Lagos

We are still here in Lagos after a month!! We stayed for a few nights at the free campervan site next to the Municipal Stadium where there is free wifi, toilets and showers. I could also start my running again as it is really close to the promenade. After reading that the Algarve is the warmest place in Europe we decided it may be the best place to stay for the winter. We went to a local campsite for one night and met some nice people including a guy called Patrick from Belgium who has sold his house to travel (we have met lots of people doing the same). After that we decided to look for a place for a month or so to enable us to have some space (for the kids to do their school work better etc). Nick tried to get one for free through playing but the restaurant is owned by a different company so they couldn't do it. We decided to stay anyway at Turiscampo Espiche, it's a really nice site and has a lovely pool for the kids to play. We have been here for 3 weeks now. The busking has been really bad since the end of October half term and lots of places have closed for the winter now. This has caused some stress with Nick but he has now managed to get some gigs in the local area. He also plays the restaurant at the campsite for a meal for us all. It's nice for us all to be able to go out.

Part of the reason for going in a Bungalow was also to get some school books sent over which my mum has done for us vis Amazon. This is brilliant as we now have everything we need for schooling. The schooling is going really really well, Kaiya has taken full charge of her studies and is really getting her head down after a couple of months of resistance, she is now excitied about the prospect of going to University which is really great. Misha is also brilliant at taking responsiblity for her own studies and is also doing really well, at the moment she is doing a project on the History of racsim for her history lessons. Shae has been a little difficult when he hasn't had one to one attention but we have now managed to get into a routine and he jumps out of bed in the morning now to start his lessons. I am teaching him Algebra at GCSE level and he understands it no problem! I am loving it and so is he! I am very proud of them all and have no doubt now that Home Education is the best for them.

We have also decided to start looking for land in Portugal as it is so cheap to buy lots of land with buildings and its own source of water. All of this we need to become self sufficient which is our main goal. It has been good to stay in one place so we can meet people and get to know what is going on in the area, we have been offered a vila with its own pool to rent for £300 per month including bills and wifi which is a bargain but we feel if we stay we will feel stagnant. We have all enjoyed having our space but I think we are all ready to get back on the road again and explore a bit more. We may come back to the vila later next year. We are definitely planning to go to Morocco but am still awaiting Nick to order the green card!!! The plan is to meet our freind Debbie for New Years eve!! We are all really looking forward to that!!

A couple of days ago I felt a home sick for the first time, I think because we have not been travelling round and occupied all the time. Also Dreadzone were playing in Birmingham and I missed it !! Boo Hoo.

Am trying to find a good deal for a dongle as I need internet access to set up my business but not sure there is any point til after Morocco...

Anyway, we leave the Bungalow on the 28th Nov then Nick has a few gigs booked up until just before Christmas (he has also been offered a new years gig but we won't be here). So not sure whether we will be in the Algarve or Morocco for Christmas day as yet..........