Portimao Mural

Another cool, cloudy start to the day - after blue sunny skies over breakfast. Must be the coastal effect, we are on the Atlantic after all.

Decide to catch the shuttle bus to the resort area of Portimao. Waterproof jackets on again to keep reasonably warm. It's quiet - well it is Sunday - with only tourists from the ship wandering around. A stroll to the end of the street, down onto the beach and a walk back along the boardwalk. We meet M, walking with her husband . They've walked from the ship, only 10 minutes stroll! The beach is enormous and popular, but it's too early for any serious sun-worshippers to be out yet. We've paid, so we catch the shuttle bus back to the ship for second breakfast.

The town of Portimao is in the other direction so once again we head off out for a walk into town. Skies are beginning to clear and it's warming up. It's less than 20 minutes walk to town and there are enough distractions to entertain me along the way. Storks in their enormously untidy nests have roosted on the tops of derelict chimneys, and even on an old disused crane at the approach to the town.

The town is waking up as we wander through, heading for the church and public square. The sound of singing on the air guides us straight to the church, which is surrounded by the congregation sitting on the walls around the perimeter. The priests voice is carried over loudspeakers placed adjacent to the entrance doorway. The people are holding bunches of greenery and flowers - it slowly dawns on me that it's Palm Sunday. I sit amongst them for a short while, K is bored and has wandered off in search of shops.

We wander the streets again, me in search of photos - plenty to be found - K in search of shops and trinkets to take back. Both satisfied after a couple of hours wandering around, we begin to head back along the quayside in the general direction of the ship. How different the place seems now the town seems to have woken up. Plenty of life and colour around, and it's sunny and warm. It takes much longer to walk back as I'm stopping frequently to take more photos - even a sculpture on the roundabout, of local women working in the local fishmarket.

We've arranged to meet E and C for dinner tonight, which is unusual for us as we usually take pot luck and ask to share a table. We meet them in one of the lounges and head off for the restaurant. Usual scenario, dinner so good and company absorbing and we miss the 8.30pm entertainment. We stay at the table and eventually leave in time for the 10pm show. As usual the singing and dancing is very well done and we wind down and wander off to the cabin about 11.30pm after another full day.