After the boat trip and dinner we took a last tour around the city to say goodbye to all our new friends. The hairy, four legged tail wagging ones. Tiia can probably write more about that. I felt really sad to leave all the nice dogs and cats behind but yet happy about the fact that people will take good care of them here. Each and every one of them had given us more than a boat trips or souvenier shopping or sunbathing or anything. Nothing gives you a warmer feeling than getting a tail wag greeting from a cautios dog or a curious push from a shy cat. Try it.
In the morning we did our last packing and headed for Faro airport with 4 busses. I sneaked in as a rabbit but they didn't ask anything. Hope they didn't leave someone behind at the hotel because of me... I had to say good bye to Tiia and the folks around 10Am and cab it to Faro City. Cab driver was not so friendly, he made me wait and pay when he was filling up the car and when we arrived to the hotel he just threw my bag on the street while I was still in the car to pay for the ride.
My room was already ready that early which was very nice. It was tiny single room with a balcony but clean, all I needed. PLUS I learned that there was wi-fi in the lounge area! Yayyyy! That made my day already for sure. I dropped my stuff and went for a little walk breakfast in my mind.
Downtown area was only few minutes walk from the hotel and I was very impressed how nice and beatiful the city was. And there was storks EVERYWHERE! Not too many dogs and cats though, I guess that was a good thing. For the animals' sake. Totally different feeling from touristy Albufeira. Since I was hungry I just went to this mini market to buy drinks and snacks (the prices were third what we paid in Albufeira) and crapped a sandwich on my way back to the hotel. After I'd finished with the food I headed downstairs to the lounge with my laptop to make some research about the area and what's there to see and found very helpful site, www.algarvebuzz.com/faro-things-to-do-see. I also met Mr. da Silva, the owner of the hotel. He was having lunch together with the maids.
After a short while surfing online I decided to go to see that cathedral with the bones of the monks - the place was just around the corner, very convenient. Unfortunately it was closed due to siesta so I went to look for a nice cup of coffee and pastries on Rua San Antonio. Almost all the cafés were growded with locals but I found a chair to anchor my bottom on the terrace of Gelateria Fiesta. Instead of ice cream I went for double espresso and huge slice of apple pie. Delicious! It was a nice experience, watching the people pass by and listening the laughs of the locals sitting around me.
I had an hour or so to kill before they'd open the cathedral so I walked to old town area and found Faro Municipal Museum where they had several different exhibitions. Admission fee was only 2 euros. I saw nice paintings, old and new, cheramics and more. The building itself was really beautiful and later I learned that it's from the 16th century and it's one of the few things that survived from the 1755 earthquake.
When I had had enough from art it was time to go check the Igreja do Carmo. On the way I gave few euros to this old lady of the streets (she didn't want me to take any pictures, so be it) and watched a local painter at work in the harbour. I paid the 1 euro fee to see the altar and it was a small room behind the cathedral with creepy skulls and bones on the walls. All together bones of 1245 monks. And another thousand mosquitos.
Then after that I went to this other grocery store to check if they had some nice wine to take to my boyfriends mom. I was browsing the etiquettes when two young guys started to chat with me and asking about my tattoos. And offering me something else than cigarettes and a tour in the city... I said no thanks and rushed back to the hotel, surfed online bit more and got hungry again and went to Faro Shopping mall which was about 17 minutes walk from the hotel, opposite direction from the city. Mall was pretty big and there was this lovely shop called Loja do Gato Preto. Tiia would've loved the store, it was full of cat themed decoration stuff. I found my souvenier bottle from hipermercado Jumbo and mozzarella sandwich from Go Natural café (we ate few already in Albufeira and it is yummy) (I think I made Tiia half vegetarian on this trip) and as I was walking back to the hotel this one guy joined me and - offered me mushrooms and party. Oh, and a job too. Generous people in Faro, must admit, huh! Again I said no thanks and because he wasn't offensive in any way I just had a chat with him about Portuguese people and ironically about the mental problems they have there while walking to the same direction.
Because I had to wake up early I called it quits from that day and spent some more time in the lounge. Mr da Silva made me espresso for 50 cents and was concerned that I'd "work too hard". Well, no worries about that. Went to bed early(ish), woke up early(ish) for breakfast which was included in the 40 euro / night deal. Really nice! Nothing fancy: bread, cheese, ham, cereals, coffee, tea and juices... But that worked fine for me. I cabbed it to the airport (around 12 euros) and said good bye to Portugal.
-Aija-
No comments:
Post a Comment