This week I had the pleasure of hanging out with some of my closest friends. We’d decided to take a local train to the nearby town of Lagos… just for fun. Michael kindly drove Sarah and I to the train station in Portimao so we could meet our other pals, Christine and Denise, on the train en-route to Lagos (they picked it up ten minutes earlier in Silves). He was a little confused as to why we didn’t just drive there ourselves, after all it is only 20 minutes away, but we wanted to do something different and be silly (we do love being silly). Plus, not having to drive gave us the perfect excuse to partake in a glass or two of vinho at lunchtime! We are pretty smart like that! 😉
Lagos train station was pretty impressive – a relatively new building, it resembled an airport lounge more than anything else. And it is located right next to the fabulous marina which is simply gorgeous and almost always buzzing with people. I recommend Oasis Cafe for a good sausage sandwich (with yummy English sausages). Their cheesecake and apple pie also looked equally tempting, but I fancied sausages (I’m actually gluten ‘intolerant’, usually avoiding bread but on that ‘hormonal’ day I was having whatever the heck I wanted!).
Heading into town, we found a multitude of bright, colourful stalls all selling pretty much the same thing – jewellery, scarves, handbags, purses, etc. We probably spent a good hour perusing them all and although I came away empty-handed, the girls made a few pretty purchases, including two stunning bracelets and a necklace.
I couldn’t resist taking pictures of those cutesy kitty, puppy and Frozen bags (above right)! Aren’t they adorable?
We soon came across the most ethereal sounding music and had to stop to listen. I’ve no idea what musical instrument this guy was playing but I’ve never heard anything like it. I could have probably stayed for an hour, it was so captivating and beautiful. Can anyone tell me what this instrument is? I must find out more about it!
But the town called to us and so we headed away from the waterside and through little cobbled streets where we went in and out of some lovely boutiques, ending up peckish and ready for a bite to eat.
When we spotted a Chinese Restaurant with a sign saying, ‘terrace meal & ocean view’, we decided to give it a try.
Once upstairs and away from all the hustle and bustle, we were astounded to find a lovely spot overlooking the harbour, all quiet and serene (well, until we arrived!)
And to top it off, the food was absolute delicious – the best Chinese food I’ve had in a while. The pork dumplings (which I’ve never had before) were a delight and my sizzling chicken utterly delicious (apart from the fact it kept sizzling all over my new white t-shirt). 
A couple of bottles of wine later, we stumbled walked out and did a little bit more wandering around, finding a little Italian gelateria (with a slightly grumpy server) where two of the girls enjoyed a little ice-cream. Being lactose intolerant, I had to give it miss 🙁
In the meantime, I came across a wonderful treasure trove of jewellery just off the main square in Lagos – close to where this guy can be found.
I treated myself to a cute pair of ear-rings before spotting another shop called Ale Hop, which I was familiar with from a prior trip to Lisbon. Ale Hop is a great place for fun gifts for any ages. It’s one of those places you could wile away an hour without realising it! I bought another pair of ear-rings and the most gorgeous notebook I’ve ever seen. I knew I had to have it the moment I saw it. (I admit I do have a bit of a problem when it comes to notebooks – it’s the author in me just wants to be surrounded by them).
Coffee called soon afterwards so we enjoyed our last drink in Lagos before we caught the train back. We all had such a fabulous day, spending the majority of it laughing – especially when sisters Denise and Christine decided they wanted a ride on the kids carousel! All in all, we had a super fun day living it up in Lagos!
Lagos is probably my favourite town here in the Algarve. It’s always buzzing, even in the middle of winter when everywhere else in the region seem like ghost towns. Perhaps it’s because Lagos doesn’t have any large shopping centres looming over it and has therefore managed to keep it’s charm with some wonderful little shops to keep the centre busy. It’s a delightful place and if you’re planning a visit to southern Portugal, Lagos would be my recommendation – whether you have kids or not, you’ll find plenty to do there.
Do you have a favourite town where you live? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave me a comment, below.
