Jo’s Monday walk : Street art in Silves

Silves, as one of the loveliest towns in the Algarve and its former capital, is one I seldom fail to take visitors to.  Last weekend, while strolling the streets on my way to a Mediterranean Garden Fair, I was much taken with some distinctive and amusing street art.  Boxes housing electricity cables are seldom an attractive feature, so an initiative to transform them must surely be a good thing.

‘Stencilpes’ is described as an urban intervention project to encourage young people’s interest in art, using images from history, architecture and nature.  I could find little information about the individual artists, but I thoroughly enjoyed spotting the artworks.

Whimsical creatures rub shoulders with cork oaks and olives, grapes and strawberries, birds and butterflies.  On the riverfront, these pieces of modern art pay tribute to Silves’ Moorish past.

High on the hill, the red brick fortress looks down on peaceful streets.  The morning market supplies restaurants and locals alike, but then the town seems to sleep, leaving just the storks to keep watch from their lofty perch.

Great, aren’t they?  No need for me to say much!  A nice change for you.

I found myself wandering into an area I didn’t really know, in pursuit of the boxes.  On the corner of Rua Dom Afonso III stands a pretty little church, Igreja Nossa Senhora dos Martires, and a statue of the martyrs, which looks like it’s seen better days.

I don’t know about you, but I was starting to feel the need for some refreshment.  You’ve been very patient this week, so I’ll give you a choice.

A crispy almond topped cake
Or strawberries and icecream?

While I was eating, a clattering noise overhead caused me to look up.  What a magical sight met my eyes!  A stork was descending to his waiting mate, on their nest above.  I averted my eyes, politely, from their noisy love making.

The garden fair wasn’t the highlight of my afternoon, but I did buy a couple of plants and a terracotta pot.  I wandered back to the riverside parking, a big smile on my face.  And spotted another couple of boxes!

I’m sure I’ve missed a few, but maybe next time?  I hope you enjoyed them too.  S is for Silves will give you a little background on the city.

walking logo

Thanks so much for your company on my little jaunt!  Join me any time you can, here on Jo’s Monday walk. You’ll always get a warm welcome.

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Susanne has found plenty of sunshine in her neck of the woods :

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Lisa too, but still a little cool, I understand :

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Step Forward or a Peek into the Past

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Enchanted Forest

Janet knows I love a glass or two of wine :

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There’s a regular Monday meetup over at Sami’s Colourful World for all those of you who love street art.  Have a great week, and see you next time!

137 comments

  1. Silves looks such a pretty place Jo – such a relaxing walk round town with your lovely photos and descriptive writing! What a clever way to disguise the boxes too! Looks like another delightful spring day in the Algarve. Hope all is well with you. We have spent a couple of days babysitting as our daughter and son in law have been away for a short trip – it was lovely to have our little visitors though I’m pretty tired today! Enjoy the rest of your weekend 🙂 🙂

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    1. It’s a lovely place, Rosemay. 😍 We’re on our way to the airport to drop off the hire car. Buying one tomorrow so we’ll have lunch in Faro -Mother’s Day treat -and get the train back. James arrives Wednesday so I’m excited 💖 xx

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  12. I love the mini-murals on the electrical boxes. They’re all so cheerful. It must come from living in a sunny land. They don’t seem to be signed, but it looks like several of the boxes were painted by the same person.

    I’ll take the crispy almond topped cake, although the strawberries and ice cream also look good.

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    1. People do seem to smile a lot more here than they ever did in England, Nicki, but there could be many reasons for that. Sunshine is definitely one of them. 🙂 🙂

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  13. The painted boxes are so unusual, and really charming! I don’t think I’ve ever said that about a box. 🙂 But they are! The statues are really mesmerizing in the drama they effect. I rather like them, Jo. I can certainly see why you’d bring visited to Silves and I’m sure you are eager to return whenever the possibility arises. Lovely!

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  17. Silves is a lovely town, been there a couple of times on Algarve family holidays. Looks unbelievably sunny though, you must be loving the weather. Photos as usual are absolutely stunning, wonderful colours. Think I want to come out and live with you as everything looks fantastic!

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    1. You’d better ok that with Jo? 🙂 🙂 We have cloudy skies this afternoon, but we were walking up in the hills this morning in sunshine and really don’t mind. In fact, I’d like a day or two’s pour down because our son’s coming out next week and I’m worried the weather will break when they arrive. 😦

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      1. Fingers crossed it’ll hold for your son then. Must be starting to get warm now though surely, building up slowly for the summer?

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      2. Up to 22/23C which is ample for me, Jonno, but we have a mixed forecast for the week ahead. Normally I don’t pay them much attention as they’re seldom accurate. The weather changes with the wind and the tides. I’m just staying quietly hopeful. 🙂

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      3. Best way to be Jo. You can get obsessed by weather forecasts cant you? Best just to wake up and see what you’ve got and dress accordingly (or stay inside and have a drink).

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