Praia de Armação de Pêra

A new experience or simply just a very different way of traveling to what I am used to has begun. Going from traveling alone with a backpack to traveling with a currently 8-month-old baby is definitely different and the first thing that strikes me is, how much packing is needed. Whether it is a weekend trip or a 6-month trip around the world, the baby needs the same no matter what. Luckily the second-hand market is fantastic and you can find everything for a reasonable price, less fun though that one-piece suit we bought for the little one from a nice lady in Högdalen tested positive for explosive substances at the security check, the fact that we also had a thermos in our luggage actually made the whole thing even more fun.

However, we were let through and have now landed in Faros, Portugal. A rental car was picked up at the airport and after a couple of minor mishaps we are now in Armação de Pêra where we have rented an apartment for a couple of nights before we move on. Another thing about traveling with babies is that they really need their rest, and we need ours. This means that even though we landed fairly early in the day, we haven’t had time to do much more than get here and land in the apartment with the purchase of various basic goods that may be needed and now we are completely exhausted so it will be an early evening.

Despite or regardless of whether this is a new way of traveling, it feels very, very good to be on the road again. There are few things that can make you feel as alive as carrying a backpack, discovering new environments, cultures or just a new neighborhood. Sometimes it doesn’t go as planned, like today’s lunch where I ordered a fish stew that would have been enough for a whole football team, but most of the time it just generates a laugh and a happy memory to think back on.

Enough that it was an early evening yesterday, but it was perhaps not entirely voluntary that I got up in the morning, long before the sun rose to cook porridge, play with the babblers and at the same time try to make sure that the noise level is kept down so that we neither wake the wife of the household nor the neighbors. Not an easy task and just in time for sunrise I got proof of my failure when I was relieved by a somewhat sleepy wife. No harm done, however, and I got to go for a run along the beach promenade at sunrise which was absolutely fantastic.

Otherwise the day has been very passive, we have explored the village we live in which is cozy but quite sleepy as we are off season but when you walk around here and see all the cafes, bars and restaurants I can imagine that under the high bed there are a lot of people here. In other words, they suit me perfectly to be here now. The weather is warm enough to be able to walk in shorts and a t-shirt even though I haven’t dared to go swimming in the sea yet. There are enough cafes and bars open for me to be satisfied and you don’t have to fight the hordes to find somewhere to sit, perfect in my opinion.