Boats on a Beach

Crack of dawn to hug the family good-bye, after staying up way too late to finish a book Deb had - A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles. Highly recommended, especially if "Casablanca" is one of your favourite films.

Then cleaning and washing bedding before we left our friends' flat in Gaia - extra of view from the bedroom window because it's such a contrast to the view from our home here.

Following our practice of trying to always take advantage of a journey to see another bit of Portugal, we veered off the motorway to have lunch in Praia de Mira (from the arab "emir", land of the lord), and were pleasantly surprised by extensive sands, a wooden chapel right on the beach (second extra), friendly people, clouds of seabirds, and these two fishing boats, still in use: Alexandre Vieira and Senhor dos Aflitos. Used to be launched by teams of oxen, now by tractors.

Gratefuls:
- the family getting safely home, and us as well
- that our friends loved staying in our house
- this time with Deb, Sam, Zion and Allegra, and all the memories made; now to get used to being just us two again...