Portugal last day - Back to home

16/05 – Last day and back home

08:00 – Good morning!

I'm feeling a little better. The pain in my lungs is gone, but my stomach... I still have to take it easy, to be honest. Time to get ready, pack my suitcase and go have breakfast. Like I said: I went back to that little healthy breakfast restaurant where I was on Wednesday.

09:10 – Breakfast in the sun

It wasn’t too chilly this morning, so it was perfect to sit outside. This time I ordered a bagel with avocado and again the Sunrise smoothie. While I was typing my story, I accidentally spilled my drink. 😅 So I went inside to ask for a cloth, but the lady immediately said she would clean it up. Super sweet. While we were cleaning together, she asked if I wanted a smoothie with cucumber, spinach and something else. I said yes, and she just brought me a new one! So nice. And honestly? That smoothie was surprisingly refreshing.

After breakfast I sat on the beach for a while to enjoy the view and the sound of the waves. I tried to take some pictures of myself with a pair of sunglasses that I want to promote, but it didn't really work.😂 The focus wasn't right or someone kept walking behind me. Eventually I gave up and will make do with what I have.

12:10 – Lunch & typical Portuguese dessert

And yes… if you know me, you probably already know what I ordered 🤪 Guess what? That’s right: spaghetti! 😂

1) Because I just love pasta.

2) Because I want to give my stomach some rest after yesterday. 😅

3) Because I was curious if the pasta here was the same as in my hostel. But no, this was more like we make it, and it was delicious! And the service? Super fast! Within 15 minutes I had my food.

Yesterday I asked the guide of the kayak tour what typical Portuguese food is. He said: good meat and for dessert pastel de nata . He advised me to definitely try that before I left. So I ordered that too. But then the waitress came back with: “Sorry, bad news…” The pastel de nata was gone. 😭 Luckily she said: “There’s a place around the corner with ice cream, waffles and pancakes and they have it too.” So I went there.

I wanted to be surprised, so I deliberately didn't look up "pastel de nata". I also ordered a pancake with strawberry and Nutella, because I couldn't choose. 😅

And then she came with a small pastry, a kind of mini crème brûlée in puff pastry. Yummy! Definitely worth trying. But: if you are very hungry, I would take something extra; for a small appetite it is perfect.

After my dessert I went back to the hostel. I felt in my stomach that I had gone a bit too far. So I laid down on the couch for half an hour before ordering my Uber to the airport.

14:30 – On the way to the airport

Voila, ordered Uber, off to the airport. I was a bit dreading it, because I was just starting to find my way here.😅 Maybe it was a good thing I left, because I already caught myself wanting to ask restaurants if they were looking for staff. I would arrange my own accommodation. That thought kept running through my head.

Arrived at the airport se. Let me sit on the terrace for a while to enjoy the last rays of sunshine. Next to me sat a Dutch couple and we had a nice conversation about the economy and how difficult it is for young people today. Their flight wasn't until 9pm, but they were already there at 3pm (maybe even earlier). I thought: "Phew, that's early." But anyway, they had to return their rental car on time. I personally wouldn't want to be at the airport that early.😅 I really wanted to enjoy myself and make the most of my last hours before I left. And guess what.. My flight back was delayed, but luckily only an hour and a half and not five hours like on the outward journey.😅

22:45 – Arrived home

I landed safely! I had hoped to get some sleep, but alas... The taxi driver had forgotten to give me my neck pillow, and I only noticed that on the morning I left for Albufeira. Nice and early, right.😅 So sleeping on the plane was out of the question. So I just read a bit (luckily I had my book with me) and took some pictures. By the way, I was sitting next to a video producer who makes commercials and trailers and provides subtitles in Dutch and French. Sounds interesting!

All in all: safely home and now time for a long, well-deserved sleep.

Hopefully you enjoyed my stories and could imagine a little bit how it all went. By the way, this is the very first edition of my travel diary, so still some searching and trying.

In the next edition I will add more details: which restaurants I visited, through which organization I booked activities, where I stayed... If you have any questions or want to know something for the next trip, please let me know! ✈️📖💛