Hi everyone! Let me catch you up on everything from the past couple weeks! It has been extremely busy as usual, filled with traveling, studying for finals, and finishing big final projects.
To start all the "unis" (universities; as students in Europe say) had their "holidays," or Spring Break. Here in Europe, Semana Santa is a really big deal... especially in Murcia! They give students a two week break that is normally filled with festivities and celebrations. Because this break was longer, I decided to budget and plan a bigger trip to Algarve, Portugal with my good friend Audrey Bally. Some of you reading this might know her, she went to VWU as a French exchange student for all four years of her undergraduate. I met Audrey when I was a freshman and she was a senior, and to this day we are still year close friends.
We decided to travel the first week of Semana Santa since most of the festivities start the second week. My flight was on Sunday night at about 9:30pm, but the last bus got to the airport at 8pm. Instead of taking the last bus, my friend Gabi (she also had a flight that night at 10:30) and I decided to spend the day in Alicante. We got breakfast and took a bus to the Alicante airport, and we then paid to leave our luggage there for the day. After that we went to Paseo Marítimo de Alicante, which is a beautiful part of Alicante right near the marina, the beach and the main plaza known as Explanada de España. We spent the afternoon walking around and exploring, and we had a great early dinner!
After our time in Alicante, we took the bus back to the airport, got out luggage, and began the check in process. By the time we made it through baggage claim and got some coffee we had to part ways. This was my first time flying to another country completely alone, so naturally I was nervous. Everything ended up being okay and I made it to my first stop in Amsterdam. Besides the five hour layover, and the fact that there was a mouse running around in my terminal (terminal 63 if anyone finds themselves in that airport), everything went smoothly. Finally I arrived in Faro, Portugal! I got there around 8am, and I was waiting for Audrey to get there at 12pm, so I had about a 4 hour wait. To my surprise, they actually left my luggage back in Amsterdam... yay me. So I waited and went through the lost and found process and luckily they were able to get it to me a day later (I did in fact get it!).
Once Audrey arrived my cousin, Andre, and his girlfriend, Anastasia, (both VWU alumni) came to pick us up. We arrived at our airbnb in Albufeira, (AMAZING by the way.. we loved it), checked in and went to get lunch with the group. We had a great lunch, and afterwards they dropped Audrey and I off at the airbnb and Audrey and I took an uber and went shopping at the Algarve Shopping Center for some clothes since I had none. After that we stopped at a local market for some lunch meats and juice and we took a nap till dinner.
* the view from our apartment *
The next day we walked along the beaches close by and explored the town we were staying in. We booked our excursions for the week and then just enjoyed our time walking around and figuring out where everything was. That night we had an amazing dinner at an old Portuguese theater. The food was AMAZING!! I finally got my Portuguese steak that I always crave (it's my favorite food for those of you that don't know), and it was everything I hoped it would be.
The next day, we went on a long hike on the cliffs of close-by beach with Andre and Anastasia. The view was beautiful and it felt really great to get some exercise. We had a great time exploring and spending time with the group.
That afternoon, we left for our sunset cruise to explore the Benagil Caves of Algarve, Portugal. We got to spend some time at the Albufeira Marina and then we spent three hours exploring the caves and we such a blast sitting on the boat, enjoying the sun, and enjoying the views.
Later that night we got some dinner at a local authentic Portuguese restaurant called Os Arcos, where again, I got my beloved Bife a la Portuguesa. Everything at this restaurant was amazing! They make their own patte and pickle their own vegetables. It was very authentic and I still to this day dream about this meal.
The next morning, I went for a run back down to the Albufeira Marina. On the walk back I was amazed by the beautiful views of Albufeira, and the local cats bathing in the sun. After that I met Audrey at the café down the street and got my favorite Portuguese breakfast, a Galaō (Portuguese version of a latte), a Tosta Mista (mixed ham and cheese toast), and freshly squeezed orange juice.
After breakfast, we took a bus to the Vilamoura Marina. We spent the morning exploring the area and and enjoying the sun. Afterwards we took the bus back to Albufeira and went and got a big lunch at a beautiful restaurant on the beach called Casa del Mar. I don't think I need to mention what I got again... you can guess!
After lunch we went on a sunset Jeep tour to all the mountain areas and non-touristic local towns of Algarve, Portugal. It was such a great time, we got to see almond trees, goats and sheep, waterfalls, and we even got to try homemade moonshine made in the Algarve region (they vary based on region). It was such a great time and the sunset was worth everything.
The next day was leaving day sadly. We did our usual routine of getting breakfast at the local cafe and then Audrey and I parted ways since she was taking a train early that afternoon to Lisbon. That morning I went with Andre and Anastasia to a Spa at this resort that they go to for their gym membership. It was so great, we had a relaxing day in the Oasis room. After that we got lunch at a sushi buffet and I spent the afternoon at the beach before having to shower and leave for the airport.
Overall Portugal was such a blast! I am so excited to go back after final exams and spend a month there with family and friends! Stay tuned for Semana Santa part 2... the second week of my "holidays."
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