Loulé

A week on and we are still in Loulé in the same hotel

The room is excellent up on the third floor (same as pool) and spacious and I suppose we should be grateful we broke down somewhere civilised. Some of the other EU countries are not as advanced as Portugal so I should not moan its taking ages to get a result with the van

The latest is they tested the turbo and its mechanical failure and the replacement is winging its way from Spain as I blog….

It of course has to actually arrive and they have to fit it yet so I'll keep my swim shorts handy still…

This makes us initially happier then the reality dawns as each subsequent day is hotter than the previous. Just walking around in over 30 degs of heat in the town's small whitewashed streets saps our strength and bang on cue I get a real good 5 day dose of 'man flu'

After all the oranges we've eaten recently I thought I would never have a cold again!

Downtown Loulé

The old lady gives this guy the brush off..

As ever Nina 'throws it about'

The famed Town Mercado in searing heat

This is accurate for this location I feel..

This was just up the road and I could not breathe easily outside the Pharmacy's door

Direct sunlight on white cobbles……great

Locals just chatting, note the lack of shorts and t shirt

The hire car is our saviour on several days. This is Fabrica on the Eastern Algarve

Vila Real de Santo Antonio near the Spanish border

Get ready to see the big guy collapse…..

Look at the swish hotel in the background just begging to be brought back to its former glory

Then look down in to the water at the marina at these beauties

Just about sums up your life Ant!  Lol

'Trio Romania' doing their stuff on the streets of Loulé

I know their name as its on the CD we bought from them that doesn't play on the Mac...

If you can't beat em'

View from the roof terrace where we drank brandies and I coughed and sneezed a lot

Who says romance…..

The 'Virgin Mary' sets out from here tomorrow morning held high by the thousands of townsfolk on their annual parade. I bet this means it will be gridlock outside the hotel and we will be up there on that terrace again….

We stick around in Loulé next day to see the procession

A lot of the townsfolk turn up and follow the route

Quite sombre really..

Lunchtime mass at the memorial

Back to base for an afternoon around the pool again

Third floor top left is our abode