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Travel tales of an empty nester
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Home  >  Blog  >  Mum’s Gone to Portugal – Home from Home in Martinhal

Mum’s Gone to Portugal – Home from Home in Martinhal

Trish Burgess Posted on16/08/201104/01/2018 Algarve, Martinhal, Portugal 16 Comments

Despite having packed two plastic boxes full of medical supplies, Dougie was still flailing about on the night before our trip to Portugal, having chopped his finger with a kitchen knife. It was more of a gouge than a neat cut so he couldn’t glue it. He danced about a bit, holding digit in the air aimlessly, then managed to find an unpacked dressing and, you’ve guessed, a roll of duct tape to stem the bleeding.

After this auspicious start to the holiday, we girded our loins and poorly finger, and set off the next morning at some ungodly hour for the delights of Luton airport. Queue-hopped far too many times for check-in, only to discover the plane was delayed for two hours. For once in our lives, when we eventually boarded, we were first on the plane: shame really that this was a time when we had pre-allocated seats.

At Faro airport we wandered with our wheelie bags to a very smart, newly-built section outside the airport where all the car rental companies had their air-conditioned offices and separate parking areas. Funny but we couldn’t find the office for Rent-a-Crap-Car Ltd anywhere. Seems our Vauxhall Corsa, which we had pre-booked for a very reasonable price, was in a separate car-park,and the office was a metal bus shelter. Two very happy, sweaty chaps in vests were dealing with a queue of like-minded cheapskates. As Dougie queued, Rory and I took turns in guessing which car would be ours. There was one very sad one with a huge dent and crack in the back bumper. Yep, that was ours.

We made sure one of the chaps in a vest noted the scratches and bumps before taking our lives in our hands and driving away. Dougie was incredulous that we should be so careful in our choice of vehicle at home, but we don’t make the same consideration with a hire car. It was an automatic, like at home, but it was a pig to drive and under-powered (probably due to our heavy cases)

It took us, eventually, to the resort of Martinhal, the very western tip of the Algarve. Check-in was rather long-winded as the very pleasant man on reception was keen to tell us everything about the resort. We were hot, smelly and tired and all we wanted was to be given the information in a folder to be read at our leisure. Evenutally our cases were loaded onto a buggy and Dougie had to return to the car, unfortunately, to move it nearer to our apartment.

Can I say this in capitals? THE APARTMENT WAS FANTASTIC! There, that’s better. We had booked an Ocean House with sea view. It had two bedrooms and bathrooms downstairs and a huge kitchen/lounge/dining area and balcony upstairs. Designed in fabulously retro style, with a massive green sofa, plenty of cushions, chic seating on the patio and a decent telly. The kitchen had a Neff oven, hob and dishwasher just like I’ve installed at home and a Nespresso machine. I was in heaven. A welcome pack which includes four chocolate muffins and a box of cornflakes made me realise in an instant that this was my kind of resort.

I’ll leave you for now with a selection of photos of our gaff and will tempt you to come back for the next post where I will let you know which celebrity I lay beside at the pool….

 

 

 

 

 

Previous Article Mum’s Going to Portugal…very soon.
Next Article Mum’s Gone to Portugal – Having Dinner with John Torode

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16 Comments

  1. Very Bored in Catalunya Reply
    16/08/2011 at 11:42 am

    Looks lovely, look forward to hearing about your mystery celebrity. x

  2. MsCaroline Reply
    16/08/2011 at 11:51 am

    Very jelly (Sons #1 and #2 tell me that this is a cool way to say I'm jealous), especially of that gorgeous sea view and the sunshine. Can't wait for the celeb reveal…enjoy!

  3. Trish @ Mum's Gone To ... Reply
    16/08/2011 at 12:05 pm

    @Very Bored – all in good time my dear. You'll never guess! 😉

    @Ms Caroline – It seems like years since I was there, even though we only got back Saturday night. It's tackling the washing that brings you back down to earth.

  4. Kelloggsville Reply
    16/08/2011 at 12:22 pm

    Every time we stand in that cheapskate car queue we remind ourselves it's not worth the money it saves!

  5. Sarah Reply
    16/08/2011 at 1:12 pm

    A Nespresso machine eh? From that alone one knows it is an upmarket spot. My dearly beloved will be on the next plane…

  6. Steve Reply
    16/08/2011 at 1:25 pm

    Love the placement of the red wine in that last shot. So decadent.

  7. Troy Reply
    16/08/2011 at 1:43 pm

    That wouldn't be the same celebrity that recently tweeted from Portugal that they were lying by the pool next to Trish would it?

  8. Trish @ Mum's Gone To ... Reply
    16/08/2011 at 1:52 pm

    @kelloggsville – it seemed such a good idea at the time *sighs*

    @sarah – I'm starting to build up a list of establishments which have Nespresso machines in the rooms. Though they only provided six capsules – should have brought my own.

    @Steve – actually I think it's a rather rough rose, but I shan't quibble.

    @Troy – the very same.

  9. libby Reply
    16/08/2011 at 5:37 pm

    Looks fantastic…looking forward to the next installment!

  10. Expat mum Reply
    16/08/2011 at 10:32 pm

    Oooh, that looks lovely. Hope you're having a great time.

  11. Macy Reply
    16/08/2011 at 10:37 pm

    My god, it looks brilliant!

  12. Trish @ Mum's Gone To ... Reply
    17/08/2011 at 8:08 am

    @Libby – part two tomorrow i think!

    @Expat Mum – Back home now but we did have a fab time.

    @Macy – When I think of some of the hotel rooms we've had in years gone by, this was just perfect. I could have lived there permanently.

  13. jfb57 Reply
    17/08/2011 at 9:21 am

    I knew I shouldn't scroll down to look at those pictures! Fab! Now about this celebrity….!

  14. Funky Wellies Reply
    17/08/2011 at 11:57 am

    You are back!! :o) Sorry, had to laugh at the finger, plane and car stories… Not very charitable, I know.
    The place looks just fab! Cannot wait for the next instalment!

  15. Emma Reply
    21/08/2011 at 6:11 pm

    Good to have you back… even though you had a rubbish car, that apartment looks amazing! Emma 🙂

  16. About Last Weekend Reply
    26/08/2011 at 7:33 pm

    OOh looks so relaxing and spacious. We've decided the ordinary sized hotel rooms are just expensive camping, this is lovely apartment-sized…

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