As always, I seem incapable of starting a trip without some sort of hiccup. My phone isn't working great, and even after setting multiple alarms, neither one went off and I missed my transfer to the airport. I was instantly panicking and in that rush didn't pack anything to sleep in or anything warm (for the parts of the trip that I was in England) Luckily, last minute, a friend of mine was able to give me a lift. SHOUTOUT TO GREZ. Lifesaver. After only recently moving to the North East of England I had never been to East Midlands airport before and whilst it as expensive (like all airports are) it was, for lack of a better word, cute. I was very early despite being late earlier that morning, I got a short-lived and expensive massage, ate twice and watched two movies. The wait is never fun, but after all that time I had been killing, it was finally time to start my journey to Portugal (Faro), and the views of the beaches were just stunning. After I'd arrived in Faro, there are public buses (14 & 16) that are pretty easy to navigate and relatively short journey to either the beach or the main city and each way costs 2,30 Euros. About a 30 second walk from the bus station was my home for the next few days, the Well'Come! Hostel. It was quiet and quaint much like Faro itself, and the staff were friendly and helpful. As the sun was setting in the Algarve I took a walk around to get my bearings and walked along the Marinha, which under the moonlight was simply beautiful and couldn't quite be captured in a photograph. After an exhaustingly long day, I crashed into my bunk bed, which is feeling I know many travellers can relate to. On Tuesday I was rearing to go and enjoy my first full day in the Algarve. In the morning I set out to find the market but was disappointed as I was mislead and really it was just a typical Portuguese supermarket. It was a shame but I continued to wander round old town Faro and got my usual travelling breakfast, a freshly baked croissant. I carried on wondering for an hour or so, in such a relaxing place, with the sun shining, there's really no reason to rush. I visited a few shops and explored more of the cobbled streets between the typically Portuguese white washed buildings. Around midday I decided to move on to the next part of my itinerary a bought a Ferry ticket to Ilha Deserta (the deserted island) and whilst waiting met Ashley (@bea_lin2333) - go follow her on Instagram, and her friends, Manuel and Phillip. The journey on the ferry was so relaxing, that I fell asleep even though I was battling to keep my eyes open and watch the crystal clear water swim between the small islands surrounding Faro's Marinha. After a 30 minute journey we arrived at the island and deserted really is the only name fitting. The only sound were the waves and it was a type of peaceful I'd never experienced before. White sands surrounded every coast of this island and desert like lands covered the inland, the shells on the shore practically untouched and picturesquely perfect seashells. After not long I decided to make my own venture and go the opposite way the majority travelled. There was a decked path leading around the East side of the Island. The emptiness and lack of people, cars and general noise pollution we accept - was gone, and it was breathtaking. Along the way I met Rosa, a fellow female solo-traveller, from Holland, and a stunning photographer (shoutout to us strong independent women of the world). We walked around together as the sun began to get brighter and hotter, as we walked barefoot to the most southern part of Portugal. Gorgeous doesn't even begin to explain it, but as a traveller the biggest thing is freedom and there is simply nothing else that can compare. We dipped in the sea, tried out my waterproof phone case and took some gorgeous pictures, before deciding to walk back to catch the Ferry, sand between our toes the entire way. Later that day Rosa and I planned to go to Praia de Faro (the beach on the mainland) to watch the sunset and drink cocktails. Unfortunately, I missed my stop but did get a gorgeous picture from the bus. I made my way back to the hostel where I met some new travellers. Ben (@bennoahc), from Canada, Beth (@bp_2127) also British, and two sweet girls travelling from China. We chatted through the night and shared stories before we departed and collapsed into our beds for the night. On Wednesday (my final full day in Faro) I overslept massively, which is not something I normally do whilst I'm away but my trip to Portugal was always about relaxing! I made up for it but getting up and ready very quickly and headed to Praia de Faro with Ben. It was an absolutely gorgeous day out, not a cloud in the sky, sun shining and 25 degrees C even before arriving at the beach it was already a great day. When Ben and I had found a perfect spot on the beach we had some disappointedly small mimosa's and basked in the sunshine. The Ocean was beautiful, glistening under the sunlight, and warm enough for a quick dip. We treated ourselves to ice creams and just relaxed, listening to music and bathed under the sun. Later that day we realised we had both burnt, but it was still a great day ( and 2 days later I'd browned off). When we arrived back in Faro city I decided to visit Algarve's live science center, where the staff were helpful and everything in the center was interactive it was great and I got to hold starfish, a sea urchin and a hermit crab, but it was more family orientated and child friendly than I had anticipated.
Heading back to the hostel I picked up some dinner and had one of the best lemonades I've ever tasted (Portuguese McDonald's is insane). I sat outside in the hostel with some of the staff and other travellers, including Mike (@micheal._mm), from Carlisle, and tried spinning a plastic pizza dough which was a complete and utter fail on my behalf. I was sad it was my last evening because travelling is like a different reality to being at home and paying bills. Thank you so much for reading and following my adventures! Nik
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AuthorNik, the small town Brit. Traveller, adventure enthusiast, writer, has 2 goldfish. The norm. Archives
August 2018
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