Portugal 2018: The Claire’s plus

I have to give the Claire’s their own page. I’ll tell a few other random stories here but the Claire’s deserve the title. They sent me this picture from the next stop on their trip, Sevilla.

The Claire’s are on the left and Aurianna is on the right. They came into Baffi Thurday night and had a drink and put up with the intrusion of the local 71 year old. They are doing a Junior Year abroad in Prague from Kansas State and taking advantage of the Easter break to travel a little. They stayed in a hostel in Lagos but did not stubble upon the right group of young men. The Clare closest to the camera was the one who really engaged with me. They are probably 20. Clare’s most endearing line was that she has a hard time with commitment (regarding boys). Her other great line was to be concerned that other women, as we roamed the bars, were taking advantage of me. I only wish. Anyway, they were after dinner, and either they wanted Portugese or Baffi kitchen was over booked, we headed out, first I showed them Cantinho Algarvio. It probably looked too fancy, so we chose Adega da Maria instead.

The above photo does not do Adega justice and it was taken Saturday March 24 when I ate there alone. Adega has a very Boston Durgen Park feel to it. Long tables, 100s of people, very inexpensive food and fast service. With the Clares, I think I had the salted Cod again and they got a couple order of Shrimp. They were worried about taking advantage of me. Aurianna was on antibiotics, not drinking, and went home from here. We went on to Lighthouse with Karaoke, another random 70 year old joining in, and then back to Baffi. Made my night and then to have the email followup puts the icing on the cake. If you wonder how they would ever have my email, the answer is that I had out my card to everyone. I also try to carry cards for Baffi and Solar to give out also.

Sunday March 25 and Monday March 26 Baffi was visited by a 25 year old would be actress who was teaching Engliah in Madrid. She had taught all over the world, most interestingly for me, many months in China and she was thinking of going back. She was staying in a hostel near by and wanted to get away from the other guests. Her mother and father were both freelancers, so lots of travel as an only child. Mother produces interdependent films, dad writes for financials? Sorry no picture. I of course board her with my questions and thoughts about China and she made a quick exit the second day after I showed up!

Tuesday March 27 may have to go down as the best day, though there are many competing ones this trip. I ate at Solar. And I had 3 visitors at Baffi! The first was Glen, who I have talked about. The second was a young German man who appeared in Boco do Rio Sunday March 25 riding a rented Mountain bike with no shirt while the rest of us had 3 layers on! He said he was very warm, had gotten lost off track in the trees and he now took the challenge another rider and I suggested to him of the 18% grade of the road over the hill to Salema. Lastly, the Italian surfer I met at Zavial restrauant who lives near my guesthouse showed up. He brings his father, just back from Cuba, and they can talk Italian with Vaentino, Simona and the girl who works for Valentina Ester.

Tuesday also was the day of the Dublin Bike Club. I’m heading East out of Lagos on the 125 and I have caught the wheel of a young man who does not speak English but is happy to pull me along. We see a group of 12 bike riders going the other way. First group I have seen other than the normal Saturday and Sunday Portuguese men. Then 1 K further we see another group of the same size. I have to stop and ask. Turns out there are like 120 of them, age 12 to 70, staying in one hotel in Portimao. They have just had a fall but everyone is ok. Another day I meet a group of them fighting with a flat tire. Great to see them out on the roads. I keep seeing them on 125 but they assure me they spend lots of time on the back roads where I like to ride. I do have one pictures of them moving along.

In another people adventure, I was on my way out of Lagos Wednesday March 28. I have gotten fairly good at getting over to the area outside the gate where I lived last year but I still have to consult the GPS over and over to get on the final exit road that leads to a golf course. I came upon a couple, 40s 50s,on electric bikes talking to a man. They were clearly trying to do exactly what I was doing and the man was trying to tell them about the golf course road. I intervened, said I was going that way and would guide them. Little did they know they had picked up a follower. Jose and Beatriz were on their way to Sagras.

Jose was nice enough to send this one of us at Boco de Rio of course and they were subjected to talking to the men and seeing the woman. They are from Madrid but I have forgotten what they do. They were coming back to Lagos for the night but never showed up at Baffi. Jose even admitted that he had lost my card and was able to find my email by remembering that my email was just my name and googling it with Squirrel Island Historical. Beatriz for whatever reason was faster then Jose. When we headed out of Boco back to R125, I struggled to keep up with her so once we were on the 125, I told her that I would speed ahead as much as I could and that worked fine. I did get the idea from this experience that I might be able to ride with my wife Kim if she was on an electric. But she is such a daredevil, it would probably end badly. I left them a few Ks later to turn down and have lunch again at the surfer Zavial restaurant. This time I sat with a German student surfer who was reading a book and sleeping in his car. It had taken him like 5 days to drive down. He was too proud and cash strapped to show up at Baffi but he did make the wonderful observation that traveling alone, he learned a lot more about himself.