In March of this year, Greg and I were thrilled to go back to Portugal (we had been there for several week in 2003 or 2004....we can't remember which).
The timing was pretty tight as we were leaving a mere week after moving into our apartment; with company expected on the return week, it was frantic times! So R&R in the Algarve's mellow setting was perfect.
I have rarely had the privilege of returning somewhere that I had been before, and it was really nice to see someplace foreign as familiar. We had not misremembered Portugal's charms: stimulating it is not, but the gentle pace of life there is enchanting. In March, the weather was warm, but not too hot; the people were friendly; the food plentiful and healthy (lots of fresh fish!).
We went for long walks along the red cliffs, commenting on the strange vegetation and undulating rock formations. We enjoyed returning to one of the many secret beaches that appear once the tide goes out; while there we felt like the only 2 people in the world.
We took a day trip into Gibralter, which has long been on our list to see. It took a 10 hour bus ride there and back to have only 5 hours on the Rock itself, but it was very interesting both from a geograhical and historical perspective. We took a cable car up, then hiked the length of the Rock seeing St. Michael's cave ( which was thought by the ancients to be the mouth of Hades), the Moorish castle, the WWII caves and lots of resident monkeys lolling in the sun. Unfortunately, with all the unpacking/walking/hiking/sitting on an uncomfortable bus I threw out my back, but was then entitled to complete R&R for the remainder of the trip!
On the other days we went pottery shopping and for a drive to see 'the end of the earth'. On this drive we stoped in for lunch at Salema where we had spent 3 wonderful days on our previous trip. It was just as charming as we remembered, and we vowed to come back for another holiday.
The timing was pretty tight as we were leaving a mere week after moving into our apartment; with company expected on the return week, it was frantic times! So R&R in the Algarve's mellow setting was perfect.
I have rarely had the privilege of returning somewhere that I had been before, and it was really nice to see someplace foreign as familiar. We had not misremembered Portugal's charms: stimulating it is not, but the gentle pace of life there is enchanting. In March, the weather was warm, but not too hot; the people were friendly; the food plentiful and healthy (lots of fresh fish!).
We went for long walks along the red cliffs, commenting on the strange vegetation and undulating rock formations. We enjoyed returning to one of the many secret beaches that appear once the tide goes out; while there we felt like the only 2 people in the world.
We took a day trip into Gibralter, which has long been on our list to see. It took a 10 hour bus ride there and back to have only 5 hours on the Rock itself, but it was very interesting both from a geograhical and historical perspective. We took a cable car up, then hiked the length of the Rock seeing St. Michael's cave ( which was thought by the ancients to be the mouth of Hades), the Moorish castle, the WWII caves and lots of resident monkeys lolling in the sun. Unfortunately, with all the unpacking/walking/hiking/sitting on an uncomfortable bus I threw out my back, but was then entitled to complete R&R for the remainder of the trip!
On the other days we went pottery shopping and for a drive to see 'the end of the earth'. On this drive we stoped in for lunch at Salema where we had spent 3 wonderful days on our previous trip. It was just as charming as we remembered, and we vowed to come back for another holiday.
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