June, still in Silves, reluctant to move
June for us has consisted of more of the same – very lovely scenery, lots of walks with Pip, and trips to almost empty beaches. We are trying our best to figure out how to live our life while staying safe, much the same as everyone, really.
The last of our lockdown buddies have now left the Silves campsite and we have made plans ourselves to move in July to a summer rental, as the temperatures are becoming challenging in a van. We do have aircon, but we’re not keen to use it much; it kind of defeats the purpose of travelling if you need to spend daylight hours cooped up inside a van with the blinds shut! Having spent our earlier months parking our van at such an angle as to make the most of the daylight, we have now realised that, in the summer months in southern Europe, you need to do the opposite – park the other way round so that your door and awning are in shade most of the time. This is not a dilemma these Celts were ever used to considering prior to this! We have realised also that a north-facing balcony is considered a bonus in Portugal, whereas of course in Ireland and Wales we’re all in search of south-facing windows and gardens!
So here’s a selection of what we have been up to in June:
Saul’s early morning walks with Pip
Saul has got to know every nook and cranny of Silves as he heads out early each morning for a good walk with Pip, before the sun made the paths too hot for little feet:
Summer in Silves
2nd June: a family walk around the town:
Carvoeiro boardwalk
Carvoeiro became our favourite spot for an evening swim. But it also has a cliffside boardwalk which we investigated one afternoon:
Silves storks
3rd June: The baby storks are almost indistinguishable from their parents at this stage:
Outdoor baking
9th June: We were gifted some freshly picked lemons, more than you could think of what to do with, so we set about baking some lemon drizzle cupcakes for our neighbours (and ourselves!). Nothing like fresh ingredients to wake the taste buds up 💛
Detectives at work
14th June: Morgan and Olwen were beside themselves with excitement to receive a parcel in the post at our site one afternoon! It contained gifts for them from their great-aunt and uncle in Liverpool, whom we had last seen in Shrewsbury.
Here they are, putting their new items to good use:
More street art: Silves electrical boxes 😎
Several towns in the Algarve have made a feature of the large electrical boxes that are dotted along the streets, adorning them with artwork connected to the town in question. None tops Silves, in my opinion! I was fascinated with these boxes, and took pics of as many of them as I could find, as did our pal, John. Here’s a little montage of the boxes John and I photographed; you’ll spot storks, swallows, oranges, olives, grapes, honeybees, aspects of the history of Silves, the Arabic connection, Silves architecture, and so much more. What a great way to commemorate your town’s individual identity 💛
Our gorgeous Pip
Growing tall, and as mad as a brush!
First meal out
11th June: We went for a meal out, the first since before lockdown. We took a drive up into the hills behind Silves in the direction of Monchique, looking for a place which came highly recommended by friends. Didn’t find it! Found this place instead. We sat at the open air terrace outside and ordered our lunch, but it felt extremely strange to be in the company of strangers and to be ordering food once more. Saul regretted the trip due to feeling so uncomfortable. I ended up moving to a separate table to eat my food, as I had ordered grilled sardines and the flies were delighted with my choice!
We later took a spin up to Monchique, a town high up in the hills which is famed for its cork trees and production. We saw the barks of countless cork trees stacked up together, waiting to be processed.
More departures from the lockdown camp 😔
Martine and Hubert, 13th June
This lovely French couple (who had sited themselves at the opposite end of the campsite to all the other French vans!) headed back home mid-June. They spend many months of the year in Silves, and they taught Morgan and Olwen how to play pétanque (boules), language difference notwithstanding. They went back to France to help mind their grandchildren, but were back in Silves again by the end of the summer!
Diny and Gérard, 18th June
This quiet couple from the Netherlands were unsure for a long time what to do for the best, whether to stay put in Portugal or travel home. In the end, Diny had a fall from her bike and injured her knee and, after waiting some weeks for it to heal, they decided to head home to access the healthcare she needed.
John and Kate, 19th June
Our great lockdown friends John and Kate were the second last of the lockdown crowd to leave Silves. John had kept us all flexible and sane throughout lockdown with his daily stretch and tapping routine, the highlight to our days through those weeks, and we had thoroughly enjoyed their company throughout the months we spent as neighbours. We were especially sad to say goodbye to them! But it was only au revoir, as it turned out, as they returned to Portugal later in the summer.
To mark their achievement at being almost-winners at lockdown longevity, Saul made a certificate for Sian, the site manager, to present to them upon leaving 😁
