Saturday is market day in Lagos.
I didn’t buy any fish but thought this was a nice strange picture:
I had to buy something so I got carrots and mushrooms and brought them back to the communal refrigerator at Casa a Sul. I had to meet Earnet who was coming to collect my rent. Sarah likes to be paid in cash so it always takes me a couple days of going to the bank to have enough on hand. I also arranged with Earnest to do some laundry for me.
Finally on my way West. I have a wonderful route going West on small roads along the ocean BUT getting to the route is always a little of a crap shoot. I have never mastered exactly the best way to get started. Later in the trip I figured it out but today was a lot of wondering around.
It takes me over an hour to get to my favorite non-eating place on the trip, Boca do Rio. I always stop at the stream that marks the Eastern side of the bay. Required Selfie:
And looking up and down the stream:
Then down to the beach. It is not often you see people in the water this early in the year:
Then of course there is the lady. Unfortunately she has acquired a beard.
This is the Boca do Rio parking lot. Some are just day trippers but some are overnighters.
I had a little time so I taught these cows a tune, NOT:
Next I have a one hour push to Vila do Bispo and lunch. Somehow lunch got out of focus?
Another snipit from the onsite reporter: Sat 1pm
What a royal pain to have to ride home! It is 1:45, I arrived at a little before 1. I had 1/2 white and hoped a glass of port might carry me but it was so small I had to order another 1/2 of casa Blanca. Hopefully I can now eat dessert, finish the wine and mellow home via boa de rio. There is a terrible hill that I will walk up. 6 more minutes until 2 pm. I have to stop at the grocery store coming into Lagos on the south. I am hoping for cherries but will take strawberries if that is all they are offering.
O regardo greeting
O regardo thankyou
How can I find a restaurant expert to help Valentina. Ask daughter Elizabeth! The key challenge is creating off square traffic and dealing with owners who want to have all the creative ideas.
So sad to leave the drink and food and get back on the bike!!!! End of onsite report!
And a little dessert!
Finally the ride home. I just pound it out on the main road,Rt N125. Most of the time the sholder is wide. The hills are not bad. Going back the way I came, through Boca do Rio involves a terrible hill that I have to walk up so I just use the main road.
Sunday, I’m off to the East again but NOT up Monchique! I have figured out a slightly different way to get to my Restaurant. I used to go into Mexilhoeira but there is road work so I go a little further up N125 and take the first road into Figueira. The hill is a little steep. Today I met a car coming down and choose to walk it but as long as things are clear, I can suck it up and make it up. Bikers coming down saw me walking and gave me a hard time!
I arrived maybe an hour? early. At first in 2017 and 2018 I would just show up at Solar and Fernando would squeeze me in somewhere. Now I make reservations. I called this one in and then on this visit set up reservations for Thursday and Sunday. Solar is closed Monday and Tuesday lunch. They open at noon so I cycled a way up the road and was rewarded with a bob cat. Now I know, too far away, too fuzzy, what can I say.
It did not wait around for me to get closer.
Flowers that are everywhere:
The onsite reporter says:
Day 4 in Lagos. I am back at my favorite, or rather second favorite restaurant after Baffi, this is called Solar Do Farelo and it has the unlimited pour you own red or white wine barrels. I am having the duck a l’orange. Hopefully I will be here 2 more days and try two of the others. The obsessive compulsive is important to fight regarding ordering meals. Maybe it is just a different kind of repeating. I need to get something different on each repeat.
Texting daughter Elizabeth and wife Kim using my portugese phone. Was stupid enough to have vodka desert. They need to have a option where you pay extra to not be asked!
End of onsite report.
I love this carrot appraiser! It is always the same.
This is the Solar menu. Fernando brings it over to your table, allows you time to study it while he attends to other guests and then comes back to take your order.
As I said above, I selected the Duck a l’orange.
Mrs Duck is in the covered pot and the already consumed bones are on the plate to the left.
A required selfie:
And the Vodka dessert!
I’ll be back Thursday and again the next Sunday.