Portugal

A lingering look at Algarve windows

Can you see the lamp reflected in the top left?

It’s a while since I found time for a windows post, but I did find some rather nice ones in the Algarve recently. The one above is in the village of Cacelha Velha. The others are pure Tavira!

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I think I’ll save some for next week. You can have too much of a good thing, can’t you? I like a bit of a story with my windows. The one below is one of the upstairs windows at the cafe Anazu. You might remember I have a penchant for a glass of port there? The piped music is always gentle and relaxed and, if that’s not enough entertainment, you can watch the swifts swooping overhead, into their nests. The umbrellas provide a spot of cover, just in case!

Here’s one, just returning!

I wonder what kind of windows Dawn is featuring this week. Old, new, shiny, stained glass- they all have that something that makes you linger, don’t they? She’s up to #week 25 in the current series! Let’s go take a look.

Jo’s Monday walk : Barril beach

Barril beach

I’m sure that some of you will be delighted to know that this is a walk where you can cheat hugely. It’s definitely one to take the children along on, or maybe you have a husband who always wanted to be an engine driver?

Look what runs alongside the footpath- too tempting!

I can’t remember ever visiting the Eastern Algarve without a visit to Barril. Come along with me and I’ll try to show you why it’s such a favourite.

If the weather’s not too warm and you’re feeling fairly energetic, you can start in the nearby village of Santa Luzia and complete a circular walk. I’ll give you more details later. For now, we’ve tossed the coin and decided to do it the easy way, from Pedras d’el Rei. Your start point is beside the salt marshes and all you need to do is cross over the pontoon.

Looking back over the pontoon to Pedras d'el Rei

Looking back across the pontoon, to Pedras d’el Rei

There are distractions, of course. A box of ripe figs alongside the pontoon! I didn’t want to carry them with me on the outbound journey but I really hoped there might be a couple left on my return. One thing’s for certain- the sea broom will be your constant companion along the way.

The sea broome in delicate shades of lilac

The sea broom, flowering in delicate shades of lilac

Isn’t it pretty?

One of the big attractions for me is the variety of wild flowers you will find alongside the path.

Many of them, I don’t know the name of

This one has tiny red ants crawling all over it!

This one’s plain. It reminds me of broccoli!

The grasses and their seed heads fascinate me

Just bursting with life!

And then there’s this tiny, delicate flower

And the yellow guy again!

I know this will be a challenge for my friend Jude. She loves to identify flowers.

How about this one? An Aeonium?

And you know this is my absolute favourite! The Ice plant

Tiny crabs caper in the mud of the salt marshes. I stopped to watch two in a courtly dance, but I don’t have a photo for you. I’d left my ‘still ailing slightly’ camera back at the house, with the battery on charge, and I didn’t have the presence of mind to borrow Mick’s camera till we were part way there! (he didn’t offer till then, but he could see I was getting desperate)

I love the landscape

With the hump of Monchique always in the background

As you approach the beach the flowers I have been calling Livingstone daisies, but I now find are Ice plants, appear in the dunes. I featured a hot pink in my Six word Saturday, but in the Algarve they are more commonly lemon yellow.

Cacti and aloe vera begin to take over

And you’re onto the boardwalk, at Barril beach

A little detour to the anchors, of course! They always capture the imagination. A reminder of the days when the tuna fishing industry thrived in this area, the rusting “Cemetery of Anchors” provides a wonderful photo opportunity. I would love to be there are sunset.

I liked the crisp catamaran beside the aged anchors

I like the modern catamarans, beached beside the ancient anchors

And there are beach bars , for refreshments

And there are beach bars too , for refreshment

Here you have a choice. Remember I suggested a circular walk from Santa Luzia? If you turn left when you reach the beach, 20-30 minutes walk along it will bring you to a point opposite Santa Luzia, to which a ferry runs in Summer. Access is across a long boardwalk. My husband suggests that you should do this longer walk the other way around, starting with the ferry from Santa Luzia, to ensure that it is running. He is a very practical soul.

But you and me are going back the way we came. I still have those figs to collect, remember? We might even cheat and take that train. It’s a holiday, after all!

Who doesn’t love the age of steam?

It carries water, beer and anything else the ilha needs

The little train carries water, beer and anything else the ilha needs

Crossing back over the pontoon, I’m not very surprised to find the ‘fig man’ gone. But then I spot him, coming towards me, wheeling his bike with fresh supplies on the saddle. He sees me too, and stops, the bike propped against his leg. ‘Help me, please’, he says, in smiling English, and invites me to take a plastic bag from under his arm. In doing so, I catch the edge of his cardboard box and the figs start to tip! We both lunge for them and manage to stop all but one from crashing to the floor. Phew! They are 5 for 1 euro, and he pops an extra one into my bag. Thankfully all his customers are not as ‘helpful’ as me.

I haven’t even shown you the beach yet, but it’s a beauty. Barril is just a small area of Tavira Island, which starts at the mouth of the River Gilao and rolls westward. If you don’t have a car, a bus will take you from Tavira town centre to Santa Luzia, 15 minutes away, and continues on to Pedras d’el Rei, just a few minutes further west.

I guess I have to show you the beach!

Next week I think I might take you on the walk where I fell down a ‘hole’. Life’s seldom dull, is it?

I think I should maybe design a ‘rules’ page for the walks, too. Not that there are any rules really, but then I wouldn’t have to bore you with the details each time. Please spend a little while visiting these walks. They give me an enormous amount of pleasure and I’m very grateful.

Drake has us perilously climbing a French ruin :

http://ledrakenoir.wordpress.com/2014/06/11/no-ordinary-forest-outing/

You know Yvette loves art? Meet Modigliani! :

http://priorhouse.wordpress.com/2014/06/10/dinner-with-modigliani-monday-walk-wjo/

Alberta is staggeringly beautiful, until Sue almost comes nose to nose with a bear :

http://traveltalesoflife.com/2014/06/10/canmore-abandoned-coal-mines-and-a-black-bear-bonus/

I got really excited when a newcomer to my blog took me on a walk beside the Seine :

http://kanwalkwilltravel.com/2014/06/14/a-walk-along-la-siene/

And my plant expert, Jude, has excelled herself in the Lost gardens of Heligan :

http://smallbluegreenflowers.wordpress.com/2014/06/09/garden-portrait-the-lost-gardens-of-heligan-part-ii/

Paris is popular this week! Isn’t it always? Christine’s is delectable! :

http://dadirridreaming.wordpress.com/2014/06/17/walk-around-la-madeleine/

Happy walking, one and all!

Six word Saturday

Where

have

you

seen

this

before?

Don’t recognise it? It’s Tavira in the Algarve, but I’m home again, with that pocketful of memories. You know I love to share, so here I am, participating in Six word Saturday.

Have a beautiful weekend, wherever you are, and don’t forget to join Cate at Show My Face. Just click on the logo, or the links.

‘M’ is for Monsaraz

I’m going to struggle for photos for this post, because I visited Monsaraz on a damp, if not soaking wet, day! Seems to be a recurring theme on here lately, doesn’t it? But such was the impact it made that I loved it anyway. Some day, I hope to return and see it like this.

So will you excuse me for borrowing from Wikipedia?

It must have been an anniversary or a special occasion, because I was sitting at a table in “A Ver” when I first heard about Monsaraz. This Tavira restaurant is named for its view down over the rooftops and the prices are more than we would normally pay. But treats are treats, and so I happened to be sitting at the next table to a couple whose evening was interrupted by the wife’s mobile phone. The wife excused herself and was gone for some considerable time.

I can’t remember what prompted me to start the conversation, but before too long the husband was telling me about this beautiful place that I must see for myself. The fact that it was a 4 hour drive or more seemed insignificant to him. And so Monsaraz nestled in my imagination until I could make it a reality.

The town square and pillory on a sparkling day- @ Wikipedia

The town square and pillory on a sparkling day- from Wikipedia

The “Rough Guide”, always my bible, confirmed what I wanted to hear. Monsaraz is a tiny, hilltop, walled village with sweeping views across the Guadiana to Spain. It’s name comes from the Iberian word for Cistus landifer, the Gum Rockrose. Xaraz thrives in dry, acidic slate-based soil, thus Monte Xaraz was a hill surrounded by Rockroses.

Monsaraz is one of the oldest settlements in the South of Portugal, and there are many menhirs and neolithic remains in the area. Due to its strategic location, there was certainly a fort there before Roman occupation. Then came the Moors, and in 1232 it became a stronghold of the Knights Templar. In 1640 it was refortified, during the Portuguese Restoration War and the border struggles. Then land reforms and the growth of farm estates heralded change. These days Monsaraz is no longer embattled, but there are still signs of the past.

The castle and keep- from Wikipedia

In late October 2009 I journeyed north from the Algarve, across the wide, empty plains of Alentejo. My destination lovely Evora and proud Elvas, but on the return leg I knew I would visit Monsaraz. The weather was autumnal this much further north. Leaving Elvas I headed directly into a rainbow and travelling south the weather steadily deteriorated. I clung tenaciously to the hope that I would be blessed with a patch or two of blue sky, but it was not to be.

I stepped out of the car under leaden skies and looked up at the castle walls, and then out across the Guadiana. Nothing could prevent an idiot grin settling on my face. I grabbed Mick by the hand and started up the slippery damp cobbles, and through the narrow archway in the walls.

Looking out from beneath the town walls, across the Guadiana

Medieval Monsaraz has only one main street, Rua Direita, with the village square at its centre. The Inquisition House and the pillory point immediately to troubled times. I was more intent on escaping the chill as I slipped inside the Chapel of Sao Bento, with its serene warmth and frescoes. The main church, Nossa Senhora da Lagoa, was closed. Climbing up to the castle walls, in a light drizzle, I felt I had reached the summit of a watery world. The plains below had been flooded by the creation of the Alqueva Dam, boating heaven in Summer and a vast body of water.

The castle is topped by the Witches Tower (Torre das Feiticeiras) and within, the unexpected sight of a bullring, complete with tiered seating! Currently it’s used for Festivals and fireworks, so no sad bulls. As the rain increased its pace, tiny Cafe de Cisterna provided shelter, warm turkey pies and a slab of delicious cake. Despite all that water outside, a drinking supply for the villagers had required a huge cistern to combat the blazing summer sun. It was just visible through a barred window and then the weather really did drive us away.

I had planned a leisurely route back, crossing over the dam by a bridge to Mourao, but visibility was so poor that I had no choice other than to agree as Mick pointed the car due south. In a couple of hours I was back under the blue skies of the Algarve.

I’ve found a site with some lovely atmospheric photos of Monsaraz, if you click on this link. And you can get a better look at the whole trip on my E is for Elvas, and Evora. It wasn’t all rain!

Meantime it’s thanks again to Frizz for prompting me to respond to his Tagged ‘M’ and to Julie Dawn Fox for the Personal A-Z Challenge. And many thanks to you for reading!

‘L’ is for Loule

The peaceful market town of Loule

Loule to me means just one thing. Carnaval! This quiet inland market town in the Algarve is no Rio de Janeiro, but it knows how to party. For over 100 years they have celebrated the beginning of Lent with Carnaval, Portuguese style. No shortage of dancing girls either, though they often have to dance hard to keep warm.

Bring on the dancing girls!

Carnaval 2012 was a classic, and I made a surprising guest appearance! Fortunately I was very easily overlooked in the crowd. Numerous photos of the Carnaval floats, of a distinctly political but humorous nature, appear in my post ‘C is for Carnaval’, so I won’t reproduce them all here. The town’s main street, Avenida Jose de Costa Mealha, is closed for the event and there is a small charge. Don’t miss it if you are in the neighbourhood!

Normally Loule (pronounced Loo-lay, incidentally) is rather more sedate. One of the most distinctive features of the town is the Arab style market, pictured in my first photograph. Smaller shops surround the market stalls and it is a treat for both eyes and nose. On Saturday mornings an open air market takes over the outdoor space too. Parking becomes no easy matter.

On my first visit to Loule I remember having to search for the remaining fragment of the town walls and the 13th century castle, but I liked what I found. Entrance to the walls is through a small museum, which traces the town’s history back through Roman to medieval times. It has the vaulted brick ceilings that I love.

The clock tower

Loule Municipal Museum

Busy in the bandstand

Graceful town house on the main street

Animal antics at Carnaval

Keeping a watchful eye!

The older part of town is fairly compact , and the narrow cobbled streets reveal artisan workshops and some lovely craft shops. Following the twists and turns you will come to a small square containing the town’s main church, Igreja de S. Clemente, and a tiny garden, Jardim dos Amuados, an ancient Arab cemetery.

Loule’s main landmark is visible from the A22 motorway when driving past the town. Nossa Senhora da Piedade is a dome shaped modern church which sits on a hill to the west of town. At Easter there is a huge procession in honour of the Sovereign Mother. This must be one of the few things I haven’t yet managed to see in the Algarve.

Nossa Senhora da Piedade- courtesy of Wikipedia

The procession to the church at Easter

Loule is well worth a look when you’ve tired of the beaches and need a little historical detail, or a shopping bonanza. A few parking hints and a lot of photos are available in C is for Carnaval.

For now I’ll simply thank Frizz for his inspiring A-Z series. With Tagged L this week he is just about managing to keep me on track. Grateful thanks are also due to Julie Dawn Fox, who started the Personal A-Z Challenge a long time ago! Some day I’ll manage to complete it for both countries. Join me in the challenges if you can.

A place to relax

I ‘heart’ this view!

My perch in the sun!

This week, Jake was wondering if I have a place to relax. Well, for me that can only mean one thing. My roof terrace in the Algarve. I’m always in the mood for a swing.

And if I get tired of swinging, there’s laid back Shell Beach

Or I can laze by the anchors at Barril

Or maybe chill in the shade of the beach bar.

Or you can fight for beach space on Armona

I could even fight for beach space on Armona!

I’d abandon the kite

But I do get better as we approach the lovely village of Santa Luzia

And take to the water

Then it's back to the terrace for sunset

Till it’s time for sunset on the terrace

Evening’s are nice and easy on the river bank.

Truly, what could be more relaxing than this?

I only have to look through the albums and it’s calling me back again. But for now I’m sharing my memories with you and Jake.

Do you have a place you go to when you need to relax, even if it’s only in your mind?

‘K’ is for Kings (three, or more?)

Hip hooray and happy day! An opportunity has arisen for me to fill a gap in my much neglected Personal A-Z of Portugal. You’d forgotten I was doing one, hadn’t you? Me too, almost! So today I have Frizz to thank for getting around to ‘K’ in his A- Z challenge.

A confusion of kings- courtesy of Mike Bradley

First, a question for you. How many kings do you see? Three, or more?

I had arrived in the Algarve just after the New Year but in time for Epiphany, and was curious to see what kind of celebrations, if any, this might entail. I knew that in Spain the 6th January was dedicated to the Three Kings, and was hopeful that this might spill over the border into Portugal. I thought there was every chance, especially in my eastern corner of the Algarve. The shops were full of Bolos Reis – the cake of kings- with their extravagant and colourful toppings.

The tradition of this cake dates back to Roman times, when a King was chosen at Roman feasts if he got the piece of cake containing a fava bean. I rather like the legend about the Three Kings of the Orient disputing who should be the first to give baby Jesus his gift. The decision was finally made in the same way- with a cake inside which the local baker had hidden a bean.

I was very happy to discover that there was to be a procession in Vila Real de S. Antonio, a small town on the very edge of the Algarve, with its toes in the River Guadiana. Better still, the kings were to ferry across the Guadiana to Ayamonte, in neighbouring Spain.

Sure enough, a carnival atmosphere prevailed in Vila Real on Sunday, 6th January. A Christmas market and ice rink were set up in the main square, Marques de Pombal, with jars of honey and every variety of cake adorning the stalls. Trying to avert my eyes, I made my way to the Cultural Centre, where I knew there was a Nativity display. It was enchanting. As I emerged I was delighted to hear the ‘oompah’ sounds of a band.

Ambling along the street, with caskets of bonbons and flashing smiles, came a procession of kings. Cordially they distributed sweets and paused to chat or have their photo taken. It was all very casual and laidback, rather than kingly, but no less charming for that. A dais was set up awaiting them in the square, and soon they were enthroned, hurling the last of their sweets to the cheering crowd.

A few words for the press?

Some autographs

Oh dear, the sweets have gone!

Beat a retreat?

Thinking that I might manage two processions ‘for the price of one’, and wondering how it would be on the Spanish side of the border, I craftily caught the 12.30 ferry across to Ayamonte. In January there is a 2 hour time difference between the two countries, so my arrival, 10 minutes later, was at 14.40. A time at which all self respecting Spaniards are eating. There was no sign of an impending celebration so, after a leisurely stroll and a delicious ‘biscuit’ flavoured icecream, I returned to the ferry terminal.

Sitting on board, gazing at the river, I became aware of a party of excited children boarding the ferry. As we left the shore, the adults in the party proceeded to dish out sizeable portions of bolo rei, oozing with cream. I had high hopes, but was obviously too tall to be regarded as one of their charges. Nearing the Portuguese shore, I realised just what was happening. The Kings, minus their band (who had presumably gone to lunch at Portuguese time), were strolling to the terminal, to meet the ferry. As the gangway came down, whistles and cheers and waving of flags greeted the sovereigns. Smiling amiably, they were destined for Spain, their caskets newly filled.

I never did fathom out who were the genuine kings and who were the ‘imposters’, but they were a handsome bunch, don’t you think? I hope you enjoyed my entry for ‘K’.

Many thanks to Frizz for hosting his A-Z challenge, and to Julie Dawn Fox, whose idea the personal A-Z series was. Please click on the links or logos for more information.

Six word Saturday

Moonshine

fills the night

with romance.

I’m cheating just a little because I have too many challenges and not enough week. So I’m linking my Six word Saturday to Jakesprinter’s Sunday Post, but at least I’m keeping it brief! If you’ve never met him, Jake is a lovely guy who produces amazing animation. The theme this week is Moonshine. Go and say ‘hi’ but then don’t forget to visit Cate at 6WS, or she’ll be upset.

Thursday’s Special in Cacela Velha

Beyond the wall

There are few places more special to me than the tiny village of Cacela Velha in the Algarve. Long before I ever came to Portugal I had read about it in the Rough Guide. A cobbled path surrounds the church, and on a day with even the merest hint of sunshine you can sit on a bench, with your back against the church wall, and gaze dreamily out to sea.

The occasional footfall disturbs and a visitor will appear, round the corner. Some will nod, “Bom dia!” with a trace of a smile. Others avert their eyes or focus on the view beyond the wall. There are two benches and sometimes the other is occupied. A bike might be propped against the wall. There is no transport into the village. The birds sing, and alight shyly on the wall. All is peace and tranquillity.

The lagoon stretches as far as the eye can see

The clouds bump and blend- endlessly fascinating

After a while I rise from the bench and walk round to the front of the church. The carvings around the door each tell their own story.

The church doorway, in Manuelline style

A noble head

And another

A knight of yore?

And a bull

Weaponry

Decoration

and the harvest.

The village is Sunday quiet, but then, it’s like that most days! All of the activity centres on the cemetery and the bringing of fresh flowers. But I know that this village can erupt into life. I was there once for the Festival of Enchanted Nights. Hookahs, Turkish tea and dancing ladies! Can you imagine it?

There is really only one “wind around” street

The houses are all traditional style

Many with colour trim

The church is closed but the cemetery open

The well or “nora” is still central to village life

Changes come, as they surely must, but I so hope that Cacela Velha hangs on to the integrity which, for me, makes it a very special place.

Wishing Paula a very special Thursday. It’s her birthday!

Castro Marim and the estuary

It’s an odd thing! Castro Marim is one of the most peaceful spots I’ve ever come across. Yet standing there, glowering, at the top of the hill, is a monumental castle. Part of the ramparts that once surrounded the town provide wonderful contrast in the domestic scene above.

Looking out from the battlements across the broad sweep of estuary, the town of Ayamonte, on the Spanish side of the River Guadiana, looks like many another. But as your eyes travel along the shore, you might spot the fortifications at the top of the town. This is the pattern all along this river, a natural boundary between Portugal and Spain. Like pugilists, ready to punch and counter punch, these two nations have squared up to each other down the years. But today, thankfully, all is peace.

The castle walls and main church of Castro Marim

Castro Marim is a sleepy place, with one ancient street that straggles up towards the castle. The nature of the shoreline and the shifting sands of the Algarve has much to do with this. The first settlement here was back in the Neolithic period when Castro Marim was much closer to the sea than it is now, and surrounded by shallow waters. For thousands of years Castro Marim was a port that offered shelter to the ships that sailed up the Guadiana to collect copper from inland mines. Romans and Phoenicians settled here and such was its prosperity that Castro Marim was connected to Lisbon by a Roman road.

The castle and fortified wall that surrounded the medieval town date from the 12th century, when border disputes had become commonplace. Castro Marim subsequently became the headquarters of the Order of Christ, but went into decline when these were transferred to Tomar in Central Portugal. The castle fell into disrepair and was replaced by the fort of São Sebastião on a hilltop on the opposite side of town. The shifting sands did little to help the economy.

Today tourism has found Castro Marim in a small way. New housing surrounds the old town. The Architectural Museum in the partly restored castle tells of a fascinating past. But essentially the town is as self contained as ever, only rousing from its slumber each August for the Medieval Fair.

A typical townhouse

With its “hand of Fatima” door handle.

And a quite unusual roof terrace.

Looking across the rooftops to the town wall

And down from the church steps

Gardens in the newer part of town, and the Chapel of S. Antonio

You may remember that I mentioned Castro Marim in A gift from the sea. You can gaze down on the salt pans of the nature reserve from the castle walls. And if you’re really lucky, you might catch a sight of the flamingos, stretching their wings in flight. For a better chance of seeing them, try my walk through the salt marshes.

Flamingos on the salt pans (courtesy of Mike Bradley)

Where to next? Maybe a tidal mill, or we could hop across the border. Or even join the smart set at Vale de Lobo. But not for golf. Come along and see.

restlessjo

Roaming, at home and abroad

Portugal

A lingering look at Algarve windows

Jo’s Monday walk : Barril beach

Six word Saturday

Where

have

you

seen

this

before?

‘M’ is for Monsaraz

‘L’ is for Loule

A place to relax

‘K’ is for Kings (three, or more?)

Six word Saturday

Moonshine

fills the night

with romance.

Thursday’s Special in Cacela Velha

Castro Marim and the estuary

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Where

have

you

seen

this

before?

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Moonshine

fills the night

with romance.

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