couple insisted I try some. Being
sociable, I took a trial sip and then ordered a jug before I had finished the
glass. It was very nice. After a few glasses, we ordered lunch, prawn salad
with lettuce, carrots, peaches and pineapple. The prawns had been freshly
caught that morning and were delicious and a great accompaniment to the
Sangria.
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Figo Restaurant, Vilamoura Marina
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After lunch we went to Spot, a sports bar nearby. I had Guinness,
Jonathan, Ray and Steve had beers and Jonathan’s girlfriend Irene had a
cocktail. I’m not sure how long we stayed there but long enough to have a few
more drinks. Later on that evening, Steve tripped on his way to the toilet and
cut his head just above the eye. I had memories of Tenerife but we didn’t let
that happen and managed to get him back to his apartment. Once he was settled
and appeared to be OK, I got a taxi back to my apartment. It was a great start
to the holiday and I was already feeling relaxed.
Day 2 Tues 2nd Feb
I was up at 8am and looking forward to another sunny day. I
wasn’t disappointed because it was another great day. There was no bottled
water so I boiled tap water in the kettle before drinking it. I then shaved and
showered and went out looking for a restaurant offering a good healthy breakfast.
I found a restaurant that did all day breakfasts and ordered a full English
breakfast. Including tea, it was only 5 Euros. The day was getting better
except for the poor exchange rate I got later, only 1.2 Euros to the £1. After
changing some money, I went to the supermarket and bought a few essentials. One
bottle of vodka, 6 bottles of San Miguel, 2 bottles of Coke, 2 bottles of
orange juice, water, eggs, milk, bread, fairy liquid and a lighter because it's
a gas cooker in the apartment and I couldn’t cook without one.
When I had finished shopping, one of the staff ordered a
taxi to take me back to the apartment. The taxi driver was a real gentleman and
helped with my shopping. Once back in
the apartment, I chilled out with vodka and orange and a good book on the
balcony. I later went to reception, checked the WiFi was good to go and I had a
brief chat with Deb on Facebook. At this time Deb was only a friend but our
relationship has changed since then. Once that was done, I got changed and
headed into town. This time I took a different route and lost my way slightly
so I arrived about 40 minutes late. Not to worry, it wasn’t a blind date but a
date with my new buddies Ray and Steve.
When I finally arrived around 2:40pm, they did give me a bit
of earache for being late but a cold beer soon removed any thoughts of when,
how or why. I was then introduced to Sophia, her full name being Fernanda
Sophia Castro, a masseuse and reflexologist. Not a subject that I’m too
familiar with but she did look to have all the professional requirements. I
won’t say anymore here. We had a few beers and then left and went to Spot.
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| Spot Pub, Vilamoura |
We went to
Figo and I had a vodka and fresh orange while Steve had a double tomato juice.
Memories of last night may have been his main reason for drinking vegetable
juice. You are thinking ‘fruit juice’ but that’s what search engines are for. I
felt a bit tipsy and told the waitress to have a drink on us but was a bit
taken aback when she asked for 17.5 Euros to pay for it. When it costs an
average of 4 Euros for a beer, it does ask the question WTF did she have to drink.
Anyway, I paid for her drink with a smile and graciously left the establishment
and took a taxi back to my apartment.
Day 3 Wed 3rd Feb
After a couple of beers, I took a short walk around the
area and met a couple who had rented an apartment directly across from the Rio.
They rented it for a year with the possibility of later moving to the Algarve
permanently. We chatted for a bit about the weather, the advantages of living
abroad and their plans for the future. It was a really interesting conversation
considering that we were complete strangers. Anyway, time moved on and I left
them and went back to my apartment. I had pasta for tea, read a book, watched a
film and chatted with Deb on Facebook for a bit before turning in for the
night.
Day 4 Thu 4th Feb
I got up at 8am, shaved and showered and had some cereal and
coffee. It was a beautiful sunny day so I sat on the balcony until 1:30pm
enjoying the sunshine. I later went for a walk into town and had some lunch and
a couple of beers in Figo. I then went to an Irish pub called O'shea's and had
a pint of Guinness before heading back to the apartment.
I got back about
5:30pm, had a beer and a few vodkas and listened to some music. I then spent
some time on Facebook with Deb until 10:30pm. There were some WiFi issues at
the apartment so I gave Deb my mobile number in case it crashed completely. I
sent her a text at 9:46pm to check that she had the number. However, keep in mind that Deb lives in Australia
and I am in Portugal with a time difference of 11 hours. She received my text
at 8:46am on Friday. Confused? I was to. For completeness here is a copy of our
texts exactly as they were typed including spelling and grammatical errors.
Me – Hello
Deb – Hi back at ya
Me – I’ve given up a drink and a dance for a cup of tea and
a book. It must be an age thing. Sent from my iRon 3 (removes the creases you
never knew you had)
Deb – Lol sleep well I’ve done my bit of shopping now just
chilling watching home and away yes I pre program them to tape while at work so
I never miss an episode stay safe xx
Me – I can just about bear home and away. It’s the neighbours
theme I can’t abide. lol Remember to check out the Wentworth prison series. It’s
well worth a watch. Prisoner cell block H on steroids. Sleep tight xx
Deb – I will xx
I then read a book for a bit before going to bed.
Day 5 Fri 5th Feb
I woke up around 8am and had cereal and a cup of coffee. Deb messaged me at 8:50am. Here is our
conversation
Deb – Hey good morning. If you are asleep hope this doesn’t
wake you. I checked out my phone plan and it does include 300 dollars worth of
international calls texts for free for the months!!!! Wow I never knew that,
have a nice day, don’t get to drunk lol
Me – Good evening. That’s good news. Unfortunately I’m no
longer in a contract. I’m on pay as you go and it costs me 50p per text
message. L I’ll
check on FB later. I think Whatsapp may be free but will need to wait until I
get home to check it.
Deb – OK, I downloaded whatsapp to and set it up, I will
check FB later then
I checked my emails and chatted on Facebook from 10:30am until after 11am
and then went back to my apartment and had eggs on toast for lunch. I took a
walk into town and met Ray and Steve at Figo around 2pm. To start the day off Ray,
Steve and I all had large glasses of tomato juice with pepper, Worcester sauce,
lemon and ice. A group of golfers arrived a short time later. They were all
drunk and it was doubtful if they would see a golf course tomorrow.
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| O'shea's Irish Pub, Vilamoura |
One thing that stuck in my mind was that I accidently
spilled some beer over Ray but while I was laughing, Mick spilled a complete
pint all over me. That wasn’t quite so funny because I was absolutely soaked
and it looked as if I’d wet myself. It was all good fun though. Eventually we
had to take Mick back to the boat because he could no longer stand up or even
sit up straight for that matter.
Once he was safely on board, we went to
another Irish pub and had a few more beers. I had a good chat with Matt who was
the main pilot of the boat and he told me a bit about their work and lifestyle.
They salvaged sunken boats and either repaired them or sold the salvageable parts.
After repairing the boat they had come in from Marbella, they were taking it to
Brazil to sell. I was tempted to go with them but made what I think is a
sensible decision not to. At the end of the day, they were strangers and I knew
nothing about them. I could have finished up as shark bait or worse.
After a few more beers, I
was up dancing but it gets a bit hazy after this. I remember dancing with a
girl in pink and have no recollection of leaving the bar with her but was told
by Ray the following day that I did leave with her and that she came back about
an hour later.
I vaguely remember getting a taxi but when I was dropped off at
the apartment I was unable to pay because I didn’t have any money. Not one
cent. I can't remember what was said but
the driver wasn't happy. My wallet was completely empty. It was a bit
surprising since there was about 150 Euros and 100 pounds sterling in it
earlier. Looking back, I can guess what happened. I‘m sure you can too.
Day 6 Sat 6th Feb
I then took a walk into town and met up with Ray and Steve in Figo. I had
two pints of tomato juice and a beer that I couldn’t finish. I guess we all
have our limits. The weather turned a bit chilly and with only a t-shirt on, I
was feeling rather cold so I popped into a nearby shop and bought a cardigan.
We watched the Liverpool V Sunderland match which ended in a 2-2 draw. I had an
all day breakfast of which I only ate half. I wasn’t feeling great so I left 20
Euros for the drinks and eats with Ray and Steve and took a taxi back to the
apartment.
I read a book until 7:30pm then checked my emails and chatted with on Facebook until 8pm. I went to bed about 11pm and read a book until 12. I had a sore throat and
was coughing throughout the night. It looked like I had caught a bug from
Steve. He had been coughing quite a bit on the first day I had met him but I
had assumed since he smoked that it was only a smokers’ cough. Another
assumption I got badly wrong.
Day 7 Sun 7th Feb
I was up at 8am and had tea and scrambled eggs. I checked my emails and chatted on Facebook around 9:45am. Almost immediately after I had logged off the internet, a young lady started talking to me. Her name was Sandy and she had
just arrived at the Rio apartments. After a chat we decided to meet up later and
at 11am we went for a walk around the area. We walked past the Hilton and took
a scenic route to the marina and she took a photo of me lying on some sort of
stone sculpture in one of the parks. On the way to the marina we stopped off at
a Tapas bar and had a light meal .We had soup with bread, olives, goat’s cheese
and balsamic vinegar. This is not something I would have normally ordered but
was pleasantly surprised that it tasted really good. I had a beer and Sandy had
a coffee and a coke. We left and took a walk along the marina and looked at the
boats and she took a picture of me standing next to the mariner statue in the
marina. I guess she liked to take photos.
Once a year, there is a big carnival in the town of Quarteira
which is only a short distance from Vilamoura. The streets during the carnival
are packed with local residents, the majority of whom are Portuguese. We
decided to go and watch it and as luck would have it, we found another tapas
bar on
route. I had a beer and Sandy had a coffee. We walked along the main
street and watched the carnival for a bit before finding another tapas bar
where I had a beer and Sandy had a coffee. There was also a group of bikers that
were part of the carnival that added a bit of glamour to it. All in all it was
a good day. The sun was shining and the beer was cold. After spending a few
hours watching the carnival we headed back to the marina. Most of the shops
were closed because it was Sunday but we did find another tapas bar on the way
back. I had a beer and Sandy had a coffee. Have you noticed a pattern here?
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| Carnival in Quarteira |
We got back to our apartments about 5:30pm and agreed to meet
later. She asked me to come to her apartment around 7pm and we would take it
from there. I went to her apartment about 7:15pm and we were in the Rio bar or
7:30pm. We played pool then met another couple, Roger and Jill, and we chatted
for ages. During that time I drank 8 vodkas and Sandy drank 5. The vodkas were
too strong for her and she had to have a bigger glass with more coke so it took
her longer to drink it. I must admit, they were large measures. We left the bar
some time later and I went back to my apartment, picked up a bottle of Smirnoff
and then went to Sandy’s apartment where we sat on the balcony and had a few
drinks.
Whether it was the cool night air or there was some other
reason I’m not sure but I coughed and coughed. I explained to Sandy that I
might have picked up a bug from Steve since it was only yesterday that I developed
a sore throat and started coughing. It was then she told me that she had a
serious lung condition and couldn’t afford to catch anything like that and asked
me to leave. I was a bit taken aback but totally understood the situation. I
left and went back to my apartment.
Day 8 Mon 8th Feb
I got up from bed about 9:45am and washed some of my
clothes. I then went to Sandy's apartment about 10:45am to see how she was
feeling. She looked rough, hung-over and very tired. She said she would see me
later and blew me a kiss. At least that way she wouldn’t catch anything.
I met up with Ray and Steve at the Family Golf Park in the
afternoon and had a round of mini golf.
The Family Golf Park in Vilamoura
boasts a large leisure and entertainment area with two 18-hole mini golf
courses, the biggest in Europe. It also has a nice cafe area where you can have
a light snack, tea, coffee, soft drinks or something stronger. We had a coffee before
our game and a beer afterwards, with the loser paying for the beers. This time
there were two losers which meant two beers. Ray won with a score of 50 while
Steve and I managed a close but not good enough 52.
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| Family Golf Park, Vilamoura |
After a
couple of beers we left and walked around town checking out the location of
apartments in the area to see which were best suited for a return trip in May.
We then went back to Figo where Steve and I had a pint of tomato juice and Ray
had a coffee. I left them there and walked back to the apartment getting back
around 6pm. I went online for a bit checking emails and chatting on Facebook
until 7:30pm. I had an early night.
Day 9 Tue 9th Feb
I was up at 8am, had a coffee and read a book for a bit. I shaved
and showered and then checked my emails and chatted on Facebook until 11am. I
received a text from Ray telling me that they went out last night but didn't
get back until 5:30 this morning and will text me later. Not long after that I
received another text from Ray asking me to meet up with him and Steve at Figo
about 2:30pm.
It was raining so I had a beer in the Tivoli bar and the
landlady ordered a taxi for me. When I arrived at Figo, Steve and Ray were
drinking tomato juice. I thought to myself “I don’t think so” and ordered
three beers. When we had finished we left and went to Grogan's Pub. I had sausage, onions and mash. Ray had chicken and mushroom pie and Steve had liver and bacon. Of course, we all had the obligatory beers to wash it down.
three beers. When we had finished we left and went to Grogan's Pub. I had sausage, onions and mash. Ray had chicken and mushroom pie and Steve had liver and bacon. Of course, we all had the obligatory beers to wash it down.
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| Grogan's Pub, Vilamoura |
After leaving Grogan’s we took a walk into town and found a
pharmacy where I managed to get something to ease my sore throat and my
annoying cough. The Pharmacist recommended Mucosolvan and told me to take one
capsule each day with a large glass of water and if symptoms persisted after 4
days, advised that I see a doctor.
We left the pharmacist and went to an Irish pub called O'shea’s.
For Ireland being such a small country, the Irish sure get around. They are
almost as ubiquitous as the Scots. I had 2 pints of Guinness while Ray and
Steve had 2 small beers. They were definitely struggling after last night so it
was time to quit while they were ahead. They walked me to the taxi rank where I
got a taxi back to my apartment. They walked back to their apartment which was much
closer to the marina than mine. Anyway, they needed the walk.
When I arrived back at the Rio apartments, I met a couple in
the reception area that I had spoken with the night before when I was with
Sandy. The couple’s female representative asked where my wife was today. She
had obviously got a hold of the wrong end of the stick and I explained to her
that we weren’t married but had just met. Although she was very nosey she wasn’t
very sharp. Lack of sharpness and nosiness are traits that commonly go hand in
hand often accentuated by moaning noises. Don’t get excited, the moaning noises
are usually about other people. The male representative of the pair wasn’t any
better. Tennis balls have sharper edges than he did. Maybe he used to play. I said
that I would catch up with them later but to be honest, I really hoped that I
didn’t.
I escaped to my apartment and later checked my email and
chatted on Facebook for a bit. I went down to bar about 10pm and met up with
Roger who I’d spoken with on Sunday night. We talked about all sorts of things.
Everything from his 20 year marriage to what the weather was like back in the
UK. Miserable is what you are thinking but that’s not true. We had a fun night with
lots of laughter. I’m not sure at what time we left the bar but I would guess
it was around 2am. When I got back to my apartment I was in the mood for
dancing and dancing is what I did until around 5am when I collapsed on the bed.
Day 10 Wed 10th Feb
I woke about 9:30am and had coffee and some soup. I thought
I had something stuck in my throat but it was my tonsils that were swollen. It
could be related to the capsules I got from the pharmacist since I took two yesterday
instead of one. Doubling up on the medication perhaps wasn't wise. The swelling went down a bit by lunch time but I decided to
wait until later tonight before taking another capsule.
I went to the Tivoli bar at 2pm, had a beer then got a taxi
into town to meet Ray and Steve at Figo. We were going to walk around the
marina but the weather took a turn for the worst and it rained heavily so we stayed in Figo had a few beers. We had soup
and bread rolls accompanied by another beer. Steve and I had chicken and chips
while Ray had pork medallions in mushroom sauce. We left Figo shortly after 6pm.
I took a taxi back to my apartment, read a book for a bit then checked my
emails and chatted on Facebook until 8pm. I then watched a film and checked Facebook
again around 10:30pm. I went to bed about 12 and read for a bit. I coughed most
of the night and got very little sleep.
Day 11 Thu 11th Feb
I was up at 9:30am and had a cup of coffee and some cheese.
I tidied up the apartment and then got ready to meet Ray (Dad) and Steve in the
Family Golf Park at 12:30. The reason I put Dad in brackets after Ray’s name is
because that was his nickname. He was a bit older than Steve and I and we
called him Dad not because of the age difference but because he looked after
Steve and helped him out financially on occasion. We had a coffee in the Family
Golf Park cafe then played a round on the harder of the two courses. This time
Steve won and I was last, so I bought the beers. After the beer, we took a walk
around the marina before going to Figo where we had three more beers. We left
Figo and went to Grogan's for some food. We all had soup and a beer to start
before ordering the main course. I had fish, mashed potatoes and mushy peas.
Ray had sausage, onions and mashed potatoes, and Steve had Pork chops and mashed
potatoes. Only the potatoes were mashed today.
We left Grogan’s and went back to our respective apartments.
They walked and I took a taxi since I was further away. If I do decide to go
back to Vilamoura, I will make sure that I get an apartment or hotel nearer the
town.
After being dropped off at the Rio apartments, a lady in the
reception area asked me when the reception desk was open. I told her it varied
and that there were no set times for opening. She had just arrived but there
was nobody to meet her here. I went to the restaurant bar to make some
enquiries and spoke with the manager but he told me that the apartments were separate
from the restaurant and bar. I thanked him and told him I would sort it out. I
went back to reception and told the lady what was said. She was obviously a seasoned
traveller because she didn’t seem disturbed at all when I told her. Eventually
I found a number to call. Since the lady in question didn’t have a phone, I
called and explained the situation to the recipient on the other end of the
phone and was told there would be someone on their way soon. During this time another woman in the
reception area said Hi to me. I returned the reply but didn't recognise it was
Sandy at that particular time. She was reading and wearing glasses. I only
noticed it was her when I left the other woman to go to my apartment. I spoke
briefly with Sandy once I had recognised her. She said she was going out but I
never asked where. She also said that she would be glad to go back home because
there was nothing here for her. I won’t comment on that.
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| Rio Restaurant and Bar, Vilamoura |
Sandy came to the bar and ordered a coffee. She wasn’t in
our company and paid for her own. She then went outside with Jill for a
cigarette while Roger and I chatted at the bar. When Sandy and Jill came back
in, Roger and Sandy seemed to have a disagreement. I have no idea what it was
about but they argued back and forth until eventually Sandy stormed out of the
bar. I was now beginning to feel that I had a lucky escape. A cough and a sore
throat I can deal with.
Jill, Roger and me had a few drinks together and a good old
chinwag. What a lovely couple. We laughed a lot. I’ve no idea what we laughed
about but we had a great night. Once we had left the bar, I went back to my apartment
and took my laptop along to the end of the corridor as usual so that I could
connect to the WiFi. I chatted with Deb for a bit on Facebook then went back to
my apartment. I had a cup of tea then went to bed and read for a bit. My cough
was not as bad as last night but still annoying and I did manage to get a better
sleep.
Day 12 Fri 12th Feb
I was up 9am and it only dawned on me this morning that it
was Sandy's birthday yesterday. If I had remembered, I would have at least
wished her a happy birthday last night although I’m not sure that would have
brightened her mood.
I had some breakfast, shaved and showered and checked my
emails and chatted on Facebook. I later met Ray in town and then went to Chico's
to meet Steve and Sao. The relationship between Steve and Sao is complicated but
Ray and I were hoping to find some sort of resolution. To put you in the
picture, Sao is a waitress in Figo and it was her day off. Steve knew Sao from
previous visits to Vilamoura but things weren’t working out so well for them. Steve
was hoping to go back to his apartment with Sao and share a bottle of wine but
Sao would have none of it.
When I said that I should leave them to it, Sao told
me that if I did then she wouldn’t talk to me again. I stayed but knew then
that any relationship that Steve had with Sao was now over. When we eventually
left Chico’s, Sao went back to Figo, while Ray, Steve and I went to an Irish
bar and had a few more beers. When in doubt, drink it out. We then went to
Grogan's. I had a pint of Guinness complimented with fish and chips. Ray had a Cornish
pasty and Steve had steak pie with all the trimmings including beer.
Once we had our fill, we left and went for a walk into town.
I later changed some sterling into Euros and got a taxi back to my apartment. When
you run out of Euros in the Algarve, changing sterling to Euros is like
changing water into wine.
We all agreed to meet later tonight and Ray said he would
text me around 10pm and we could meet in the Irish bar that we knew so well. When
I got back to my apartment around 6:30pm I checked my emails and chatted on Facebook
with Deb for a bit.
Ray sent me a text at 9pm to let me know that Steve would
be in the Irish bar between 10:30pm and 10:45pm. I had some time to kill so I
went down to the Rio bar. Roger and Jill were outside smoking and talking with the
lady I helped the other day in reception, I now know her as Mary. Jill told me
to get myself a drink and come and join them. I got a vodka and coke at the bar
and went back outside to talk with them. When I got outside it looked like
Roger and Jill were trying to get me and Mary together. I explained that I was
meeting someone later but maybe we could get together tomorrow night.
We had a couple of drinks together before I called a taxi to
take me into town. I arrived at the Irish bar about 10:40pm. Steve hadn't
arrived so I bought myself a beer and familiarised myself with the surroundings.
I’d been here before, déjà vu. Steve arrived about 11pm and we had a beer together.
We talked with two girls, one of whom I had met the night before. It didn’t
register at the time but I found out later that one of them was with me when I lost
my money. Is that so surprising?
Ray arrived about 11:45pm and bought a round. He introduced
Joyce, a Brazilian girl with a stunning figure. I'm sure he knew all the
working girls in Vilamoura. After a few more drinks, I bid farewell and got a
taxi back to my apartment.
Day 13 Sat 13th Feb
I woke up around 8:30am, had a coffee and some scrambled
eggs. I washed my socks and smalls and updated my diary. Is there anything more
interesting? If you have watched paint dry, you will understand perfectly.
Roger and Jill were leaving today so I popped along to their apartment to see
them before they left to go back home. Jill told me that Roger was in the Tivoli
bar but I was welcome to come in and have a drink with her. Not one to refuse
an invitation, I did and we chatted for a bit. We agreed that I would meet them
in the Tivoli bar later that day.
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| Tivoli Bar, Vilamoura |
After they had gone, Ray went off to meet another one of his
girlfriends. Mary, Steve and I went to an Irish pub and had a few more beers.
Steve was very drunk and now out of it so Mary and I left him and went for something
to eat. We had peppered fillet steaks with chips and salad and 2 bottles of
wine in the Mayflower restaurant. The steaks were done to perfection and were
absolutely delicious. If you ever visit Vilamoura, I can highly recommend this
restaurant.
After our food, we got a taxi back to the Rio apartments and had a few
drinks in the bar. When I got back to my apartment after leaving the bar, there
was a parcel with a note outside the door. Jill had left me eggs, bacon, bread,
milk, juice, beer and some other stuff. What a thoughtful lady. I knew that
Mary didn’t have tea bags, milk or sugar so I went to Mary’s apartment to give
them to her. At least she could have a cup of tea in the morning. She answered
the door in her undies and came out into the corridor and started dancing. I raised
my hands up and started laughing and told her we both had too much to drink
and that I would see her in the morning. I left smiling and went back to my
apartment.
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| Mayflower Restaurant, Vilamoura |
Day 14 Sun 14th Feb
Day 15 Mon 15th Feb
Around 1pm Mary and I met in the Tivoli bar and we had a couple of
beers and chatted with Marcus, the owner of the bar. We then left and took a
walk down to the marina where we found another Irish bar called The Brewery and had a few beers.
It was a really sunny day and we had a great position in the bar to take
advantage of the sunshine.
We later went to Figo and had a 2 litre jug of
Sangria. It hit the spot and we stayed in Figo until the sun went down. After
this, we went to the supermarket so that Mary could get some shopping done and then
took a taxi back to the Rio and went to her apartment. I brought some beer and
vodka to compliment her red wine. We both got legless.
Mary then said that I
couldn’t spend the last night on my own and asked me to bring all my belongings
from my apartment to hers so that we could spend the last night together. It
must have taken me longer than I thought to pack my case because she appeared
at my door in her dressing gown. She thought I had fallen asleep. Anyway, I
finished packing and brought everything down to her apartment.
We sat on the
balcony and had a few more drinks and did a fair bit of talking before going to
bed. We slept in separate beds and both of us managed to get a good sleep. I didn’t
think she snored too loudly.
Day 16 Tue 16th Feb
I got up at 7am and Mary made the coffee while I washed and
shaved. After drinking the coffee I had a shower then got dressed. We said our
goodbyes and I left. I dropped off my apartment and safe key in reception but was
disappointed that no one was there to refund my deposit for the safe key.
The transfer bus arrived for me at 7:50am but this
was too early. It arrived at Faro airport at 8:20am but we couldn't check in until
9am. Several of the other passengers were annoyed about this and I’m sure some
will complain to the holiday company.
It was a good flight back to Manchester. I was seated in 31A
and had all three seats to myself. It was a perfect ending to a great holiday.
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