Day 2 - Lounging in Vilamoura

Alexander had a great sleep but was still up and at it by 6am. Marshall took him out for an early-morning stroll while the rest of us tried to get a bit more sleep. Marshall returned with breakfast and even some pizza for me!

With everyone surfaced and breakfast had, it was time for the pool and apparently also time for war. I was sent as tribute to reserve five sunbeds. This is my worst moment of the holidays as I’m an honest guy and if we’re not at the sun loungers then we should let them have them. I feel like a fraud. I prefer private pools where you don’t have to wrestle with Diane from Glasgow over a lounger. We were told the pool opens at 8:55, so I arrived right on time… only to discover that it had actually opened at 8:40 and most of the beds were already gone. Classic. I managed to scramble five together and came back, not to announce victory, but to hurry everyone along!

Down at the pool, Alexander kicked off his morning with a bit of water eating and head dunking, but he was quickly flagging — no nap will do that. He went for a walk and, like clockwork, returned with a sleeping baby. So naturally, Marshall and I took the opportunity to grab a coffee and catch some of the Test cricket before returning poolside. Sadly, the clouds had rolled in and it was now windy and overcast, but we soldiered on.

Hungry, I went off to the shop to pick up some folded pizzas — tomato, spinach and ricotta, and some cheese for lunch later. Back at the apartment, we threw together a lunch of baguettes and salad before I drove Anna, Alison and Alexander to the supermarket for a bigger shop. Alison gently reminded me we drive on the other side of the road here. I gently reminded her she didn’t have to come.

Alexander had been dreaming of a big ball and was finally rewarded with one. Unfortunately, the shop was far less thrilling. Tired of circling the same aisle for the fifth time, I took him for a wander. We found a nearby mini-golf park and also a lovely patch of grass between the dual carriageway. I promise it was safe. We spent a happy while sword fighting with sticks and casting Harry Potter spells at invisible enemies until the shopping was finally done.

Back home, we attempted to put Alexander down for a nap, but he wasn’t having it — too much going on. So back to the pool it was. He got back in the water, still cranky, but at least the tears were hidden by the splashes. Eventually, he gave in and conked out.

During happy hour, Marshall got a brain freeze so intense he thought he was having a heart attack. Meanwhile, the woman in front of us on her Kindle was reading in the biggest font imaginable — we estimated a max of five words per page — and was flicking through like an absolute mad woman.

Anna and I had a very romantic photoshoot before Amy and I launched into a diving contest — she won, but I blame my holiday weight. Nailed the bellyflop, though. The man doing the crossword even stopped to watch.

When happy hour turned into sangria hour, we migrated over to the bar. Alexander managed to pee through his water nappies three times — at this point clearly trying to make a statement. Alison suspects he knew he was leaking and was getting upset. Marshall, ever impressed, remarked how clever it was that an 11-month-old understands the concept of nappy saturation.

After a quick rinse at home, we were back out for pizza and more sangria. We ordered white but were served tropical rosé — and just rolled with it. The waitress danced with Alexander, there was a cool guy singing all the oldies, and we tag-teamed walk duties as Alexander explored the entire Old Village. Every now and then he’d swing past our table to steal a chip, then continue his rounds.

After last night’s victory over Anna, tonight was Alison’s turn. We played a tense game of pool and I held strong — going 2–0 up against the Kilgores. Strong form.

We ended the night with a rooftop photoshoot at sunset, followed by drinks on the balcony once Alexander had gone down. A solid, emotional evening to round off a very full day.