TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

Albufeira, a small fortified town existed 2,000 years ago. It was previously called, Baltrum by the Romans. Centuries later, the Moors claimed the area and renamed it to “Al-Buhera”. Trading with North Africa flourished in Al-Buhera under the Moors. In 1250, the christian Knights of Santiago re-conquered the town but failed to maintain its trading port. A succession of earthquakes in the 1700’s destroyed the town. It was only in the 1970’s that Al-Buhera, now Albufeira regained its importance in the industry form of TOURISM. The typical Albufeira whitewashed buildings, a mix of old and new... shot taken from the outskirts of the Centrum, in the upper part where we parked the car. The “Albufeira Old Town and Centrum” is just 3 to 5 minutes drive from our hotel in Praia da Oura. By daytime and also nighttime, the streets leading to the main square are filled with gorgeous shops, cafes, and restaurants. In the evenings, it is transformed into a jovial place, and the main square is crammed...

Surprising things in Portugal: 1. The Portuguese speak good English. Even the waiters and shop girls will speak English to you which is an amazing thing since if you head eastward to big neighbor, Spain, you won't survive there without mastering a few Spanish phrases. The only Portuguese word I knew was: OBRIGADA/OBRIGADO which means Thank You. 2. They have great coffee. I didn't expect it but the coffee there even in those tiny cafes were pretty good. I was impressed. 3. The region of Algarve is pretty much organized. And clean too. Dutchman noticed it and had to make a remark. Now that is something coming from the obsessive organized Dutch. 4. Everyone thinks I am Portuguese! So naturally they all speak Portuguese to me and I always end up saying, NO I AM NOT PORTUGUESE! They apologize and say they thought I was a local. Though a few Portuguese guys asked me if I am Portuguese or not. They were unsure. Funny. 5. Algarve is windy. Ack, just like Holland, but surely the weat...

THE STRIP, is a must see and do if you are in Praia da Oura. This is a mile long one-way traffic road, jam packed with bars, cafes, disco clubs, restaurants, and a variety of touristy shops i.e. souvenir shops, wines & spirits shop, clothing shop, foreign exchange, mini-mart and travel agencies to name a few. Many of these are open until 12 midnight. “The Strip” on a Saturday night It is always busy here. The busiest days for “The Strip” are usually during weekends, however the crowd builds up starting Thursday night. The area is visited mainly by the English and the Dutch. It’s a teenagers haven I must say. Lots of hot blooded boisterous English teenagers in groups. We had fun watching the (English) gals strutting the street in their Atomic Kitten attires. Pink high heels, cheerleader miniskirts, scanty tops, colossal pink earrings matching of course the pink high heels, mardi gras style make-up and peroxide treated hair. What a sight to behold. You can say we terribly ...