Time for a New Adventure

It's been twenty months since the end of our last big travel adventure...and yet, slipping into the backpacks feels as warm and welcoming as a hug from an old friend not seen for a while, along with the anticipation of waking up in the morning not knowing what's going to happen or who we're going to meet.

I came across this sentiment on the internet that expresses some of our feelings about travel;

We're travelling a bit lighter and slower this time, although the Schengen rules do push us along.  The plan is 7 countries in 6 months. A budget tracker app that is simple and quick to use is with us so we'll always know if we're in the red or the black.

It feels complete somehow that last travels ended with a boat trip (bike & barge) and this journey will finish with a boat trip of a different kind (narrow Canal Boat).  Here's the big picture plan (you can click on photos to enlarge them):

A 10-hour flight from Cancun to a 22-hour layover in Brussels, before heading on to the Algarve in Portugal.

Sunrise over the English Channel

With so little time and no sleep, we join in a free walking tour of Brussels.  Our guide is passionate about his city, has a good sense of humour and is a great story-teller.

The starting point is Grand Place, which in its enormity is too much for a small camera to capture.  Today the gold leaf on the buildings sparkles in the sunshine.

Our guide tells us how beautiful Grand Place is at night, but we won't make it back having been awake for over 24 hours now.  

Random photos from Brussels:

Mannekin Pis on the left

The photo above is the beautiful Cathedral.  The grounds leading up to it are all public parks with no manicured lawns just daffodils growing tall and wild amongst wooden chairs and loungers.  People are sitting with friends and family; sun-tanning; picnicking and playing...a real community space.

 

The air outside is filled with the scent of waffles.  A pub stop for a quick taste and lesson in Belgian beer is a welcome break.

           

Semana Santa is almost upon us and this land of Belgian chocolate is ready.  Displays are everywhere.

It's possible to drive between the farthest points in Belgium in 4 hours but if Brussels and Bruges are representative, it would be wonderful to see more of this little country.

Early to the airport to get to Faro, then on to Tavira, our starting point for the Algarve.  Here's an overview of our time in Portugal.

John Steinbeck said, "People don't take trips, trips take people" We are anticipating being carried away by Portugal, her people, wine, Fado and so much more that we've heard and read about.

A Week on the Algarve

Day one in Tavira ends up being one of getting business done.  The discovery that our old cell phone won't work in Europe finds us shopping for tech and stumbling upon a shoe repair place leads to much-needed work on my sandals.  

Carlos, the owner of the shoe repair, sewing and antique shop engages us in a long discussion about politics in Portugal, then gives us a private tour of his special antique treasures and we meet his wife from Cuba who also works in the shop.  Later on picking up the sandals another lengthy and enjoyable discussion about Portuguese gastronomy, descriptions of recipes and suggestions of where to eat authentic food.  Such a pleasure to do business with him.

Buying groceries shows us that we can bring home tasty local vino Tinto for under 2 Euro a bottle.

Sitting down for a fresh seafood lunch by the Tavira waterfront we join with two brothers from England on a week's holiday.  A great lunch with, then meet up with them again in the afternoon for beers and later in the evening.  We will just miss them in Scotland this summer for the big arts festival.  Daniel is a theatre owner and producer while Stewart is a fine artist.

Tavira is totally charming...not too touristy, although there seem to be quite a few ex-pats around.

Random photos from Tavira:

The Old Roman Bridge, Tavira

The 2 bridges link the 2 parts of town over the River Gilao



Beautiful flower beds at the old Castle

Lots of Topiary - no supports for the arches, just trained.

The church behind the Castle

Entrance to the church near the plaza

Lovely little plazas with flowers everywhere

Walking about in Tavira there are wonderful scents - orange blossom and many more with the great variety of blooming flowers.  The mix of vegetation is a gardener's dream.

So many shops in the Algarve have beautiful products made of cork.  We go into many shops, amazed at the countless uses for it.  We are told that cork has the following properties: its lightweight, compressible, elastic, waterproof, fire retardant and abrasion-resistant.  I could go for a piece of jewellery, a pair of shoes, a hat or a lovely handbag or wallet.  It's as soft as leather to the touch, can be dyed in brilliant or soft hues or cut out to achieve intricate patterns.

Portugal is the largest producer of cork in the world today with the Algarve and Alentejo area producing the best quality cork.  We learn that a cork tree is not cut down.  When an oak cork tree is 25 years old, the first harvest or cork stripping (by professionals only) can occur.  A tree can be stripped once every nine years and lives to be 200 years old.

A day trip to Faro:

Our first sight is of storks nesting high on a beautiful building.  Monster nests and each with at least one chick.  Later as the train rolls through towns, stork nests built on out-of-use chimneys, on roofs and anywhere large enough to hold one are visible everywhere.  The stork population seems to be doing well here.

4 nests on this one building

A nod to the storks?

A stroll through Old Town, lunch, then a visit to the Bone Chapel (Cappella dos Ossos) in the Igreja do Carmo church.  The chapel is lined with the bones of over a thousand skeletons.  The bones were exhumed in the 19th century from Faro's overcrowded cemetery and belong to the monks who once served the city.  

Stained glass in the church on the way to the chapel

Walls, ceiling, alter, everything bones

Even this little outdoor chapel - bones

The  Maritime Museum in Faro documents Portugal's rich and continuing seafaring history that goes back to the time of the Phoenicians.  

Variety of Traps & Nets Used

For catching Tuna.

Throughout the museum, there are many paintings depicting species caught.  It seems like nothing went to waste here.  Everything that is caught is eaten.  I may get up the nerve to try eel yet.

There were many interesting pieces of nautical equipment and beautiful to scale models of boats and ships as well as paintings of boats.

Time to move to Lagos.  Love travelling by train

Travelling by train in the Algarve we see stork nests; fish farms - a bit of research says molluscs are the most commonly farmed creature here and the brilliant orange and yellow of orange and lemon trees laden with fruit.

Our Airbnb in Lagos is in Old Town, so lots of wandering to do here.  The weather is cool and rainy enough that most of our clothes are on a drying rack and we buy warmer jackets to get us through.  Our host has told us about a series of beaches where you can walk from beach to beach only at low tide, then head up to the lighthouse towards Sagres.  What else to do on a rainy, windy day!!

Leaving town, heading to the beaches

These huge rocks are merely compressed seashells.

It feels wonderful to be out on the beach, in the wind.  Mostly we are alone.  Our host says the Atlantic doesn't warm up until September for comfortable swimming, but I roll up my rain-soaked pants and wade in ... not bad.

Lighthouse

The lighthouse at Ponta da Piedade is about as far west in the Algarve as you can go.  On a clear day the views are said to be extraordinary and evening sunsets breath-taking.  The Ponta da Piedade is great for hiking ... made up of craggy coastline with caves, grottos, sea arches and 20 meter high cliffs.  Boaters and kayakers can go into the sea caves.

Wet now, may as well explore the old walls of the city

A map of Lagos reveals 7 beaches.

Up early the next morning to catch the train to Silves, a half-hour ride.  Paul is given senior rates: $1.50 € each way.

     Silves, formerly the capital of the Algarve is a town steeped in history.  Walking downhill from the train station the castle and fortified walls and cathedral can be seen from a distance.  

To get to the old town there is the Roman Bridge of Silves (AKA the Old Bridge) to     cross. Now open only to pedestrians it was built in the 14th. Century on the site of an even earlier structure.

          The Castello de Silves is from the 12 to 13th. Centuries and was a defensive system during a period of Muslim rule.  King Sancho 1 stands tall at the entrance.  This is a fascinating place to visit with great views over Silves.

Inside the Castle walls

Outside of the Castle Walls + Views Outside from the Inside of the Castle

A Castle Garden

Statues on the Castle Grounds

The Silves Cathedral, originally built in 1189 as a mosque, was rebuilt in 1249 after the Muslim conquest.

The Alter

Trim Around Window on Outside of Church

A woman in a store that sells copper appliances tells us about the Cataplana, particular to the Algarve and a precursor to the modern pressure cooker.  She says that in Lagos we can have a meal cooked in it.  She also explains the lovely looking Alembic Still to us.

This website has information about, and sells both the cataplana and the still:
CopperMasters

The Archaeological Museum in Silves is fascinating in that it is built around the 12th century Moorish well and one wall is completely glass and runs parallel to an old fortification wall.

The artifacts here are from Silves and area, mainly from the 8 to 13th. centuries and the 15 to 17th. centuries.

Incense Burners

The day to be at the market in Silves is Saturday, but midweek there are lots of fruits and veggies.  The weather here must be great for growing as everything seems larger than when we purchase in North America.  

This cookie is blanched almond halves compressed between 2 figs that have been quartered half-way through and flattened.  How healthy is that!

New beaches to discover in Lagos ... this one is off behind the train station, miles of lovely sand.  Several RVs boon-docking near the beach.  Maybe tomorrow will find us here.

Before heading home, some refreshments at my kind of place:

The last day in Lagos, cool and cloudy ... it has to be a beach.  We head back to the lighthouse to see it when it's not raining then just keep on trekking when we spot beautiful hiking trails with interconnecting boardwalks.  We are on the cliffs, high above the water, below we can see the kayak company on a beach in a little cove that takes folks into sea caves.  The views are wonderful.  Finally, we head down and down into the little beach community of Porto de Mos and enjoy our picnic on the beach followed by a little siesta.

Leaving the Algarve, onto Evora early tomorrow morning.