Jo’s Monday walk : Street art spotting in Sáo Brás

Leaving the sea behind for a little while, one of my favourite roads in the Algarve is the N270.  It winds steadily up into the hills, a series of twists and turns, with glimpses of small villages in the valleys below.  As the road levels out you come to the market town of Sáo Brás de Alportel.  It’s a nice peaceful spot for a wander.  Come with me and we’ll see what we can find.

As with most traditional towns in Portugal, the streets are mainly cobbled.  Claiming a convenient patch of shade, a snowy white cat regards me solemnly with its one green and one blue eye.  Is it my imagination or does that lady on the wall look more anxious as I look back at her?

Around the corner, the entrance to the episcopal palace gardens, beyond which sparkles the municipal pool.  This lovely outdoor facility was renovated last year and I expected to see it busy on this warm summer day.  Another casualty of Covid-19, I suspect.

Much of Sáo Brás is a little dog-eared and worn, but resourceful locals have done their best to brighten the shabbiest walls.  The local tourist information office and art gallery was open and I popped in to examine current trends.  An interesting perspective on a corn field?

The town has a lovely church, the scene of devout and colourful celebrations at Easter.  The streets are decorated with a multitude of flower heads and floral torches are paraded through them to a chant of ‘Hallelujah’.  Not this year, of course, but at least they can’t take away the beautiful view.

Somebody must have had a job lot of paper swallows, because they appear on several of the artworks.  How many swallows make a summer?

But the town is not short of more conventional beauty.  The azulejos are as fine as any you will see.  This cheerful scooter picks out the lemon of the background tile rather nicely, don’t you think?

The central square had a makeover a couple of years ago, and has become home to several modern art pieces.  I was happy to find this metal family in a nearby street.  Very appropriately, wearing their masks.

Perhaps you’d like to see the town in happier times, Celebrating life at Easter.  We have to believe they’ll come again.

walking logo

Meanwhile, just a few walks to share this week, which inclines me to think I could make Jo’s Monday walk a fortnightly feature, and confuse everyone!  Today I’m going to join Sami, who shares street art every week on Monday Mural.

……………………………………………………………….

Ducks and dragonflies… I’m smitten, Janet :

Monday walk…Sweetwater Wetlands

He’s home again!  Not such a terrible place to be, Drake :

Back in town

Is anything more splendid than this?  A Cornish garden, much loved by Jude :

Herbaceous borders

While Albert goes in search of another splendid view :

Sherwood Homestead (Former) Walk via Mountain Creek Road (Plus)

Ending with Janaline in exotic Shanghai :

Monday Walk in Century Park

Wishing you all a good week, though I know life is difficult right now in many places.  Take care till next time!

144 comments

  2. Had to go and look at a map to see where this place is located. Quite a bit inland I see, but not so far from Loulé which you have written about and I think I remember being another lovely town? How easy is it to get around using buses and trains? It all looks lovely and peaceful.

    Like

    Reply

    1. I’m afraid the answer is not so easy. The train runs along the coast. There is a connection between Faro and Loule on the train going north to Lisbon and there are buses but they also mostly serve the coast. The inland buses are timed to suit the workers. You need a car (or we’ll take you 😍)

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  4. Pingback: Monday walk…Careful where you step! | This, that and the other thing

      3. Thanks very much, Jo. Since this isn’t on my blog, I can tell you we’re having a ribeye (sliced and shared), new potatoes, probably roasted broccoli and cauliflower, and blueberry crisp for dessert. I got him some locally-made hot sauce (he loves hot hot sauce) and a bottle of Chianti so far. He says “Chianti never disappoints”, even thought there are wines we like better. 🙂 I even got some in a straw-wrapped bottle. Now where’s the candle to put in when we finish it??? 🙂

        Like

    1. As I pointed out, there are a lot of dilapidated houses, Sheetal, alongside some lovely ones. The murals help to distract attention, which is as good a purpose for them as any. Thanks for your company, hon 🙂 🙂

      Like

      Reply

  7. You have an extraordinary ability to find the art in even the tiniest village and your posts should be sponsored by the Algarve Tourist Authority. I wonder how many visitors are persuaded of its charms through reading your posts. I know I am one, hungering for travel to once again be the free and easy experience it once was, so that i can visit my favourite place in Europe soon again and hop over to Portugal as well, a country I haven’t explored since the late 70s when my husband and I were regular visitors. It was a different place then, with Salazar dictating how life should be lived but I’d love to experience it now. I did a press trip a few years back but that was to a golf/spa resort and wasn’t the real Algarve. A nice time to be had sure, but I missed the core Portuguese feeling.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. In some ways the Salazar days have made it easier for the Portuguese during Covid. They accept authority far more readily than the Brits. Maybe it’s just the older generation. I would think twice about accepting the authority of Boris but common sense has gone out of the window 🤣.
      Thanks for your kind words. If I was more confident I might have approached the tourist board for sponsorship but the time has passed. It’s an easy country to promote despite the UK’s best efforts at sabotage. 🤗💕

      Like

      Reply

  11. Love the metal statues, the pretty tiles and the variety of murals you have found Joanne.
    Thanks for participating in Monday Murals 🙂

    Like

    Reply

      1. I forgot to mention the cat, it looks cute. I meant to ask if cats over there are friendly, I always found on my Italian holidays that most of their cats seem to be very timid.

        Like

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.