My Three Months in the Algarve….

….have come to an end. I can hardly believe that 3 months have sped past so quickly.

I arrived in my little fishing village of Ferragudo on the 22nd of January. As a US passport holder, you are only allowed to stay in the Schengen area of Europe for 90 days. They are very strict about this. You must then leave, and not return for another 90 days. And since I don’t hold a resident visa in a Schengen country, I do what is called the Schengen Shuffle. But before I shuffle off to the UK in 5 days, let me share my time with you here in Ferragudo.

As you can see from the photos above, we have big, blue skies (when it wasn’t raining – which it did a lot – wettest winter in recent history!), big beaches looking out to the Atlantic ocean, real fisherpersons, gypsy carts and horses, 100’s of storks nesting on top of almost anything taller than me, and our very own castle.

This is the 5th time I have returned to this little village, renting the same house, Casa dos Avos, each time. The house is just off the main street and only a 3-minute walk to the main square where everyone gathers for coffee, lunch, afternoon beer, dinner, and people watching. It’s 2-minutes to the bus stop for shopping in Portimão, and an easy walk to the train station, which will take you anywhere in Portugal.

The owners, Jorge and Maria Joaó, have become good friends. From my first visit, they made me part of their extended family. They have a ‘weekend home’ in the mountains near Monchique, which Jorge, a contractor, has been upgrading ‘from ruin to livable‘ for as long as I have known them. They also have a beautiful home near Salima’s gorgeous beach in the small town of Figueira. And, of course, their family home here in Ferragudo. I have been honored to participate in family gatherings and enjoy the company, conversation, and delicious meals in all three locations during the past 3 months.

My little house is perfect for one person, but has enough room for guests to visit. During this 3-month stay, I have had 1 long-term guest, one medium stay guest, and one for just a few days. And of course, we enjoyed lots of delicious food and drink.

It’s always fun to show friends around a place I now think of as a second home. This is where my good friend Joyce and I were locked down during Covid, so we really got to know the village and the residents quite well. It’s great to return to a location where you have a built-in network of friends and acquaintances. I will miss the peace and quiet of Ferragudo, but I am also quite excited to be off to Belfast, Northern Ireland.

But before I say até a próxima and adeus, there will be one more post that I will be sharing with you. During my time in Portugal, I took 2 big side-trips – one to PARIS to take in four of the most amazing fashion exhibits I have ever seen – and one to SEVILLA, where I met up with a good friend for a few days of retail therapy! So stay tuned for a quick follow-up with photos of two fabulous cities and some jaw-dropping fashion!

Until then…..