THE ESTUARY ON THE NORTH SIDE OF FARO BEACH. ON THE SOUTH LIES THE SEAAt 21.30 the place was still heaving. The Algarve is enjoying a bumper tourist season, the numbers swelled by the bad news from numerous terrorist-afflicted destinations. Unlike most of its European neighbours, Portugal has few problems with radical Islamists.
L&L are beach people. Here they are in conversation with Jones (leaning upon her broom) as they prepare to set out on another expedition. Note Mini and Mello jousting far right.
This is how L&L might look should you encounter them at the beach. At home they would have their two dogs with them on the sands. This year they have found reliable house-sitters, a New Zealand couple pleased to look after their pets for the sake of comfortable lodgings in London.
On Monday evening we travelled to the Monte de Eira restaurant in the hills overlooking Loule to celebrate Llewellyn's 50th birthday. It was the perfect night and setting for a fine al fresco meal.
Another evening Jones invited the neighbours for drinks. If I should look a little under-dressed, it's because my task was to walk and feed the dogs beforehand and then to keep them out of the way as far as possible (which wasn't very far). Seated beside me is Mike Brown for whom I am often mistaken -and vice versa.
As it happens, this was also the evening set aside for the performance of Aristophanes' The Birds by touring players following the production's earlier postponement. A hasty stage had been erected at the former primary school and benches laid out for the village audience.
I'm not sure that Aristophanes would have recognised his drama, so freely had it been adapted to poke fun at present worthies. Mrs Merkel, local politicians, Euro bureaucrats and the food inspectors were all dispatched in summary fashion, much to satisfaction of those present.
Another evening we gathered at the Hamburgo with Celso, Brigitte and family (now living in France, whence Brigitte hails) to celebrate their visit. The couple used to run a Benafim snack bar of which we were very fond. Seated beside me is their son, Joey, and beside Jones their daughter, Elina. Also present, at the end of the table, are Brigitte's sister and her daughter, paying a first visit to Portugal. Jones conducted her conversations in French and I mine in Portuguese. Celso & co switch effortlessly between the two.
Thursday the girls went to town to see what money could buy. Here they are showing their ankles in Loule's pedestrian arcade. Jones came away with a pair of sandals - not the ones she's wearing. As well as keeping the dogs entertained, I delivered a load of firewood to Jose and uploaded Llewellyn's pictures to the blog. Sufficient unto the day...!
And here we are, back at the Hamburgo, on Thursday evening. The restaurant was busy, as always, although not as frantic as in August when there is no let-up. Our hosts, Manuel and Graça, are both in need of a holiday.
After these exhausting social activities we all needed a little rest. Mercifully, temperatures have fallen a few degrees, for a few days at least, although the coming week looks evil. If I ran the world, I should arrange for September to follow hard on May's heels, thus doing away completely with the cruel heat of summer.
It's a dog's life!
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