Jo’s Monday walk : a fishy tale!

I like a fishy story.  Don’t you?  Truth to tell this one isn’t much of a story at all, and it’s not what I had intended to post.  But if you can’t be spontaneous in your own space… well, it’s a poor show!  It all started with a seahorse…

‘Let’s go to Olhão!’, I said.  ‘There’s a new seahorse sculpture and some net things up in the streets’.  What more of an invitation do you need?  The Ria Formosa, just offshore from Olhão, is known for its seahorses, and you can take a very delightful trip over to the sandbars to hunt for them.  Stuff of dreams?  A little less exciting, the sculpture, looking out to sea.

But Olhão is one of those ‘love it, hate it’ places.  Full of character, if you want to be polite.  Desperately shabby in the back streets, but in the process of acquiring a shiny new waterfront for the visitors.  The marina is always a treat, as you watch the boats to and fro-ing to the islands, but the riverside gardens are currently being torn up and replaced.  Hopefully they will retain some of their character, and the wonderful azulejo benches.  So uncomfortable to sit on, but beautiful to behold.  But we’ve not come to sit, invitingly though the icecream van flutters its eyelids at the tables beside the water.  The Arab quarter is always beguiling, so long as you don’t mind getting a little lost in the narrow tumble of streets.  Spot the whale on the roof?  No, I didn’t see it either at first.

I’m heading for the pedestrianised shopping area- not to shop, but this is where I think I might catch a fish or two.  And certainly some street art!

Olhão has a fair claim to being the street art capital of the Algarve.  The work depicting the fishing industry is among my favourites anywhere.  But finally I find what I’m looking for, and yet it still comes as a surprise.  Fish cavort above my head, darting through nets and flipping their tails.  ‘Linda‘ says the sign over the shop- beautiful- and I have to agree.

I wander along, snapping and exclaiming, until I come to the main church square, where an exhibition catches my eye.  I read the text and take a pic or two, and then I notice that the other half is staring skywards.  He’s spotted the storks.  Attention completely diverted.

I circle around the building, happy to find so many at home.  Did you notice the time on the clock?  I did, simply because at 3 on a Saturday afternoon I usually attend a Zoom meeting with some lovely ladies.  Some of you will know that Becky spends most winters here in the Algarve, and that Olhão is her home of choice.  I wondered if she might like to share the moment.

Back we wandered to a favourite café, with a ringside view of the leaping life above our heads.  All was quiet in the heat of the afternoon.  At weekends in summer the Portuguese go to the beach, leaving the towns strangely empty.  Though empty in these days is not so strange!  We settle at a table, with a refreshing wine, and I make the call.  ‘Would you like to come for a walk?’  And so I retrace my steps, waving my phone at the sky in the hope that they might see the fish, and maybe a stork or two.

I did promise you a fishy story.  I hope you weren’t disappointed?

walking logo

And now some shares!  A lucky dip into my ‘likes’ introduced me to Helen.  Please stop by and say hello?

Quarantine Walks: The Bulford Kiwi

 

Drake has his own individual take on life, and he always makes me smile :

Away from home

As times go by

I always like to share stunning photos, and these from Mercedes are beautiful :

Hiking in green Appenzell

Rupali shows us the beauty of her world :

Daily Walk

Weekend 98: Moments from the Wilderness

And Indra takes me to a city I’ve always wanted to visit :

Hong Kong… An Eclectic Mix

Anabel is rightly proud of her heritage, despite ‘dreich’ weather :

Port Glasgow Heritage Walk

A daunder round Dundee

While Margaret juggles with words :

Six Words?  Twelve Words?  All nonsense

And Natalie joins in with my fishy theme :

Life and Fish-Themed Art

Becky and I share a love for the same places :

Where the Douro flows into the Atlantic

A bit of an aberration with the print in the shares!  Made me rather late publishing today.  Apologies if I’ve missed anybody.  It’s not so easy keeping track right now.  Too many distractions.  I won’t be walking with you next week.  It’s seriously hot!  Enjoy your summer/winter/life!  See you soon.

147 comments

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  10. I love the fish art and the ice cream van is too cute. I saw a lot of storks and their nests when I visited Morocco. Thank you, Jo, for sharing your walk and beautiful photos with us, and for mentioning my walk. Stay cool and have a wonderful week!

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  12. Well, I had to grab my trusty map for this one, Jo. What a gem Olhão is. And as much as I love the seahorse and amazing blue skies, it’s the ice cream van that grabbed my attention – too cute! 🙂 Thanks for braving the heat and taking us along. ~Terri

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  14. Olhão looks like an interesting place to me, from what you and Becky have shown. A lot of Portuguese towns seem to have grotty bits (as indeed do many towns all over the world) is that not the case in Tavira? Or is Tavira a relatively new town? The street art is very nice, but I worry that those nets might be a bit dangerous for passing birdlife. Let’s hope none get caught up in them! Enjoy your day in the shade – no danger here of any sunburn, though that might not be the case by midweek. 😎

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    1. I think, as I remarked to somebody, that you need to see the town to realise the issues. Becky is better equipped than me to discuss this. The E125 runs through the town and the surrounding area is very shabby. When the motorway was built this diverted traffic for a while but when the toll was imposed the traffic came back. Portuguese wages are low and people traveling to work simply couldn’t afford it. The waterfront has been developed for tourism, ignoring the gap in the middle. The developers have a field day but people who live normal lives there might not be so happy.
      Safety issues? I would probably not feel comfortable in some areas on a night, but as a tourist I wouldn’t go there.
      Of course Tavira has poor areas and apartment blocks that I wouldn’t have wanted to live in these past months, with no outside space, kids and a dog. That’s real life. Perhaps what I’m saying is that Tavira is a more homogeneous town, and I have never, ever felt unsafe here. And as for the birds? They’re not that daft! The nets are very flimsy. 🤔💕

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      1. Good to hear about the birds! Not so good about the development plans. I imagine that must impact on the nature reserve too? Seems you have found a happy medium where you live. Close to the coast and not too developed? Or is that changing?

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      2. The ongoing dredge/don’t dredge debate will go on here long after I’m gone, Jude. Man trying to improve on nature for his own ends. Sound familiar? There is more development here than I would like. Off to cook supper 🤔💕

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  17. Yes, I am disappointed as it happens – very. I missed out on what looks to have been a fascinating and joyous tour. But your photos and text do a lot to make up for it.

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  18. What an interesting town! And I’m fascinated by the shots you took. Love the fish in the nets strung between buildings and the white of the buildings as well. It’s a fresh feel just looking at these photos.

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      1. RJo – I had to think about ‘diggies’ for a moment! Would you believe they are not the easiest thing to buy in the USA? We can get similar ‘crackers’ or ‘cookies’, but there is just nothing exactly the same. Unless you go to an international store – which I haven’t done for several months now ;))))

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