Since it's been almost a month since Joe High School, OLGS, and I returned from Scotland via Portugal, it seems appropriate to note that Portugal is wonderful. On the Algarve, it's rather touristy, full of Brits and Germans. There are so many Brits that there is a weekly newspaper for British expats. But it's a low key kind of tourism, at least in Salema, where we stayed. The Algarve is full of beautiful beaches. And in May, it was neither too hot nor too crowded. I suspect that changes. But the beach was lovely, the dark brown faces of the fishermen were the same as they were thirty years ago, and the food and drink were great. Be adventurous. Try octopus. I did, and it tastes like nothing at all except the broth in which it's cooked. And, the climate is Mediterranean dry, which means that permanent minor allergies caused by oak trees, maple trees, and all other kinds of northern climate flora, are gone. I didn't realize it until we returned to the land of the oak tree, but there are significant health beneifts to visiting Portugal. I'll proably have to return.
