Waterparks, oh my!

I can see where this might be an usual stop on a tour through Portugal, but I've raised 2 water babies and there's nothing they like more than a day on the slides. So, off we went to Splash and Slide in Lagoa.

I hesitate to be that person who goes on and on about how our culture is so corrupt and everything is so much better in Europe, but bear with me here. I live in South Florida where people are just not nice. Grumpy old folks from the tri-State area come down to whither away in the sun, aggressive drivers, hostile store clerks...it wears you down. As does the constant reminder of all the things you can't do (by people who gleefully admonish you) - "you can't park here," "this line is closed," "no outside snacks in the park."

Which brings me to Spalsh and Slide. We parked right up front. There was no line to get in. Lockers were 5 euro. As were umbrellas. Which you could stick in the grass wherever your little heart desired and have an actual picnic. No one yelled at me that I couldn't wear my sunglasses on the slides. From the snack bar lady to the lifeguards, people there (and everywhere in Portugal), were just so darned nice. Even the bright red British people who holiday in the Algarve and cannot speak a lick of Portuguese.

Then we drove back, tried to find a pharmacy and promptly got hit by an old man coming off a side street. But even that turned into a happy ending...stay tuned...