Algarve
What impressed me was the niceness of the local people. Even though we do not have a common language between us, through gesturing they managed to warn us not to park at the police parking space in case we get fined, and kayak instructors leaving us details and is keen for us to have a good time. Ofcourse some cynics would say that's just business, but I vote for the fundamental good nature of mankind.
Believe it or not, I'm beginning to realise travelling abroad at 3am on a Friday morning and coming back at 3am on the Monday morning ready for work the same day isn't really a good idea! Anyhow, no more crazy holiday travelling after this one, so might as well embrace what is to come.
Car's driving was excellent, and we certainly would have had a rough time trying to get from city to city without him. We flew into Faro, and with the interesting guidance from the GPS (SHARP left...turn left, and turn left, and turn left - isn't that just going in a circle?!) we arrived at Igrejade Sao Laurenco, Almancil. A brilliantly tiled church depicting the life of Saint Lawrence. After visiting the dinky church we head to Loule market, where we bought local peri peri sauce, honey and dried star shaped figs embedded with almonds. In the afternoon we visited Milreu Roman site in Estoi, where it is free to stamp on the tiles and hug the pillars. This site supposedly hosts one of the earliest Christian churches in the world, talk about lack of regard for conservation! The Rococo palace converted hotel at the top of the hill is definitely retreat destination, a point to note for revisit.
The second day we drove 70km west to Lagos, where the sea and cliffside sculped magnificent landscapes for photo opportunitites. Though the Baroque Igreja de Santo Antonio was fantastically embellished, the sun, sand and beach of Ponta da Piedad and Praia Dona Ana quickly stole our attention. We lazed by the beach before heading out to Sagres land's end, where we saw multiple sea carved coves.
Third day was jam packed! With a morning headed to Monique valley and the peak of Foia, the highest point in the Serra de Monique. I think rising at 8am on a Sunday morning was too early even for the locals; the only living things we encountered, aside from from the densely wooded canvas of eucalyptus, pine and cork treets, were one vendor selling potted honey at the back of this delapidated van, and one astrayed golden retriever on the cobbled street. We rushed back to Lagos and began our 3 hour kayaking session, seeing the cliff face from a different pespective. This had justified our peri peir banquet that afternoon, where our starved stomach inevitabily caused us to order way more food than we could possibly consume. With one peri peri chicken each in our stomach, we had the kilojules required to complete the rest of our itinery: Algar Seco rock formation at Carvoeiro, Sand festival at Pera, and finally arriving at Albufeira: seemingly the only town with in Algarve with an active nightlife. Unfortunately we were exhausted and didn't head out into town again...boooo
Last day! Woke up at leisure around 10am =p Went to a pretty little village Alte, with its cobbled streets, colourful window frames and cheery lemon treets planted at their front yard the village invvoked an unhurried air which was quite disarming. A few magnums later we headed out to find Sao Lorenco NATURE trail. It took us a good hour, following the convoluted instructions from the GPS, only to find ourselves driving through fields and fields of well groomed grass in the vacinity of golf resorts. Apparently some smart dude thought it a wonderful idea to integrate the nature reserve with nearby golf resort, and as one looked on the natural habitat of the wet mashland, you will be able to spot two giant forking trucks digging up the soil at the background. This has to be morally and ethically incorrect on all levels! After our shortest nature trail walk followed by the longest golf course trek, we head back to Faro to visit Capela dos Ossos - eerie little chapel filled with deceased monk bones...
Believe it or not, I'm beginning to realise travelling abroad at 3am on a Friday morning and coming back at 3am on the Monday morning ready for work the same day isn't really a good idea! Anyhow, no more crazy holiday travelling after this one, so might as well embrace what is to come.
Car's driving was excellent, and we certainly would have had a rough time trying to get from city to city without him. We flew into Faro, and with the interesting guidance from the GPS (SHARP left...turn left, and turn left, and turn left - isn't that just going in a circle?!) we arrived at Igrejade Sao Laurenco, Almancil. A brilliantly tiled church depicting the life of Saint Lawrence. After visiting the dinky church we head to Loule market, where we bought local peri peri sauce, honey and dried star shaped figs embedded with almonds. In the afternoon we visited Milreu Roman site in Estoi, where it is free to stamp on the tiles and hug the pillars. This site supposedly hosts one of the earliest Christian churches in the world, talk about lack of regard for conservation! The Rococo palace converted hotel at the top of the hill is definitely retreat destination, a point to note for revisit.
The second day we drove 70km west to Lagos, where the sea and cliffside sculped magnificent landscapes for photo opportunitites. Though the Baroque Igreja de Santo Antonio was fantastically embellished, the sun, sand and beach of Ponta da Piedad and Praia Dona Ana quickly stole our attention. We lazed by the beach before heading out to Sagres land's end, where we saw multiple sea carved coves.
Third day was jam packed! With a morning headed to Monique valley and the peak of Foia, the highest point in the Serra de Monique. I think rising at 8am on a Sunday morning was too early even for the locals; the only living things we encountered, aside from from the densely wooded canvas of eucalyptus, pine and cork treets, were one vendor selling potted honey at the back of this delapidated van, and one astrayed golden retriever on the cobbled street. We rushed back to Lagos and began our 3 hour kayaking session, seeing the cliff face from a different pespective. This had justified our peri peir banquet that afternoon, where our starved stomach inevitabily caused us to order way more food than we could possibly consume. With one peri peri chicken each in our stomach, we had the kilojules required to complete the rest of our itinery: Algar Seco rock formation at Carvoeiro, Sand festival at Pera, and finally arriving at Albufeira: seemingly the only town with in Algarve with an active nightlife. Unfortunately we were exhausted and didn't head out into town again...boooo
Last day! Woke up at leisure around 10am =p Went to a pretty little village Alte, with its cobbled streets, colourful window frames and cheery lemon treets planted at their front yard the village invvoked an unhurried air which was quite disarming. A few magnums later we headed out to find Sao Lorenco NATURE trail. It took us a good hour, following the convoluted instructions from the GPS, only to find ourselves driving through fields and fields of well groomed grass in the vacinity of golf resorts. Apparently some smart dude thought it a wonderful idea to integrate the nature reserve with nearby golf resort, and as one looked on the natural habitat of the wet mashland, you will be able to spot two giant forking trucks digging up the soil at the background. This has to be morally and ethically incorrect on all levels! After our shortest nature trail walk followed by the longest golf course trek, we head back to Faro to visit Capela dos Ossos - eerie little chapel filled with deceased monk bones...
Labels: Portugal
posted by Annie @ 5:53 PM
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