After a long day and short night, we arrived in Lagos without any airport issues in either Ottawa (where most services were closed), or Toronto....and our luggage arrived promptly and safely in Faro, Portugal. Only a couple of glitches along the way - a very turbulent flight over the Atlantic + a guy in our row who was aggressively against masking and who, just like the ones we read about on various news sights, was rude and obnoxious to the both of us + the flight attendants who were only trying to do their jobs. Brave guy picking on seniors…we just ignored him!
Our Airbnb "host" met us as arranged, which was a nice treat to be chauffeured and delivered to our apartment - and new home - for the next month.

We had an early dinner at O Moinho café & Bar, which is housed in an attractive "wind-mill" looking building that we can see from our balcony. This local gathering spot has a spacious outside terrace overlooing a small park, filled with flowering bougainvillea. We stumbled upon it a few years ago when strolling some of the backstreets of Lagos….it's a place where locals gather along with some tourists who found it the same way we did. At the time we decided if we ever returned we would stay in this area….and now we're only a few steps away!
The first morning we had breakfast at a local bakery, which we can also see from our apartment. It's staffed by a lovely lady who cheerfully dispenses great coffees, breads and pastries. We sampled the Pastel de Nata, which are outstanding, and it's already our "go to" place for bread.
Our very kind host came by with a shopping buggy for our use + a very nice bottle of red wine. He's a very kind man who has loads of local information to pass along to us. One item he mentioned was a fruit and vegetable market just around he corner where from the back of a warehouse we bought some great fresh, local produce.

Lagos is a fair-sized town - full of shops, cafés, restaurants and late-night bars. It's also an historical town that seems to have blended traditional Portuguese culture with the requirements of modern-day holidaymakers, making it a popular destination for a variety of people. In addition, the surrounding area has miles of beaches and sandy coves, towering cliffs with hiking opportunities and a variety of water-sports and activities. The historic centre is a warren of patterned, cobbled streets - full of whitewashed houses that are partially surrounded by the remains of its 16th century walls The town's divided by the river Bensafrim, with the old town on one side and the newer Marina area on the other. In the early evening we walked through the old town and along the Avenue dos Descobrimetos, the lovely waterfront promenade of Lagos. We stopped for a drink at one of the many places around the marina - a good place to watch the sun go down.

So far it's been an interesting re-introduction into what life was like pre-pandemic. Like most places, few wear masks now, but no-one seems to pay attention either way - which is refreshing. Life continues with a relaxed, "live and let live" attitude.

Recovered from jet lag, we kicked off the weekend in the old town with a seat in our favourite square……one that holds some great memories and laughs for us. To honour our Friday night tradition with Kate and Adrian (the best of pizza makers), we enjoyed a beer and a glass of red wine with some delicious pizza at an outside table. Later we walked back through the many narrow side streets, where restaurants are jammed together and even this late in the season are pretty full. Slowly climbing upwards to our apartment, passing parts of the old city walls, we entered the quieter area where locals (and a few lucky tourists, like us) are the norm. We already feel at home in both the area and our small, minimalistic apartment with it's 2 balconies and funky artwork. A night cap on our balcony ended the day of 17,000 steps. As the Portuguese say - a vida é boa - life is good :)