06/09/2015
We start the day at a shopping mall. I will give those who knows Niel time to process that sentence. 🙂
There is the small matter of a travel book (and some other bits and bobs), that was left behind in South Africa. Call it a momentary lapse of reason. Also, thanks to the habits of modern technology, it has become unthinkable to be without instant communication to family and friends. So we have to things on our shopping list before we truly start our holiday. A guide book of Portugal, and a data card for our phones. The data card was easy, and sickeningly cheap (15€ for 15Gig). The guide book slightly more challenging, but with perserverence we were now ready to tackle Portugal.
The Algarve region of Portugal is Summer Holiday Heaven to the tired and hopeful of Europe and Britain. Our receptionist at the hotel recommended a visit to Tavira to be of a more cultural nature, so we let Google Maps lead the way. It takes a while to settle into competent navigational skills, not to mention left-hand drive vehicles. But with some apologies and shrugged-off hoots, we did manage to find our way there.
I always have to remind myself to go with the flow. My Marais heritage has ensured that I have a drive to disregard the seemingly insignificant, and pursue the more adventurous. This often renders me irritated with having to waste time on something that is not obviously worth the while. Once again, Niel’s persistence at taking a stroll around Tavira’s waterfront proved me wrong. Lovely little touristy shops and cafes line the river edge, And there also happened to be an organic market. We spent some time browsing the stalls, and quenching our thirst.
Next we wanted to head to Albufeira. We were told that you could do a cruise on a yacht there, which would allow you to see the beautiful coast from the best possible angle, and whilst the specific cruise we had in mind did not operate on a Sunday, we did manage to go on a shorter cruise on a sailing ship.
The Southern coastline of Portugal is remarkably beautiful. Large sandstone formations with many secluded beaches line the clear water. It’s understandable why this region has become such a large tourist attraction. We stopped near some caves, and were taken closer to a particularly secluded beach surrounded by caved sandstone formations. Again, Niel’s deviation from my original plans were a much better choice.
Today was also the last day of the local Fisherman’s fair, so we asked Google rather nicely to direct us there, and whilst he was quite successful at getting us to the right place, he did not quite take into consideration the narrow streets of the older part of the city, and caused Niel to have to reverse back down a rather narrow street. This obstacle overcome, we recklessly parked our car in a spot that seemed fairly acceptable, and opted to walk further.
Seafood is of course what one can expect to find at a Fisherman’s fair, and that Niel had quite a variety of. The problem was more to understand what it was that he was about to eat. For me, the very safe option in Portugal will probably remain Chourizo. And once again, being at a local fair gave us a wonderful view of the life of Portugal providing for the eager beach-going tourists.
I cannot honestly say that I am sorry that we do not have more time to explore the Southern region of Portugal. Mainstream tourism is just not my thing. Having said that, I think it must be heaven for those who do love the sun and sea. And it does have an exquisite coastline!
