The Brennans have gone to Portugal

 Good afternoon. Today, we went to Almancil and Albufeira. Cabanas is very nice, but I would like to be closer to a golf course. There are several on the map in Almancil, so off we went. I was clearly a couple of levels above my pay grade. Just past the course we had entered into the GPS, we found ourselves in a development of homes. The homes were very modern, large, and clearly quite expensive. I guessed they were in the millions. Driving twenty minutes to Spain really isn’t that bad. Next, off to Albufeira for lunch. It is a port with an opening to the ocean, which appears to have been blasted. You will see the entrance in the pictures. Lunch was supposed to be at the Irish Pub. We ordered coffee and waited for the menu. Finally, we asked if we could have a menu, only to be told their kitchen was closed. We could order from the restaurant next door. We ate it, but it wasn't much. Driving through Fero, we took a shortcut to the ocean, but it was a dead end.   I believe ...

 Good evening to all The Henry's have arrived and now are in their own home. They are a little north of us, about a ten-minute walk. While today was not hot, and the sun did not come out much, I took my sweater off for a bit while Lawn Bowling. Kelly and I went for a walk at 4:30. She insisted we go. There were few people out and around, and overcast. As we walked, I saw a number of flowers, so I thought I would send you some pictures. I have not figured out how to make it neater. SORRY

 Good morning It is now February 1st, so there is an additional cost for viewing this picture. In the spirit of cooperation with our neighbour to the south, I have put a 25% tariff on the blog. Trish reminds me that 25% of nothing is nothing, but I still wish to be in sync.  We see the bird below several mornings but do not know what kind of bird it is. If you know, please put a comment on the blog.

 Good evening Yesterday, I went to Faro Airport and picked up John, Delores Henry, and Kate, Delores's sister. They had a good flight but were tired. Last night and tonight, they will stay with us, and then on Saturday, they will move into their new place.  Today, I played lawn bowls in beautiful weather. The sun started out a bit cool but warmed up quickly. Over the last few days, it has been getting hotter. The sun has been shining with not a cloud in the sky. So far, we've been quite prepared to do little. I've bowled, and every couple of days, we go to The Contenente to shop. So far, we have been quite prepared to do almost nothing. I have bowled, and every couple of days, we go to The Contenente to shop.  We will try to think up something interesting to do.

Good evening. It is just after 6:00 in Toronto, and you will be getting ready for the Bills' great win over the Chiefs. We will watch the game tomorrow morning.  I’ve been having a lot of trouble with Blogger. You may have seen a post saying there were pictures, but nothing showed up. I believe I have the solution: I need to use Chrome, not Safari. I will send this out tomorrow or on January 27 with a better picture of the ocean.  It’s Sunday morning now, and I know Buffalo lost — such a sad story. It’s raining, but in an hour, it will stop, and the temperature will rise to 20°C or 68°F.  Yesterday, I bowled against a woman from Montreal who is here for five weeks. We should have her over for dinner.

 I have been told the blog is boring. It needs more talking, so here goes Boa Tarde We have been in Portugal for two weeks now. The weather has been colder than we are used to, mainly because we have never been here in January before. When I say it is colder than we are accustomed to, I should mention that most days it reaches above 60°F, or about 15 or 16°C. I have lawn bowled five or six times. Yesterday, while bowling, I alternated between having my jacket on and off. Once I put the jacket away, I was comfortable for a while. Then I needed to take my sweater off; it was too warm. When the sun went behind a cloud, I put the sweater back on. I have been bowling quite well, but the people I bowl with in Portugal are very skilled. Kelly and I have taken several walks along the boardwalk. We have worn sweaters and, at times, light coats, but we have never been cold. The village somehow seems neater, perhaps fresher, than it did five years ago. In 2020, some construction was taking pl...

Good evening! It is now Thursday, January 23. I have been searching for dry vermouth. Everywhere has the dark red bottle and the light green one. Some places even have orange vermouth, but not the dark green bottle of dry vermouth. This evening, after a trip to Spain, I went into Tavira in search of a liquor store. The places we had been looking were grocery stores, which all sell liquor. I finally found a liquor store just across the Roman Bridge. It's called the Roman Bridge because it was built by the Romans. They had the red bottle, the light green one, and the orange vermouth, but no dry vermouth. I asked the man who appeared to be in charge, and he said they had a Portuguese dry vermouth suitable for Martinis. I bought one thinking it would be less expensive because it was Portuguese. I was wrong. I can finally have a Martini, but the bottle cost 41.30 Euros. My Martinis now taste mostly like gin, but they are still Martinis. The moral of the story is if y...