After leisurely getting around in the morning, we called our go-to taxi-man to give us the short ride to town for lunch. Upon the driver’s recommendation, Brian immediately set off across the street from the taxi stop to get donuts at the Nata Dourada pastry shop. Wanting to avoid the crowded shop and not wanting donuts, Emmie and I waited on benches across the street while the rest of our tribe placed their order.
Each taxi in Porto Santo has a number; our favorite driver is 16 of approximately 20 total taxis.
The center of Porto Santo, Vila Baleira, was busy as the ferry had just arrived from Madeira.
Cassy got a coconut, vanilla, chocolate concoction while Brian got two of the standard pudding filled donuts. Noah, Eilidh and I declined to partake but Brian was able to convince Emmie to take several small bites.
After the pastry shop we set off walking the tiny “center” of the island, Vila Baleira. We stopped in several stores before finally finding a tourist-oriented souvenir shop where Cassy was able to make a few purchases for friends and family. The kids posed for some photos on street corners before we decided on a small but hopping “snack bar” for our lunch.
Brian and I ordered hamburgers, Noah ordered a hot dog, Cassy chose the bacon and egg sandwich, and Emmie was happy sharing our French fries. Eilidh was an instant hit with the two women seated at the table closest to us and frequently batted her eyelids as they oohed, aahed, and made exclamations towards her such as “meu pequeno amor,” which means “my little love” in English.
Eilidh got her own meal while at the restaurant.
Our food arrived after a short wait. Cassy and Noah enjoyed their fare but Brian and I were pretty disappointed in the hamburgers. The ladies next to us finished their meals before we did, and as they went to exit, they both came over to Eilidh, who was resting her head on my shoulder, and showered her with cheek squeezes, kisses, and general admiration of her beauty. They seemed particularly enthralled with her hair, and one lady walked away, only to backtrack to give Eilidh one final kiss.
Noah was excited to have a hot dog, his first since Iceland.
We shopped around at a few more stores including the island’s largest grocery store and then slathered sunscreen on the kids so they could play for a bit at a local park. Eilidh enjoyed watching the lizards dart about on a rock wall. We followed the pathway along the beach and walked out on the pier for a fun viewpoint before heading back to the taxi spot for a ride back home.
Noah and Emmie posed for Brian outside the grocery store.
Brian insisted a photo of the grocery store sign made it into the blog.
Fun in the park.
Decor remained downtown from the São João festival, which officially concluded around the time we arrived on Porto Santo.
Eilidh fell asleep before the taxi ride and was deposited in her bed for a nice little nap allowing the rest of us to enjoy a little downtime while she was asleep. Brian spent the afternoon on his computer doing some work remotely, and when the kids woke up Eilidh, we all hit the beach. Noah’s newfound love of “going deep” had not abated, so we spent much time helping him jump the waves. Emmie continues to prefer hopping around in the surf and writing in the sand. To round out our beach visit, Noah, Emmie, Cassy and I built a giant sand mound that Cassy deemed like “a giant pile of cat poop.”
After yard showers for the kids and real showers for the adults, we left Cassy in charge of the house while Brian and I went out for a date night. After a short walk, we reached the quaint Casa do Avô for dinner. Fish crepes, steak with mushroom gravy, and a tuna steak were chosen from the menu. Our dinners were good, but our favorite part of the meal was probably the buttered garlic bread served prior to the main dishes! Editor’s Note: This seems to be a Porto Santo pre-meal staple, and we’ve ordered several times since.
The cod crepe appetizer.
We enjoyed our time together and were just finishing up the meal when we received a text from Cassy that Emmie had dropped and shattered a glass in the kitchen. All the kids were in bed upon our arrival with Eilidh asleep and Emmie and Noah awake, but quiet. The dining room and kitchen looked great; Cassy initially took credit before giggling as she informed us that Emmie had done the dishes –hence the dropped glass!
The adults endured another evening of relaxing in our lawn chairs and hammocks before crashing ourselves.