Do you object to being searched sir?

Hello from the Algarve where it`s been cloudy so far but balmy. The impressive thing is that the hotel we are staying at allows free use of the internet! The only thing I have to work out are the strange keyings for things like apostrophies and the @ sign which uses a weird combination of keys like Alt gr. The spell checker doesnt work either, well it does, but in Portugese! so forgive any mistakes.

The journey out was uneventful except I got searched before I boarded the plane. I ALWAYS get searched before I board a plane - every time. I sailed through the electronic passport gate at Faro airport designed to speed it all up, my wife however couldn`t get hers to work so she had to join the queue for passport control. 40 minutes later...

The hotel is fabulous and the weather is due to improve. The tour rep, they call them holiday advisors now, has only been in the job four weeks and she`s nervous poor love but very pleasant. The bus drive to the hotel through some VERY narrow streets in Portimao was slightly hair raising with the bus doing 30 miles per hour through streets with cars parked both sides of the street with six inches to spare on each side. Not a scratch!

Portugal is a very nice place but sadly run down in parts, no doubt due to the economic situation but the people are pleasant if not laid back which is fine.

The bird life here is interesting with sparrows a plenty - something we dont have at home, blackies, pigeons, gulls but I spotted a hoopoe (look it up on Wiki its beautiful) and some grey coloured parrots.

No trips booked yet, not sure we want to do any, just chill out, is that a bad thing?

Chat soon

Ta-ra