First P-Day August 6

Aug 6   Monday

The Sisters invited us to breakfast this morning.  They had a particular place they wanted to show us – one they had found last week and loved.  We  walked around in circles in the old town section with all the winding cobblestone paths until we had almost given up. 



 We stopped at some pottery and other artisan shops.  Lots of souvenirs yet to be purchased!  We were approached by a man with a couple of children asking where we were from.  He was dressed differently and looked very much Portuguese.  He spoke very good English, so I asked him if he was Portuguese.  He said no, he was from the U.S. and dresses like a native so he doesn’t stand out (not like we do!).

 As we were heading back towards the central square, Sister Madsen spotted the little café down another little alley.  It was a quaint little spot with outdoor seating and lots of atmosphere.  We ordered our breakfast and enjoyed visiting until it was time for them to get started with their P-day work.

After we split, Merl and I went to the famous Loulé market which reminded us somewhat of the Turkish Bazaar in Instanbul.  We bought fig stick (looked like a big sausage) that was made of fig, almonds, and mint.  I also purchased a small table cloth for the kitchen side table that was representative of Portugal.  I had to purchase a big hard roll from one of the bakery stores.  I think it was fortunate that the day’s fish had almost completely been sold, and the merchants were cleaning up their booths.  It still smelled way too fishy for me.

On the way home we stopped by two of our favorite little shops at the side of our apartment building.  We found a basked for our front hall table to put all the things we need to grab as we run out the door.  We also bought some oranges and watermelon at the fruitaria.

After a short nap, we prepared ourselves to go to dinner and Family Home Evening with Sister Conceição who lives in Albufeira.  The Elders (Alder and Buarque) met us at our garage so we (with Sisters Madsen and Kelson) could follow them.  Albufeira is about ½ hour away and is a popular tourist beach town. 

Sister Conceição lives in a high-rise condo with her fish, canary and shitzu.  She had dinner ready and on the table:  a big bowl of potatoes, carrots, onions, fish, and Greek olives topped with a tomato/onion salad with light vinegar.  It was quite a mix but very good. . . soft cheese slices for dessert.

She was baptized in January and has had many questions and concerns about doctrine – baptism for the dead was the major topic of discussion tonight.  The Elders will be following up with her to address these questions and strengthen her faith. 

A short drive later we were home again in our nice little apartment.