Alvor, Portugal, Sat 28 June 08

We had agreed on another morning walk on the beach but with a swim this time. I really struggled to get out of bed after the cocktails from the night before and I wasn't the only one; only Janette & Neil managed to meet me at 8am. The water was so cold I knew it was going to be tough getting in so Janette & I just ran and dove straight in. Freezing but very refreshing.

My muscles were pretty sore from the beach walks and capoeira so I was very happy to have a full body massage at the hotel. It felt great.

At midday Neal had us booked in for some jet skiing. It was so much fun! My first ride was on my own and I must admit I was a little nervous, but I soon got the hang of it and I was zooming along.

I went out with Janette another time as she was a little worried bout going out on her own but she did really well - till our jet ski stalled and we had to try and get it going again, took us ages, I was starting to worry we'd need to be rescued! Bevan, Chris and Chayter all managed to fall off their jetskis, with Chris providing the most spectacular, flying a good few feet when he hit a wave going around a corner.

It was our last night so we all headed out for our final group dinner. It was a great night with good laughs and more yummy red wine. Back at the hotel we chilled in the hotel garden for a night of chatting and games.

We flew out early the next morning. It was such a great weekend!

Alvor, Portugal, Fri 27 June 08

As the alarm goes off in the morning I strongly question how wise it was to agree to an early morning exercise session after a number of Sangrias... but once we were in the sun and on the beach I was very happy I had dragged myself out of bed.

The beach in the morning was simply gorgeous. It was very quiet, only a few early sunbathers and runners were out. My only regret was thinking it would be too early for a swim and not bringing my togs, even at that time the sun was scorching.

After a shower I met up with everyone else at breakfast and lo & behold they never made it to the gym! hehe In fact that were highly impressed with us early walkers. Breakfast was delicious with everything you could want; cooked breaky, waffles, fruit, croissants, cheese and champagne.. yep champagne! Oh it really doesn't get much better than this.

We claimed our usual spot on the loungers between the bar and the pool... prime location. At one point had a bit of a throw around of the rugby ball Chris had bought with him and got a few questions whether they were NZ rugby players.. haha that made me laugh ;)

In the afternoon after some meetings we attended a Capoiera class the hotel ran. It was so much fun, hard, but fun! We had to do all these crazy kicks and learnt how to 'dance' with another person. He basically had us doing cartweels and crazy maneuvers. I also got to have a go on the drum which was cool because the music is a big part of Capoiera.

Dinner at the hotel and then we settled into the hotel bar for some drinks and a night of games. Played Whos in The Bag, where someone says clues and others have to guess who the person is. I was terrible at it! But a great night catching up with what everyone was doing, first time I've ever seen all my workmates in one place.

Alvor, Algarve, Portugal, Thurs 26 June 08

Can't write about France till I've updated you all on Portugal so I better get my act together!

There is really only one way to sum up Portugal. Utter bliss! Three days of sun, sand, sangrias, caipirinhas and swimming. It really doesn't get any better than that.

Thursday morning I was up at 3:15am to get to the Luton airport for our 6:30am flight. Ouch! Luckily Bevan let me crash at his place and catch a taxi with him & his girlf Claire in the morning or I would have been up even earlier since I live on the other side of London.

What a mission getting through the airport! Chayter decided to stand in queue for half an hour till he realised he didn't need to since he'd already checked in online and had no bags, Alex was stopped at security for trying to take a bag load of liquids through, Chris & Joji were sent back to check-in because of a problem with their boarding passes.. I'm surprised any of us made it on the plane!

Once at the hotel we got changed into togs and met down at the hotel pool and bar. Wow, what a hotel! Incredible views over the sea, multiple restaurants & bars, massive outdoor pool, indoor pool & spa, massage centre, and elevator down to the beach! Yep you heard that right. You name it this hotel had it! First order of business was ordering myself a Caipirinha, a brazilian cocktail I had the pleasure of drinking for the first time in an Auckland brazilian restaurant and loved! Made with Cachaca, sugar and lime. Very tasty and my staple for the next few days.

We picked our loungers by the pool and settled in for an afternoon of relaxation and catching up in the 37deg heat. We also had to give the elevator a go and check out the beach. The beach was beautiful with picture perfect white sand, crystal blue water and gorgeous rocks & cliffs that gave the beach a unique look. To the left was a great little lagoon which you could only get to at lower tides or if you swam around the rocks. Poor Alex was in a cast from breaking his heel so didn't get to enjoy the beach or the pool.

My workmates Chayter, Alex, Bevan and Chris, Bev's girlf Claire and Chris' girlf Joji wanted to watch the football that night but I wasn't too interested so headed with my boss Neal, his wife Janette, our accountant Neil and his wife Liz to a restaurant for dinner. It was a seafood restaurant on a hilltop overlooking the river. A beautiful view made even more spectacular with the sun setting. Great food, fresh fish and yummy sangria. We also tried a local red wine that was delicious. Our waiter was hilarious too with a very cheeky sense of humour.

Back at the hotel we meet up with Chris & Joji who had organised a morning gym session with Claire. I said they were crazy and why wouldn't they utilise the beautiful beach right outside? So that's what the rest of us decided to do and Liz, Neil, Janette & I were to meet for a morning beach jog at 8:15am.