We’re always on the lookout for opportunities for the boys to hang out with other kids. Bonus points if they speak a common language and are doing something similar to what we’re doing.
So, when Lori found an art-focused day-camp in a neighboring town, we signed them up.
Our Euro-African Journey (So Far...)
It’s not the most convenient place to access, so we knew this would likely be a one-off. But it was well-recommended by people in Lori’s online worldschooling circles, so we thought it would be worth a try.
There isn’t a direct bus from Lagos to the village of Barão de São João, so we sprung for an Uber, which took about 20 minutes.
When we got to the small farm where the camp is regularly held, the place was abuzz with activity. The boys happily jumped right in and Lori and I made the short walk into the village.
It’s been three months since the two of us have had five hours away from the boys. There were a million things we would have been pretty stoked to do in Lagos—hang out at the beach, go on a boat trip, hit up one of the nicer restaurants or cafes we’ve been eyeing…
But Barão de São João isn’t exactly Lagos. To make things a bit more complicated, it’s a Wednesday, and for some unknown reason, everything in town is closed on Wednesdays.
Everything, that is, except for one intrepid vegetarian cafe—Beco do Sol—which also appeared to be a popular hang out for the village’s inexplicably outsized expat community.
As you may have guessed, there wasn’t a lot to choose from on the menu. We ordered a macchiato and flat white and enjoyed being able to hold an adult conversation during daylight hours without being interrupted a hundred times.
Afterwards, we took a stroll around the village (which took all of five minutes) before ending up at the entrance to Barão de São João National Forest—the main attraction here.
The parking area affords one of the best views of the village. This is pretty much the whole place.
The forest is a popular stop along the Lagos area cycling route and contains dozens of miles of multi-use trails.
Sadly, just last month, a wildfire ripped through the park, burning a sizable portion. The park is also home to several windmills, and you can even see the burn marks on many of the massive blades.
Fortunately, we had been given a heads up about the fire before coming out here, and many of the trails made it out unscathed. So it wasn’t a total bust.
Still, the damage was incredibly sad to see, especially knowing what this park means to this community and the surrounding region.
Our little four-mile jaunt made us surprisingly hungry. So, we returned to the one place in town that was opened and ordered the heartiest-looking thing off their all-veg menu.
We returned to the boys to catch them right in the middle of a serious game of tag (Riley loves tag). They collected their lovely art projects and we started the process of making our way back to Lagos.
Some exhausted boys on our hands. They’ll sleep well tonight, for sure.
We spent the next several days kicking around Lagos and soaking up the sunshine, with school fit in where it made sense.
We’ve been lucky with grocery shopping since we got to Portugal. Unlike Mexico, we never have to catch a ride to or from a market or grocery store. There’s always something nearby.
Right around the corner from us here, there’s this municipal market selling fresh local produce and seafood. There are three major supermarkets a 10-15 minute walk farther, and a small supermarket next to our apartment building.
More holiday decorations go up every day. Christmas is still a month off but feels right around the corner now.
Late November, and we’re still trying to make it out to the beach as much as we can. Beach days aren’t quite the same here as they were this time last year in Oaxaca, but we can’t complain.
We picked the warmest day of the week to spend at Praia Santa Ana. This beach gets packed in the summertime (a sea of beach umbrellas practically touching each other). Today, it’s just us and a handful of others spread out across the long beach.
Noe spent most of the time making something or other on top of a rock formation at the end of the beach.
It’s a wet and chilly walk back to the apartment, even when the sun’s out.
It took us six weeks to fulfill Riley’s final birthday gift. Riley had a voucher to redeem at a toy store in Portugal and Riley took the decision seriously. He eventually landed on this Lego camera and was all smiles when we finally got to put it together.
One more fowl-weather beach afternoon to get the wiggles out. The boys don’t mind the chilly temps and driving wind one bit, as you can tell by these faces.
Ever since we visited Sagres, Riley can’t resist passing the old fort in Lagos without one big “Ka-BOOM!”
