Today is our last day in our lovely home in Manta Rota. We could not have asked for a nicer home or location. It is a quiet area right now as many people only come for the high season of July and August. We noticed a lot of the homes were still closed up for the season and so were some restaurants. We picked the right time to visit as the weather was lovely and no line ups to attractions. We headed back to Vila Real de Santo Antonio for coffee and pastries at the first coffee shop we visited in Portugal. It served great coffee and amazing fresh pastries and a nice atmospher. After coffee we did one more wander through the village before heading home. We all spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool ... read more

Geo: 37.1899, -8.43859This will be our last blog entry using Travelpod as they are shutting down their webpage as of June 19, 2017. You will now finds us at www.mytb.org/Dospalmas Today we visited the traditional Portugués town of Silves. Overlooking the town is a huge red brick castle with impregnable city walls and defensive gates. During the Moorish era Silves was a major trading location and this strategic importance was bitterly defended with the construction of the mighty castle and the solid city walls.We arrived in time for lunch so enjoyed pizzas at a lovely restaurant in the village. We then toured the old castle and its great panoramic views. We even watched a belly dancing performance and some falconers and their falcon. From there we wandered back through the village where we noticed many stork ... read more

Geo: 37.6389, -7.66216Today we headed north into the hills of southern Portugal. Our first destination is the small riverside village of Alcoutim. Here there are the remains of a 14th century castle which overlooks Alcoutim and the Guadiana River. Across the river on the Spanish side of the river lies another castle overlooking the Spanish village of Sao Lucas do Guadiana. These are visible reminders of the times when Portugal and the Castile were at war with each other.We enjoyed a coffee and a few custard tarts before venturing to the medieval castle. We walked along the castle walls and then visited a museum inside the castle walls. The museum had displays showing the historical path of the city from its inception over 500 years ago. There was also an exhibition of Islamic board games and ... read more

Geo: 37.1258, -7.64984After a late breakfast we headed west to visit the town of Tavira. It had lovely cobblestone streets, ornate churches, Portuguese architecture and also a castle. Before visiting the castle we stopped for coffee and a waffle. It is a tourist town with lots of cafes and restaurants, but it is still charming. After viewing the castle we explored narrow streets and found a wonderful place for a late lunch. We all enjoyed some traditional Portuguese meals, including grilled squid, razor clams served in two ways, and seafood soup.Once we were back on the road we made one more stop at a small village called Cacela Velha. Cacela Velha is situated on a hill with a view of a lagoon and the ocean beyond. We had a quick wander through before heading home. Our ... read more

Geo: 37.195, -7.41766After a good sleep we headed off to the lovely village of Vila Real de Santo Antonio. Vila Real de Santo Antonio is situated on the Guadiana River which divides Portugal and Spain. We walked through the village till we found a nice coffee spot that sold yummy pastries. Always nice to find a good coffee spot to start our day. We then checked out a small farmers market which was held in the large town square that is lined with orange trees. We walked through the town admiring some of the tiled homes and finished our tour along the marina promenade. The village has a nice selection of interesting statues situated around the town. We stopped and picked up some fresh seafood for our dinner tonight. Then we spent the rest of our ... read more