I have just got back from a quick trip to Switzerland visiting family. It was lovely to catch up and feel a little bit 'at home'. A warm shower and soft bed have never been so welcome. I spent my days visiting sick relatives Uncle John, Auntie Marilie and Auntie Claire. Its possibly the last time I will see them but I'm glad I went. Paul drove 200 km back from Portugal to pick me up so over the last couple of days we have both been in Portugal.
The road system, maps and signage has gone down hill but we have managed to find some great beach spots. The weather has been really different to anything I have experienced before with a thick fog (and pollution in some cases) over the water reducing visibility to about 10m then clearing up at noon.
A gorgeous little place we visited was Costa Nova with terraced houses painted in vertical red, blue or yellow and white stripes. It only had about four streets with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and an estuary on the other. Today we went to Obidos a little village completely surrounded by a tall fortress wall (a bit of culture after so much beach life). Paul spoke to a guy in a tiny port/sherry bar who told us of a beach break with no people!! Can this be true? Yes yes yes. We arrived to big surf and Paul surfed until dusk. 2 surfs in 1 day, plus a bit of culture - the perfect day. Think we'll stay the night.