An Irish Bar in Portugal

Irish bars are like mosquitoes in wet, dark wooded areas - they're everywhere. I had intended to use another analogy, but opted against it for the sake of being politically correct. Apparently I was programmed with some sort of ethical code..

On our virgin night in Lagos, we did decide to sample the local fare. The happening scene was about a 15 minute walk from Vilabranca, and we began our march to town just as the sun was going down. It was so romantic.. aside from the fact that I was with 3 of my female friends that I'm not intimately interested in.. no offense, lassies. In any case, we decided to follow the native crowd and wait in line at Adega da Marina, a barn-turned-restaurant renowned for its steak & egg cuisine, reasonable prices, large portions, & keyboard player. I mean, this guy can really tickle the ivories. Following suit, I ordered the Grade A entree along with the rest of my dinner-mates, but all I could think about was Dr. Seuss, green eggs, & a juicy slice from the rump of a boar. To be honest, I expected to just go through the motions, taste the meal, despise it, and chug loads of wine.. BUT, it truly was a delectable dish with more flavor than I'd anticipated. Fast forward to the end of dinner, and picture us rollin' .. into Mullens!

Maybe it was Molly and her magnetic, Irish force or maybe it was the desire to listen to good old-fashioned Irish / American drinking songs, whilst improvising some sweet chair-dancing moves..



Regardless, Mullens proved to be a place with cheaper drinks & lots of atmosphere. As we finished last call, we met a group of handsome, Portuguese men. Mom, Dad: EARMUFFS. I might have had some luck with the lads that evening - it really set the bar for the rest of the trip. Sort of.

And I'm still planning on upholding my promise of scenic Lagos pictures.. just experiencing some technical difficulties.. is this thing on? My future offspring better appreciate my sense of humor.

Lagos, Portugal: McWhat?

Molly, Skidz - I wasn't going to go here so soon, but I've received so many signs either related to McDonald's or Mc-ANYTHING.. that without subliminally being sent to snack on a Big Mac, I felt that writing a small tribute to the fine establishment was quite necessary. For the good of my health, of course.

I'm going to go out on a very flimsy limb here and say that Lagos, Portugal just may be the most beautiful place on this earth. You say bold statement, I say true story. On our coastal drive from Sintra to Lagos a few months ago, in a car that made me feel like Ashton Kutcher & Brittany Murphy in "Just Married", not only did we break the travelers' code by stopping at a foreign McDonald's, but we also found a saying that would be repeated at least 4 times an hour for the next two weeks. Are you curious? Feast your eyes on this [mind the homeless girl that wouldn't get out of the way]:



McDrive turned into McWhat, McDrunk, McNO.. and my personal favorite, McHUH?.. and the list goes on - it's a fun game, I'm sure you can develop a few unique sayings of your own.

In any case, once we arrived at our hotel in Lagos, I'm pretty sure that the 4 of us just sat back for a minute in awe. For 30 euros each [per night], we were staying in what felt like the White House. Remember, everything is relative. We had just come from a much needed - but not acquired - night's sleep in an older hostel situated above a night club. Note: If I were still in my early 20s, that would have been perfectly acceptable. If you're ever in Lagos, I highly recommend staying in the Vilabranca apartments. We had more than enough room for 4 girls - a feat rarely accomplished. Our apartment was complete with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a full kitchen, living room, and balcony overlooking the pool and the distant Portuguese landscape. See how happy [or something] we were?



Visible proof that Molly & Skidz do exist! Molly is the one with the kerchief atop her dome, and Skidz is the only individual that isn't smiling as she normally would.. catch the sarcasm. There will be more scenic images depicting the actual beauty of this resort / fishing town in the Algarve in the near future.