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It was nice to finally go on a purely relaxing trip. The last few trips I've been on have been relatively adventurous and involved some amount of hiking - this one was decidedly unadventurous. One key relief of returning to England at the end of any travel is usually being able to speak English again, but the first thing I noticed on getting back was that I had made absolutely no effort over the previous week to speak Portuguese. Vilamoura is so overwhelmingly occupied by English tourists that it feels like some sort of outpost. This was fine by me, as on this occassion I wasn't looking to do anything but relax as deeply as I could. This is partly because it was the first proper holiday I've been on with my family since our dog died and my mum had an operation.
My dad had chartered a small yacht for the day after we landed. It was a very luxurious experience and free from the usual stress that getting on a boat with my dad entails when he's the captain. To be waited on how we were was a surprising relief. In the morning, we were picked up from the boat by a dingy from which we hopped on some jet skis. This was my first time riding one but it felt quite natural (probably due to my natural inclination to go fast in any circumanstance), and I was grateful that my girlfriend mostly trusted me to go full-throttle.
That same afternoon, we were taken to a beach restaurant by dingy. The seafood was excellent (as it was for most of the trip).
For the following few days we did nothing but lounge by and in various pools at the resort where we stayed. During this time I read the bulk of 'Confessions of a Mask' by Mishima and it renewed my love for reading - I will write a review of this separately. The "Roman" and "Turkish" baths (a lukewarm tiled room and a weakly humidified steam room, respectively) at the spa were underwhelming but I was pleased with the sauna (I love saunas).
On the penultimate night of our stay, I stayed out late with my girlfriend, my sister, and her boyfriend at a marina bar. We played ring of fire and it became one of those evenings where one's ribs ache from laughter.
On the final night we visited a night-market that had been set up right next to the resort. The pizza was delicious and I made a couple of drunken purchases (pictured below) which I don't regret.
This was overall a great trip and I feel very rejuvenated now that I'm back.
