25.07.2023

Today is a quieter day. I even slept until 7:30. I have some well timed plans – you might call it a spa-day.

After breakfast it is out to the bus stop. Since I bought the ticket yesterday I want to use it. I also need a new sunblock, since I hate the spray I have I change to cream. I can’t go without it, otherwise it is 50 shades of lobster.

One thing that doesn’t arrive after I bought the cream is the bus. I wanted to be at the barber shop – my first activity of the day – at 11 am. The bus does not appear, but the next scheduled one does. Now I am at the Torre dos Clérigos at 11 (when I had my appointment) and 5 more minutes to walk to Velho Jack Barbershop. Lucky that their booking system sucks, they got a booking for yesterday (which I cancelled) but nothing for today. But the waiting time is 10 minutes. Not a problem.

A nice haircut and beard treatment later I am on my way again. I liked the barbershop here. Good service, good prices and I like the result.

My next appointment is at 14:00 for a massage. So 2 hours to walk around, find some geocaches. I bought my souvenir for the travel wall at home. A Portuguese tile in a frame. From local artists and not made in China.

I also try a Pastéis de Nata – a typical small pastry. Tastes very nice. And since I still have time left, a cup of milk with coffee (that is what the menu said) and a toast with olive oil. 4,40 Euro. A little snack.

I booked a neck, head and back massage. Ecomassage Massage had a lot of good reviews on both Google and Tripadvisor. You want something serious and not some shady business. 1 hour of therapeutic massage and I feel very relaxed afterwards. There were some hurting spots but it was needed.

Next is my Geocaching event at 17:00 at the Avenida dos Aliaods. I do a tour down the shopping street (or at least one of them) and find a shop only for socks. I can’t resist and buy 7 pairs for a little under 18 Euro. Slow pace, some geocaching and at 16:45 I sit at the location with the event banner bound to my legs. No other place to bind it to. 5 local geocachers participate – no tourists which is unusual. But nonetheless a nice chat and I got some tips for caches that are worth finding.

Walking again to kill more time. The guide from day 1 said the local McDonald’s is interesting. It is an old cafe from the 1900s that was bought by McDonald’s and then the locals demonstrated and protected to save the historic cafe. So a unique McDonald’s that you visit not to eat, but to look at.

There is a street concert of a group that is called TUNA – which are groups of university students dressed in traditional dresses, play traditional instruments and sing serenades. This tradition goes back to the 13th century where the students had to earn food money. Today they do it to keep the tradition alive.

The last activity for the day is a traditional Faro concert. A small club for about 30-40 people. We get a short introduction into Faro and the differences between traditional and commercial Faro. The groups have a classical guitar and a Portuguese guitar plus a singer. It will be too difficult to explain everything but the Portuguese guitar player has to know all melodies, the classic guitar supports and the singer decides on the spot depending of the audience, the form of the day, the vibe in the room, which Faro to sing. Not that you understand the language (Portuguese is terrible) but a very unique experience – in a good way. All with a glass of Port vine.

Back home with the bus – or so I thought. Of course the bus doesn’t come and no other going my way from there so a Bolt it is again. Why did I buy the bus ticket?