Blogs from Algarve, Portugal, Europe

Our last adventure! We set off at 11:35 to walk down to the marina and pick up our tickets for the zodiac boat ride to see dolphins and sea caves. Heading out into the ocean which is the Strait of Gibraltar it appears we are just heading straight south towards Casablanca in N. Africa. I have always wanted to go there but not by zodiac boat with 17 other passengers. The ocean is a wondrous colour. You think it’s an blue but when you are riding out there on top of the big swells and the choppy smaller waves the colour is not describable. Overall it is an intense deep blue but the top is silvered with light reflections and indigo shadows under the curves of the waves but if you look deeper you see the ... read more

Journey to the land’s end! Perched on high cliffs Cabo de Sao Vincente (or Cape St. Vincent) is the furthest southwest point of Europe that points out into the ocean at the bottom of Portugal. But the first stop was Sagres (pronounced Saw-gresh). Sagres is slightly east but further south of Cape St.Vincent and also perched on top of towering cliffs. Boldly guarding the cliffs is Sagres Fortress which was built in the 1400’s to protect against any potential invaders from north Africa. It’s quite a hike all the way around the promontory but well worth the walk. There were fishermen pitting their luck against the sea and the 200 feet high cliffs but as we watched one fisherman won the lottery. After much winding of line he pulled up a nice silver fish - dinner ... read more

I forgot to post my blog yesterday, sorry so you get two today. Dandelions and all sorts of weeds are in full bloom here. Almond trees abound everywhere - they grow in private yards but also are plentiful in the countryside growing wild. Can you image just walking out anywhere and picking your own almonds? There are plenty of other flowers showing off their blooms as well - bird of paradise, osteospermum, and so many that I can’t put a name on. This morning we drove to Portamao and while Peter and Daphne went to their church meeting, Anne and I walked the city. We were dropped off at the river and so we trod the cobblestone rehabilitation along the banks of the Arade River. Evenly spaced along the walkway were sculptures from local artists carved ... read more

How lucky can a person be? Tomorrow we leave for Portugal to spend a week with Anne’s brother and his wife in the house they have rented for a month. It will be a welcome break from all the rain that has fallen in January (what am I saying? If that had been snow we’d be buried 6 feet deep in it). It has been a dreary winter with very little snow and even less sun. I need some sun (and fun). I anticipate lots of walking in the sun. There are so many things to experience and see in Portugal. I love the old cities of Europe and each one has an ancient medieval village centre to be explored. The worn stone buildings and cobblestone streets have been beautifully and lovingly preserved. I can picture ... read more

Fun at Faro, Sensuality to Seville -Piprey on wheels Aug 2023 Faro and Olhao Missing the sun? Faro on the Algarve coast on Portugal was an ideal choice for a short summer holiday. Faro is located on a salt water lagoon on the Atlantic ocean, surrounded by many small islands. I booked easyjet from London Gatwick to Faro and a hostel (Pirate backpackers, Faro) for a couple of nights. Flight was delayed by an hour and reached Faro in the dead of night but the airport, about 2 kms from the sea had such a lovely sea breeze and so alive! The warm breeze greeted me with open arms as soon as I stepped out of the airport. I checked uber and within a few minutes, the price hiked from 7 to 15 Euro. Better to ... read more