Portimao, Portugal

 Portimao, Portugal                                                                      Sunday, May 8, 2022

               Happy Mother’s Day! 

               We were treated to an extra hour of sleep as Portugal is on a different time schedule as compared to its neighbor, Spain.  Because we are here for today only, we will turn our clocks back an hour again tonight.  Huh.

               Also as a treat, we were able to schedule a worship service for this morning!  A later departure last night resulted in a later arrival this morning, so voila’ a space in the schedule for worship.  Thanks be to God, because our last one was on Easter.  It was my turn to offer the prayers and the benediction, and it was fun to celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday with new friends.  Our British planners choose the hymns and this time I recognized the words but not the tune.  Oh well.  We only get the words.  No music, so when the tune comes out as a surprise we struggle.   We sang as well as we could with masks still recommended.

               Here, I’ll write a bit about the masks that Jerry and I are still wearing and why. In earlier blogs, we have shared some of the Covid safety protocols and that we have been kept quite safe.  These recent weeks have been a bit different for many reasons and not in any particular order: 1) parts of Europe have lifted mask mandates, 2) about 18 days in a row of getting off the ship and joining hoards of shoulder-to-shoulder crowds in tight spaces, 3) new guests have joined us and the crew is gradually turning over since their 6-month contracts are ending which allow them a 2-month home return before being assigned to the next Oceania ship, 4) cold and wet weather and getting out in the weather anyway, 5) I’m sure there are more…But…no matter.  Three nights ago, we were invited to join a table in one of the specialty restaurants on board the ship to dine with the General Manager on board.  Nice compliment and a special evening of sharing with this almost 50-year-old and father of 2 from France who shared two delicious bottles of wine at the table.  The other couple who joined our table shared that they had been exposed to Covid by a member on their trivia team, were getting their first antigen test and were feeling fine.  Later the next evening, our phone rang in our state room and the voice at the other end informed us that we had now been exposed and we needed one antigen test a day for five days.  Yes, we then got an email from the couple, who were now quarantined for five days, hoping we had no symptoms and that they now were positive for Covid.  So, in a nutshell, as I write this, we have just passed our third of five tests and are continuing to wear our masks and to take care of others around us.







               Back to Portimao, Portugal.  This was a new destination for Oceania and perhaps one that will not be repeated.  The port town is a local beach resort and a town whose main income seems to be the local and provincial guests who enjoy the beach.  It was Sunday and we exited the ship on our own during the afternoon siesta time (most European shops close from 1:30-4:30 and remain open til about 8:30 pm) so there wasn’t much open to see.  The church was also closed except for the morning mass.  We did spot some storks in large nests—some on top of chimneys or smoke stacks, and one on top of a crane!  One of the mothers was feeding her young whose heads we could barely distinguish.  Watching these huge birds soar and float was  delightful.


                We enjoyed a nap back on board, then I spied on the preparations for the evening’s on board dinner and entertainment.  For the first time (for us), the pool deck was completely transformed.  All the pool chaise lounges were removed and dining tables for 4-8 persons were draped in white and set for fine dining.  Streamers and decorations were hung in a colorful and festive environment and Around-The-World guests were treated to a four-course meal, Sangrias, wines, and local port wines.  Two straw hats and two fans were at our table of four and we had an enjoyable evening of setting sun, delightful conversation, and a new cuisine.  Then there was dancing as the show band appeared.  We were getting chilled so we returned to our cabin, grateful and satiated.

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