El Rompido
On February 1st, Mark, Maya, and I left Lisbon in a rental car and joined our friend Patti at her rental house along the Piedras River in El Rompido. We stayed for the final two weeks of her three-month stint there.
Welcome to Spain!
While the setting and views were lovely, the weather didn’t cooperate. Long beach walks and outdoor happy hours were off the table.
(Hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)
That said, whenever sunshine was in the forecast, we made the most of it — heading into the Algarve of Portugal for day trips to visit my parents or explore with our friends Heather and Jon. One particularly good morning, our little group — three people and three dogs (Patti has two of her own) — managed to get some exercise along the river beach and through the nearby forest.
The house itself was spacious but cold. Luckily, we had a small electric heater in our room, which made it possible to warm up and get cozy under the covers. Patti, on the other hand, prefers cooler temperatures — a difference we definitely noticed. 🙂
Despite the chilly, rainy conditions and busy days, our evenings were enjoyable and social.
We indulged in home-cooked dinners, fabulous wine and port, and great conversations. At night, we sometimes watched the Winter Olympics together. Our trio even hosted an Indian curry lunch for one of Patti’s friends and were invited to a traditional Spanish tapas and tortilla meal at a neighbor’s house.
Cádiz
Patti had bought a car in Spain, which needed to pass inspection in Cádiz. Since it was a 2.5-hour drive each way, she appreciated having company. With questionable weather in the forecast, Mark stayed behind with Maya and Koozie, while Patti, Pekoe, and I turned it into a day trip.
