We came, we were stunned by beauty, we were gently
tanned, and then we left Portugal with three out of four of us medicated; all
of these experiences combined to make Portugal an unforgettable stop.
As for the beauty, despite having spent five days driving
along the southern coast visiting towns (Quarteria, Olhao, Tavira) and beaches
recommended by various travel books, we never did surpass the stunning scenery
found at Zambujeira do Mar, our first stop along the western coast. (Pictured above.)
Indeed, most of the towns along the western coast are
still towns (as opposed to the condo-infested cities found along the southern
coast) but you have to be prepared to suffer a language chasm, unless, of
course, you speak Portugese. Everyone is
friendly and willing to mime (or in the case of one night at a restaurant, display)
your options but there are reasons most tourists take their holidays along the
southern coast: Hop down to Luz, Lagos, and cities further
east and you will find multi-lingual staff, menus and, in our case, doctors and
veterinarians.
Thus we learned an important part of living on the road
in Europe: If you think you might be in
need of some professional help, head to the touristy areas. The British, Germans and Dutch have done a
great job creating a beach head for the rest of us. (SP and I have often found that traveling
behind the British will often land you in the lap of luxury—the Victoria Falls
Hotel in Zimbabwe being a prime example.)
There is no doubt that times are difficult in Portugal
right now. The over-building of vacation
homes and condos along the southern coast, many of which now stand empty, is a
sad reminder of the affluence, overabundance and eventual decline that we left
behind in California. But the country feels
on the cusp of recovery; and in order to ensure the success, communities should
band together and start trash collection days, over-paint the graffiti and
collect and neuter all the stray dogs. The
government cannot be the answer; there is not a large enough tax base to
support more services.
And there you have it: My first International Soap Box.
Don’t get me wrong, there are gems in Portugal,
particularly for the caravan traveler:
The aforementioned Zambujeira do Mar where you will be welcomed at the
nicely appointed Campismo Zambujeira do Mar, and the sparkling and restive
Touriscampo in Luz were not only delightful but also doubled the nights allowed
under our “pitch fee” budget; at €18 per night for a full service pitch
we almost stayed at the Touriscampo forever.
Finally, if you thought there were great real
estate deals in California, you should check out Portugal: A two bedroom condo in a gated community with
a golf course, tennis club and health spa is available for €150,000. Price negotiable.
-K
PS: As for who is
medicated? You know about SP’s return of
Graves. The other two medicated troops
were myself with an over the counter remedy for [what I am calling] Hercules’ Revenge
and Rosco with his ear drops.
Undoubtedly you do not want to hear any more of my issues, but Rosco had
a foxtail stuck in his ear so far the [fantastic staff and] veterinary at Lagos Veterinary Clinic had
to completely knock him out in order to dig it out. So he is on an anti-inflammatory and an antibiotic
and, poor guy, had a little trouble recovering from the ordeal. He is 12 after all and those drugs hit him
rather hard. River sniffs his ear on
occasion and has allowed him to sleep in the “good” bed. Temporarily, of course.
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