Noah and I started the morning with a walk to the city center, where we’d planned to purchase some takeaway pastries to share with Gee Gee, Amanda, and Emmie. We started at the same pasteleria we had visited two days prior, but it was extremely crowded and the staff spoke minimal English, so when the pastries were delivered on ceramic plates, we decided to dine in and get our to-go treats from another Porto Santo bakery.
Noah enjoyed the chocolate milk more than the chocolate-filled donut.
The second bakery, which we’d visited a year prior, was equally busy, but I started the communication with “takeaway” and we walked away with a couple of treats to share, and sought out a taxi for the most efficient ride home.
While I planned to spend most of the day working from the house, I wanted to get in some time at the beach. The older kids and I walked to the beach and made a return visit to Bar do Henrique for a round of fruity sodas to break up our morning. We met up with Amanda, Eilidh, and Gee Gee for a little more time on the beach before returning home. Shortly after our return, I walked to the nearby takeaway spot to grab our Friday lunch.
I was pretty excited to get a souvenir Brisa glass – for free – from Bar do Henrique!
Eilidh was excited to see Noah at the beach!
Our takeaway lunch consisted of fried polenta, potatoes with onions and bacon, fish casserole, “typical” bread, and pork, clockwise from top center. The entire meal (including leftovers) was just over 12 Euros.
While I worked much of the day, the view from my “office” was pretty spectacular.
Amanda, Gee Gee, and Eilidh got in their shopping fix with an afternoon trip to the city center. With the weather improving each day in Porto Santo, they decided to double down on the day’s beach visits. It was near low tide, meaning a number of rocky pools were revealed, creating a new set of opportunities for exploration, and photos. For dinner, I grabbed some forgettable omelets from the takeaway spot for Gee Gee and Amanda, who stayed with Eilidh while I took the older kids out for dinner.
A unique new tube-feeding spot for Eilidh!
We returned to Noah’s favorite Restaurante Vila Alencastre, where he ordered another ham and cheese omelet. Emmie ordered a vegetable soup which she didn’t love (but was, fortunately, the cheapest item on the menu.) I ordered the usual banana-topped scabbardfish, and we all shared garlic bread prior to our meal.
Noah and Emmie weren’t ready to wind down after dinner, so we walked toward the city center. Our favorite taxi driver saw us walking, so gave us a no-charge lift the rest of the way to the center. We returned to our favorite ice cream and cotton candy stops then checked out some tunes at one of the two São João festival stages. The kids were pretty exhausted by the end of the night, and we took a taxi back to our home a bit after 10:00 p.m.
Emmie’s crazy cotton candy mustache.
Local musician Joana Câmara played an enjoyable set for her São João festival performance.