That is the question that has been flying around the house for the past few days.  We have been debating the merits of it for a few days now.  We have been looking at car rentals (not only in Portugal) and they have been excessive – even with the Hertz deal that our cousin Michelle was kind enough to help us out with.  We’re talking like $1200 for the week – yet one in Ireland is like $250.  I’m not sure why that is, I could guess and I’m pretty sure it’s because you’ll be surrounded by Irish the entire time you’re there but who knows.   (For those of you who don’t know me well, I always goof on the Irish with some of my friends who are Irish – but there is no real dislike of the people or their country – it’s really quite nice.  Not as nice as Scotland but hey, what is?)

Jess is pretty frugal, or thrifty or as I like to say, cheap.  It depends on who you ask.  This certainly helps us a lot.  It’s odd because we both pretty much grew up with the same financial situation.  Me, I don’t mind spending money.  I work, a lot, and make a decent salary so, why not spend it when we are on vacation?  We did not go on vacation often when I was a kid.  Jess and her family took the ride from Florida to NY just about every summer, if not every summer.  I think we did that once.  When I was five.  We didn’t even go to Disney.  And there was a heat wave.  (I’m sure I will catch shit because of this paragraph).

I spoke with a number of friends (I’d like to thank Pete, Mark and Sowmia) for their input and for giving us the details of their experiences.  There is most definitely enough for us to do and it seems the drive from Faro to Porto or vice versa would be right up our alley and within our current plans – pick a spot to stay for a few days see the sights and then move on.  Of particular note, something Mark and Pete left out (ahem) was the excessive heat in Portugal (thanks, Sowmia).  Of note was the need to have an AC in every place that you stay or the night’s can be unbearable.  Malcolm already makes some evenings unbearable so, excessive heat would not be a welcome addition with a sweaty, clingy, baby. 

I don’t remember the heat being horrible when we were in Lisbon but Jess does.  I mean, it should be hot, it’s just across from Africa, thus making it Africa hot.  You can read about our experiences there here: it’s full of bums, crazy old ladies, Communists, explorers and smelly Europeans.  Since we’re much older now, we generally don’t get caught up with young smelly Europeans.  Just smelly Americans.  And by smelly American, I mean me.

Since that time, Jess has seemed to find another route to get a car, which may be more reasonable and she has found some places to stay, which are also very reasonable, even in Lagos.  Apartment with three bedrooms?  Uh, yes.  So that’s where we are in the planning.  I am supposed to be making a tentative itinerary so that we can figure out the next steps, number of days in which area and what I would like to see, and then where we will head to afterwards – I guess I should get on that.