Fun in the Sun

Summer is in full-swing here in Portugal. We've been having fun in the sun, that's for sure! The beaches are swarmed, beer flowing steadily from taps, the smell of grilled fish luring passersby into the beach eateries all along the coast. On any given day, driving down the marginal, you'll see bathing-suit clad locals and tourists strolling to and from the beach. Love-struck couples walk hand-in-hand, stopping for kisses so passionate, you'd think they were being filmed for a love scene in a movie.

The mornings and evenings are cool and breezy. The children fall asleep quickly and deeply after a long day in the sun. Life is good!

We've been attending playgroups and barbeque's. When we are home, we spend it relaxing and out of the sun - giving our bodies a chance to wind-down and recover after such fun and sun-fill days!

Lila is still uncomfortable in the water. However, she is making progress. She's starting to kick her feet in the baby pool and splash water on her face, blow occasional bubbles if I get in with her and so on. I'm going to try to spend the next couple of weeks easing her into the water further. Hopefully, her fear will subside. Olivia, on the other hand, becomes more at ease with the water every day. She puts her whole body under water and swims a few strokes before coming up for air. She's not afraid of jumping in on her own. I'd like her swim instructor to push her a little harder in order to get her more comfortable and stronger when swimming without any swim aides. I think she's just about ready for that.

It is so beautiful here. The blue skies and blue sea, blending with old structures and new. Sail boats dot the coastline. It's often hard to keep your eyes on the road when driving down the scenic coastline. Some of my friends have views of the sea (from their balconies) so lovely, I just stand and gaze out, sighing sadly when I have to turn and leave.

I am looking forward to visiting home in a few weeks. However, I will certainly miss it here! It's a good thing that summer here lasts through October. When I get back in late August, there will be plenty of fun times in the sun left!