Rainy Retreat

The view from the Pousada in the morning

We woke up this morning to dull light - rain and more in the forecast. Here was a sign: time to go home - (not that we didn't have our flight booked for months beforehand). We spent much of the morning organizing our suitcases, adding to them the gifts and souvenirs we had bought while in Portugal.

The library in Alcacer do Sal

The WiFi at the Pousada was so unreliable and weak that I could not finish the blog there, so we headed to the local library in Alcacer do Sal, a historic building decorated with blue tiles. There I was able to send out yesterday's post, before leaving town. Had we had more time and if the weather had been clearer, we would have taken more photos of the town, but that was not to be. We also had to allot extra time for travel today because of the rain.

The statue of Pedro Nunes, a famous mathematician, in Alcocer do Sal

So we made our way to the highway towards the Lisbon airport. It POURED all the way. At times the rain was so heavy and visibility so poor that we considered stopping. Miguel's defrost system was not the best, with the fan at full speed unable to reach the side windows. Good thing there were two of us to keep the side mirrors visible!

Blue sky over Vasco de Gama bridge.

Just before we got to Lisbon, the sun came out and the blue sky returned. The heavy downpour ended and, as we crossed the Vasco de Gama bridge towards the airport, we saw the city in all its glory. What a great way to saw goodbye to Lisbon and Portugal!

Adeus Miguel

Miguel looked great when we returned him to the Avis drop-off area. After all, he had been well washed by all that rain. We said goodbye to our little Lancia and headed for the terminal.

Duty free shop - brought home some Portuguese wine and port

For the next two and a half hours, we did all those things that people do in airports before international flights: check-in, security, light lunch, duty-free shopping and a (surprise) passport check which made us a little late for boarding time. We were taken by bus to the tarmac to ascend to the plane and were off on time.

Time to board. Goodbye Portugal. You have been good to us.

Eight hours later, we were in Toronto, glad to be home. My sister, Pauline, picked us up among the throngs at Pearson and took us to her house where our car was waiting in her driveway. The food was so bad on the plane, that, hungry, we stopped on the way home for a bite to eat. At home, we unpacked and kept awake as long as we could. I stayed up until 11:00, 4:00 a.m. Portuguese time; Bob made it to midnight.

Welcoming Water, Whirling Wind

This was our last full day in Portugal.  We had few plans for the day, except to make it from Point A (Lagos) to Point B (Alcacer do Sal). Unlike every other day on this trip, we had not preplanned any stops on our route, but with our Eyewitness book to guide us, and a little bit of luck, we filled the day nicely.

Praia do Pinhao

As has been our practice this trip, we spent the morning exploring the town in which we were staying. Lagos is a vibrant, and attractive place. There is a lot going on here. During our morning tour, we met some young Irishmen here to train for karate and mixed martial arts. Later, we saw a children’s carousel in the centre of town. Clearly this place attracts all ages.

Lagos harbour

We were impressed by some of the views we were able to see in and near the town. Not far from our hotel, there was a rise looking aver a beach – Praia do Pinhao; descending from there, the town harbour was visible from a distance. Later, I climbed the tower of Igreja Sao Sebastian to look down over the rooftops.

One of the things that sets Lagos apart from other places is its slave market building. Here, the first slaves were sold to Europeans – a dubious claim to fame indeed. We also visited the Mercado, two churches, the town square and several shops along the way.

Slave market building in Lagos

Praia do Camilo - our beach from above

The weather this morning was glorious, so we took advantage of it for a trip to a local beach and a swim in the Atlantic – something we were not able to manage yesterday. We chose Praia de Camilo, a sheltered cove with dramatic rocks close to the shoreline. Both Bob and I enjoyed the refreshing waters of the Atlantic and the beauty of the surroundings. We were reluctant to leave, but by 1:00, it was time to go. Unfortunately for others, just after we left, the weather changed, with clouds and wind altering the setting significantly.

We headed north. We stopped for lunch in a small town called Odemira. This place had no sights listed in the guidebook, so in no time, we were back on the road. Vila Nova de Milfontes was next. This resort on the West Coast of Portugal has beautiful beaches along an estuary, and a castle in the old town. Today, however, it also had a lot of wind. As I posed for the shot you see below, I was getting a my hair styled at the same time.

Buffeted by the wind in Vila Nova de Milfontes

Not far from this resort is the city of Sines, an industrial hub on the Atlantic. Its historical claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama. Apparently, as the son of the mayor, de Gama was born in the local castle. There is an interactive museum there (mainly in Portuguese) that we visited. Outside, a large statue of this Portuguese hero looks out over the sea that drew him to so many places. I wonder if he would have ventured out on such a windy day as this.

Above the castle/museum in Sines where Vasco de Gama was born. Below, a statue of the man himself looking out to sea

Finally, we arrived at the Pousada in Alcacer do Sal, (D. Alphonso II),  in which we have chosen to stay.  Like de Gama, we are living in a castle – at least for this, our last night. It is medieval looking on the outside but it has been updated for comfort on the inside. Along with a large group of British tourists, we enjoyed dinner here as well, trying the local cuisine. As we got ready for bed, we heard the whistling of the wind outside. No rain yet, but we heard it was coming tomorrow.

Old meets new at the Parador D. Alphonso 11.

Cloister at the Parador

Along the Algarve

The southern province, the Algarve, is the most popular tourist destination in Portugal. While most travellers come to this area for the sunshine and beaches, we came looking for more. We wanted to see the history and architecture of the area. Today, we were not disappointed.

Santa Maria do Castelo in Tavira. This is a photograph, not a painting.

In our AAA guide, Tavira has been designated as one of the prettiest towns in the country. Last evening, while out for dinner, we did not see the beauty of the place, but this morning, Tavira showed off. It charmed us completely. With its bridge of Roman origin, its whitewashed churches,

and its castle grounds turned into a garden, Tavira has lots of lovely spots for photography. This morning, there was a dramatic grey sky as a backdrop to its beauty. I had a hard time limiting my selections for the blog because our pictures of the old town are so very good. We hope you agree.

The old bridge

The view from the Gilao River in Tavira

We journeyed from East to West today, only about 100 kilometres in total. Along the way, we made several stops at the villages which give this region its character. Local fishermen live and work alongside the mainly European tourists who see this region as their version of Florida.

The old bridge and the river in Tavira

This contrast is sharpest in Olhao, where we parked along the waterfront to explore the town. Fishing boats line the harbour, while Indian Tandoori restaurants catering to British visitors are a common sight on the streets. The merchants at the mercado were cleaning their stalls when we arrived at about noon but there was no doubt that what they had been selling was fish. In our 45 minutes in the town, we made our way north to the main square to the church, where for centuries women have prayed that their husbands will come home safely from the sea.

Nossa Senhora do Rosario in Ohlao

Yellow building in Faro

Fishing boats in Ohlao

 Just 9 kilometres west of Ohlao, the capital city of the Algarve, Faro, was our next stop. Here, we had lunch at a cafe near the cathedral (Se) in the old part of the city.

Town gate in Faro

Our next goal was to go swimming at one of the beaches for which the Algarve is famous. Unfortunately, that dramatic sky in the morning turned more and more grey and stirred up the waters of the Atlantic to such a degree that we missed our chance for good beach weather. We visited Praia de Albandeira anyway where I dipped my toes in the surf. Maybe tomorrow, we will be able to jump all the way into the ocean before we leave the area.

Praia de Albandeira

We made our way to Carvoeiro next, a resort area, but just as we were pulling into town, it started to rain. For the next 90 minutes, we experienced a light drizzle, a rare event for us in this part of the world. I saw this interruption in our good weather as an opportunity to do a little more shopping.

Carvoeiro 

Finally, we arrived at Lagos at the Western end of the region, where we are spending the night at Dom Manuel 1. It is a combo hotel/residence. Many of the guests are here for long stays, while some, like us, are here for a very short while. On the recommendation of Jessica at the registration desk, we chose to have dinner at a Portuguese Tapas Restaurant in the old town, Meu Limao. We really enjoyed our meal, in particular the sardines in lemon and the chicken piri-piri. The town was lively after the rain, with lots of people of all ages out and about.

Lagos at night

Alentajo Attractions

The Alentajo is a large province in Portugal. Evora is its major city, but today, we visited some other places in the area that were recommended in our guide. These are not major tourist attractions, but that just makes them even more appealing to us.

We lingered over breakfast at Albergaria dos Calvaria, enjoying the delicious fare as well as our conversation with Bob and Nancy, one of the two Toronto couples we had met yesterday. Later, as we were checking out, we found ourselves in conversation with another two guests at the hotel, a couple from Connecticut. This hotel has such a warm atmosphere that we were reluctant to leave.

The castle in Beja

At about 11:00, we were on the road again, heading south. Our first stop was the town of Beja, the hottest place in Portugal, about 45 minutes away. Our guide book indicated that the highlight of the place was the Museu Regional, housed in the 15th Century Convento da Nossa Senhora de Conceicao. The building itself is supposed to be stunning. I say "supposed to be" since we did not see the inside. It was closed when we arrived at 12:30, even though the same guidebook indicated it was open until 1:30. We took a short walk around the town anyway and took pictures of the castle and the exterior of the Museum.

The exterior of the best museum in Beja

Steps in Serpa

Our next destination was Serpa, a gorgeous small town. We were very lucky to find parking near the main square where we sat down to a light lunch. Near us was a Parisian couple, with whom we had a very pleasant chat, at first in French and than later in English. We shared travel stories as we enjoyed our lunch in a beautiful setting. Again, we could have lingered all day.

Beautiful square in Serpa

Porta de Beja, with aquaduct behind it

Besides its square, Serpa, has an a ruined Moorish Castle, an aquaduct, and an impressive gateway into the old quarter, Porta de Beja. This was a place well worth visiting.

Mertola, from a distance

Proceeding further south, we headed to Mertola, another beautiful village . Its position on the top of a hill reminded me of the "white towns" of Spain that we saw two years ago in Andalucia. The influence of the Moors was evident here as well, with a church, Igreja Matriz, that had once been a mosque, and the ruins of a Moorish castle above it. We walked the cobblestoned streets of this little town for about an hour. It was very peaceful, since so few tourists were about on this day.

Igreja Matirz

The Moorish interior of the church in Mertola

Finally, we left Alentajo for the Algarve, where we are spending the next few days. We have stopped in Tavira for the night, where we are staying at the Vila Gale Hotel, a large establishment well located near the river, shops and restaurants. We will head out early tomorrow morning for photos. For tonight, we intended to eat at a local tapas place, but on the way there, we happened upon an Indian Restaurant called Typical. We decided we were in the mood for something different; like the many British ex-pats who holiday here, we ordered a curry. The food was good - it was, as its name suggests, "typical" - and, as a bonus, we were offered a digestif at the end of the meal, "on the house". I chose a white port, while Bob had a red one.

Enchanting Evora

Today was devoted to one place, Evora. We chose to spend two nights here, because we had read that this was a place rich in history and culture. We have not been disappointed with our decision.

Breakfast at the Albergaria dos Calvaria is delectable. The owner/chef, Peter, is a transplanted Virginian who offers the very best in local, organic food. Healthy choices, like fruit and yogourt, sit alongside delicious home baked treats. On request, Peter will make pancakes or eggs too. This was a great way to begin our day.

On our walk through town, we first focused on shopping. There is an artisan street in the middle of the old part of town, Rua 5 de Octubro, where we sought out quality Portuguese souvenirs for family members. Mission accomplished, we were ready to see the sights.

The Se

The Cathedral (Se) was our first stop. We visited the church and cloister, but did not climb up the tower - it was too hot for that today. We did ascend to the roof of the cloister, however, where we were able to see over the town. From there, we were just a short distance away from the Temple of Diana, a Roman ruin - lovely!

The Temple of Diana (left); Os Loios church on the right, part of the local Pousada

Descending to a part of the city just outside the walls, we visited the University of Evora. For me, this was a highlight. Unlike the campuses in Coimbra and Salamanca, this one is open to visitors without any charge. The old building is lined with azulejos (tiles), some of which depict the great philosophers. The quadrangle is particularly beautiful, with an intricate facade on one end, and a marble fountain in the middle.

The quadrangle at the University

Largo da Porta de Moura

From there, we circled the city until we arrived at Largo da Porta de Moura, a square with Moorish influences. Since it was siesta time, we stopped for a sandwich in the centre of the town, and a much needed drink. 

Refreshed, we continued our tour of the town. Capela dos Ossos was next, a macabre chapel with walls made up of human bones. This creepy place is part of an otherwise very attractive church, Sao Francisco. Nearby, is Jardim Publico, on the site of the once grandiose Palacio de Dom Manuel. Only a walkway and pavilion remain today, but the garden is very inviting on such a warm day.

Realaxing in Jardim Publico

Detail of Capela dos Ossos

By 4:00, we returned to the Albergia do Calvario to relax with a cold drink. I headed out to the patio where several other guests were gathered. It turns out that two other couples there (who did not know each other) were also from Toronto. All of us live centrally, between Bayview and Avenue Road, and between Lawrence and St. Clair. In conversation, we also discovered we knew people in common. What a small world!

Since the hotel serves light fare, Bob and I were content to stay in this evening, and eat a little less. That will make more room for tomorrow's breakfast.

Meeting folks from home

Some of our light dinner: soup, roasted peppers, bread and cheese.

Wandering West

Today we traveled westward. We woke up in Spain and went to bed in Portugal. This was the day we gained back that hour we lost a few days ago. We needed every minute of it.

One of the near empty churches in old Casares

Before we left Caseres, we revisited the historical centre of the town. I had read that, except for tourists, the medieval town is almost empty much of the time. Last night, that was not the case, in large part due to two weddings in the area, as well as a concert, but this morning, it was eerily quiet. The church bells rang but we saw few people enter the churches. It made for a lovely morning walk, but I imagine for the local government, it would be better that this area be more vibrant all the time.

The Coloseum

The amphitheatre. Some of it is a reconstruction.

The town of Merida, some 60 kilometres south of Caseres, was our first stop today. It is known for its many Roman ruins, the second most in Spain. We visited the Colosseum and Amphitheatre there, as well as the Roman bridge, the Alcazaba (a Moorish ruin) and the aqueduct. The latter was my favourite of the ruins for a couple of reasons. First, these towering structures are not part of any museum  - they are just there; secondly, they house several stork families who have built nests at the top of the ruins; and finally, they are massive. See how tiny I appear next to one of the columns.

The Roman bridge as seen from the Alcazaba

Aqueduct. I am the tiny figure in white. There are two storks on top.

After a lunch in air-conditioned comfort in the Plaza Major, we left Merida at about 16:00, local time, but it was only 15:00 where we were headed, so we had time for three brief stops on the way to Evora.

Our first visit was to the lovely town of Elvas. We drove then climbed to the top of the town for a spectacular view of the homes below; we also popped into a couple of churches on or near the town square.

The view from the Castle in Elvas

Elvas Town Centre

Next, we hurried to Vila Vicosa - we wanted to visit Paco Ducal, a palace that was highly recommended in our guide book. However, although we arrived 45 minutes before closing, we discovered that the last tour had left 15 minutes beforehand. Sometimes the best guidebook does not have all the information needed. Oh well. Instead, we found a castle to take pictures of - and a statue of a Portuguese King - Joao II. And custard tarts. It is good to be back, Portugal.

The King and I

The king of the Castle

Finally, we made a very brief stop in Redondo, a small town noted for its ceramics and wine industry, neither of which were on display on a Sunday afternoon.

This was our hottest day yet, with the temperature soaring into the mid-30s, so we were glad to arrive at our hotel, Albergaria Do Calvario, in Evora for a quiet evening. We will be spending two nights here. The staff here are fantastic. They have prepared a booklet for guests which includes recommendations of restaurants and particular dishes. We chose the Arroz de Tamboril (Monkfish and Shellfish Rice Stew) at Restaurante Cervejaria 1/4 Para As 9, which means Quarter to Nine. Yummy.