Could be longer, but five will do

Five things I miss the most about the Algarve?

First and foremost: the sun. Since I came to Vancouver 15 years ago this has clearly been the worst spring/(do I dare call it) “summer” I ever had to live through. I am so grateful for the few days of warm weather I got to enjoy in Portugal!

Second; I miss being in a place where things are different…climate, houses, architecture, food, flora, fauna…not to forget the beaches;lots to discover!

And storks...I’ve missed them ever since I left Germany. There are countless storks in Portugal – loved it!

Third; I miss the people. I regret not meeting more locals and wish I could have talked to some of them about their lives – what it’s like living in Portugal. Again, I’d like to see more of what folks are doing differently compared to us, how and why. I’d like to observe them having fun (a wedding/festival?)
Folk seemed very friendly, kind and easy-going in Portugal. It would be neat to learn more about their mentality.

Fourth; on a personal note, I miss the freedom I enjoyed while on vacation, hanging out with family and getting pampered. The daily grind is boring by comparison, but that goes without saying. There is just something about the Algarve which let me relax and forget about work, problems etc. faster than any other place I’ve been to. It’s safe to say the ocean and the sound of the waves had something to do with it, but a good part is just that certain feeling I can’t quite explain.

And fifth; I miss the sound of the Portuguese language. Am I weird or what? I have bought CD’s with Portuguese music and am trying to learn the language so I can understand what they are singing about. Jennifer, I started with your 100 words and am now ready to move on to more. To my ears Portuguese sounds like a mix of cool and cute. If I succeed in learning the language I better make sure I’ll get to use it. It’s so easy to forget (I don’t remember much of the Russian I was once fluent in); so that gives me another reason to revisit Portugal.

Let me finish by saying that for somebody who is half a world away from the Algarve it is nice to find a website like this one. It’s a bit like being there…staying connected - while getting a dose of “saudade”.