The End of the Earth (or so it was once thought by Europeans...)

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We always try to leave as much flexibility in our travel plans as possible, just in case places are different once seen "in person"...and on this trip, we're glad we did!

We made a change in Lisboa already, turning Evora into a day trip rather than an overnight.. We then decided on our last night in Lisboa to scratch the side trip to Salamanca, Spain. It was just too much travel time and was too expensive for a short trip. We also hadn't found a place to stay that we liked in Coimbra, so decided to make that city a day trip from Porto later in the month. Once we made those decisions, it was easy to have the rest of trip fall into place!. We decide to stay longer in the south and then go directly to Porto for our last week.

We immediately liked our rental in Sagres upon our arrival yesterday, and decided to book it for another 4 days. At $48/night, it's a bargain... The owner's parents live in the main part of the house, and our apartment is attached, but completely separate, with its own patio. It is so very quiet here! The Lisboa apartment was "quiet" by big city standards, but we never got to sleep through the night. Most of downtown Lisboa is under the jet path, with loud planes beginning at 5:30 am and ending around midnight. Tourists roam the streets late at night, drunk and noisy. Locals speak with passion and their voices are amplified by the narrow streets and tall buildings...and there are barking dogs!

We heard a few dogs here last night, but not into the night. There are no traffic sounds, and few people. We are on a dirt road off a quiet street.

Our four hour bus ride to Lagos went smoothly. We had a great taxi driver for the ride from our neighborhood in Lisboa to the bus station (it's a short walk and metro ride, but part of it was stairs, so we opted for the taxi...). The driver talked with us about how tourism has ruined Lisboa for most residents, and how most young people cannot afford to live in the city. He told of one older woman, who was able to stay in her popular neighborhood because of rent control, but who complained that every time she hung out wash or looked out her window, tourists took photos of the "quaintness" she represented.

We saw miles of cork tree groves along our route. The trees are first harvested at 25 years old, and then only every nine years after that. They are the only trees that regrow their bark. We crossed mountains before arriving in the Algarve, the southern province of Portugal. We had an easy bus transfer in Lagos, and took a local route along the coast into Sagres.

Sagres is not showy, with dusty roads, a wide variety of housing, but no visible poverty. There are a number of good restaurants, and several surf shops scattered through the little town. Many people come here to see the supposed site of Prince Henry the Navigator's school, where it was said that all the famous explorers studied: Magellan, Vasco de Gama, Cabral ("discovered" Brasil), Dias (rounded Africa for the first time) and Columbus were all students. This has now been questioned by historians, but the site is still spectacular! Henry built the local 15th century fortress, Fortaleza de Sagres, which was rebuilt in the 18th century. The fortress is home to an ancient monastery and chapel, as well as the enigmatic giant pebble compass, the estimated 40m diameter wide Rosa dos Ventos. Legend has that Henry the Navigator had used this compass to plot the journeys that shaped Portugal’s Golden Age of Discovery. The tsunamis that came after the earthquake of 1775 were up to 200 feet high here and washed away most of the structures on the promontory and in the town.

We walked the trail from the edge of town to the fort where we paid admission (half price for seniors), visited the fortifications and then took the path that traces the curve of the headland. There were many tourists since it is Saturday, and several fishermen. From here, it is easy to see the vastness of the sea that so frightened the poor sailors who had to man the explorers' ships.

We plan to take more local hikes, travel along the coast by bus, and maybe hire a bird-watching guide in the next week.

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Photos

TV on the bus
It was the 100 hundred year anniversary of the appearance of our Lady of Fatima on Friday, and the ceremony was shown on our bus..it lasted over 4 hours. The Brazilians we met at dinner the other night were in attendance. I remember watching the 1951 movie when I was young...at my Catholic friend's house on TV!

The Chinese shop
There are about 4 aisles like this and another "main" part of the store. We have seen these stores all over the world, always owned by young Chinese families. I can't imagine what their lives are like...they are isolated completely from their culture...

"Land's End"
The real western-most point is a bit further down the coast