Pull up a Seat – Travels with Ali

~ Last Blast from the Past Year (2025)- Alte, Portugal ~

Our flight back to the UK wasn’t until much later that day, so on checking out we drove to a village on the way to Faro. It was the pretty village of Alto. Before we arrived there Graham had a bee in his bonnet about wanting to swim by a waterfall.

We stopped at Queda do Vigario after seeing some beautiful photos. It was a fair walk down and also the photos were nothing like what appeared at the bottom. Anyway with the bit in his mouth off Graham trotted down the stairs. The water was murky and brown, with food floating in the pond. Not to be thwarted he jumped in. He didn’t stay in for long.

Views from the carpark at the top. I didn’t realise that the painted hillside was of the Portuguese Flag.

Satisfied he had achieved his goal, we drove onto Alte. We found a cute and scenic cafe where we had a delicious lunch. We came just in time as a few bus loads of tourists arrived shortly after.

Grilled cod with roasted garlic. The last fish dish I will be eating for a while.

Cobblestoned Streets of Alte

I could have bought many items from these artsy shops, but with my luggage limit on Ryan Air it was impossible.

Street Scenes of Alte

Ubiquitous Cats of Alte

More Magnificent Murals

There was a definite musical theme running through the village. The murals depicting instruments, players and dancers. Loving murals I was in my element.

As I was climbing up the stairs, these ladies were walking down. One of them stopped me and said I know you. She did look vaguely familiar, it was then it clicked. These were the lovely ladies who sat with me in a wine bar in Cascais watching the rain pour down. Miles from there we just happen to be in the same tiny village at the same time, spooky.

We couldn’t have asked for a better day to end this wonderful trip to Portugal. I will definitely be back to explore the towns, villages and beaches of this beautiful country.

On another note, a week after I returned to Perth my brother Graham fell seriously ill. He contracted a nasty virus in his arm muscle and apparently was close to losing his arm. Maybe it was the waterfall swim but they couldn’t find out what caused the infection. Happy to say he is on the mend now and he said the care was second to none in a Lisbon hospital.

Thank you for coming along on this glorious excursion to Portugal and wishing everyone all the very best for a healthy 2026.

~ Discovering Comporta’s Hidden Gems: Vineyards, Villages and Cavalos ~

Over breakfast on Sunday, we chatted about what the itinerary would be for that day. Graham had been told there were some wineries in the area. I looked a few up and asked the receptionist to ring around to check which ones were open. I was surprised to find out there was only one open, being a Sunday. We booked a tour and lunch and off we went.

As we were approaching Comporta we saw huge birds sitting atop chimneys, lampposts and buildings. Moving closer we realised they were storks. A real treat seeing a stork in the wild.

I tried to get closer, but you can guess what happened.

Before we arrived we stopped and admired the ricefields. At the time not realising they were ricefields.

Flocks of glossy ibis feasting on the rice
with water water everywhere

The winery was called Adega da Herdade da Comporta. It lies with the sea on one side and rice fields on the other. The views around are absolutely stunning. We had arrived at the perfect place for our Sunday lunch. We were given a fascinating tour, visiting the wine cellars and learning about the history. The wine tasting was at our table and the measures were more than generous. We were served lunch with all the wine thankfully.

I was definitely looking forward to tasting this wine.

The view from our guide’s office window

**Enjoying a delicious charcuterie board with a variety of wines**

We all agreed that this place went above our expectations, although I think our lunch played a big part.

Our guide had mentioned a fishing village not far from the winery, she said we must go. So we did and what a fun find it was.

Cais Palafítico da Carrasqueira is a unique fishing village that sits on a multitude of wooden jetties on stilts. They zigzag along the muddy marshes with weathered huts standing on top. The huts are decorated in a myriad of ways all different. It is still a working village which was surprising, considering how rickety the small plankways looked. We spent quite a while here, all of us walking in different directions, daring each other to walk along the piers.

There was no-one around when we were here and I was wondering how the fisherman actually got to their boats.

A faded mural and some random numbers.

Let’s Pull Up a Seat and enjoy the view

Leaving just before sunset with the golden rays spreading slowly across the sea.

Before returning to our hotel we had another brief stop at an equestrian centre. It was just closing but the manager said we could still walk around. Being a horse lover Colleen was in her element. I’m happy there was fences between us.

I would have liked longer to long around as there were some fantastic memorabilia on display.

A fitting end to a perfect day. Back to the hotel for our last night in Porto Covo.

Living it up in Lively Legian, Bali

After checking out of the Novotel, we took Grab Cabs to our next destination, The Pullman in Legian. Upon checking in I found that my request for adjoining rooms had not been accepted! We were all on the same floor though, us around the corner with Elena and Damian in two rooms with a room in between. I was a bit miffed as I had asked twice for this and in plenty of time. Never mind, time to move on and get settled for the next four days of more fun in the sun.

In the evenings there was always a PG film or cartoon showing.
Pull up a Seat and enjoy the show.

Our room was more than okay and the balcony overlooked some beautiful frangipani trees. I saw cute squirrels hopping from branch to branch, peering up at me.

After swimming in all the pools and eating lunch at the hotel, we headed elsewhere for dinner. Elena and I had our wires crossed as to the restaurant I had chosen. Ending up walking further than I had planned only to find that it was “Drag Queen” night. The place was packed and not entirely suitable for young eyes. Always restaurants aplenty in Legian, so we just ate next door.

The Pullman featured three pools, one was adults only. This one overlooked the ocean and a cocktail or two are easily available to watch the sun go down. With Legian being on the west side of the island meant we got to see some glorious sunsets.

One afternoon Rosie and I were having a siesta in the room and ventured outside to watch the squirrels. They were extremely tame, but I chickened out at the last minute to actually hand feed them.

As it was school holidays the breakfast buffet was crowded and noisy, also expensive. There was a long wait for coffee from a state-of-the-art coffee machine, operated by one man, and no other options available. So the next day we opted to eat at nearby cafes.

**Exploring around the cafe while waiting for breakfast**

Anthony continued his daily regime of walking two hours everyday, even in the heat and humidity. I managed a 15 minute walk to the shopping centre nearby. Holidays in Bali are all about relaxation, reading and swimming for me, with a cocktail to hand.

We had a drink one evening on the beach and watched the sun go down.

We didn’t venture to the beach much in the daytime. The sea on this side of the island is good for surfing but not swimming.

One night Anthony and I walked back along the shore. The waves gently lapping around our ankles and enjoying the cool breeze. As we bent down to put out shoes back on a not so gentle wave jumped up and soaked us. Luckily we didn’t have much further to go and squished back to the hotel.

All in all there is something for everyone in Legian. A place to go if you want to party all day and night. Restaurants, bars and cafes line the roads and the beach. Upmarket hotels and budget places jostle for space, most with an oasis of calm and tranquility at the back. A wonderful time creating memories with family.

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In this post I’ve Set the Mood, and Pulled up a Seat to watch the trees and leaves.