Portugal and the Algarve - Part 1

Monday, February 24, 2020

After a few wonderful days in Seville, we headed out onto the open road again. This time our destination was Tavira in southern Portugal. There we would be visiting our friends from Waterloo, Rick and Trish Chambers.

Our route took us along the freeway towards Huelva and sailed happily along under a bright sunny sky. The highway was busy leaving Seville but gradually the traffic thinned and the driving became much easier. Except for the speed … The posted speed limit is 120 Kph, about the top speed that I drive on the 401. Although posted as the maximum speed on this highway, truthfully it seemed to be interpreted as the minimum speed for most drivers. I stuck to the right hand lane because any vehicle in the left lane went swooshing past us at at least 140 KPH, often faster. Trucks also travelled in the right hand lane at a speed lower than 120 so there were times it was necessary to ease over into the left lane, pass a truck and as quickly as possible ease back into the right lane. And, speaking of lanes … the lanes here are quite a bt narrower than they are on the roads at home. So the act of passing a truck meant that the car was perilously close to the wheels of the truck as we advanced our position. All part of gaining comfort in driving in another nation.

The highway traversed rich agricultural land. Orange groves with trees loaded with ripe fruit drew our eyes from the roadway. Vast plantations of olive trees stretched as far as the eye could see. Occasional large fields of grain (we could not determine what variety) grew alongside the highway. And large swaths of land were organized in precise linear fashion where market gardening was underway. The soil colour varied from area to area. Where it was reddest, the earth was mounded into long mounds of red and potatoes had been planted.

As we travelled closer to Huelva, we began to see vast fields of unidentified crops totally covered with plastic canopies creating a greenhouse effect. We later learned that these ‘greenhouses’ were used for tomatoes, peppers, raspberries and other bush-style crops. The plastic enhanced the growing conditions for the plants and increased the productivity of the plants as well as shortening the ripening phase. Thus, more crops in a shorter time.

At Huelva, we left the freeway and joined the traffic on the local road heading into town. Huelva sits on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of a river. It is a fairly modern town with many new buildings in the downtown area. As with all Spanish towns and cities we have visited, it was very clean. And, as with other towns, the streets were very narrow and peppered with parked cars in every possible location.

We decided that we would enjoy a lunch along the coastal road so we headed to the port area. There was a beautiful green space that flanked the beach for a long distance with cars parked along the road. What we did not find were the people who had driven their cars to this location or any cafes or restaurants where we might be able to find lunch. It was all quite puzzling.

Finally we came to a very local establishment, one that had clearly been there for many years, maybe even generations. But it met all the prerequisites … the ocean was visible; it had an outdoor seating area; and it had a set meal for lunch. There was a sign that indicated that the patio area was self-serve. No problem. In we went.

We perused the menu and Jim asked the proprietor about the feature for the set meal. In response, there was a myriad of fast Spanish words that simply sounded like a jumble to ur untrained ears. A customer seated nearby asked us in English, “Did we understand what we had just been told?” When we said no, he kindly explained that we were standing in the bar part of the establishment and that the dining room was in another room behind the bar and that was where we needed to be seated in order to partake in the set meal for the day. So much for sitting on the patio looking out over the ocean.

We walked through a small doorway into the dining room where the décor again indicated that this place had been here for a very long time. We sat at a table and tried to decipher the menu. The set meal included a starter, a main, bread, olives, a drink, and coffee. All for less than 10 euros (about $15.00 Cdn).

Jim ordered the meal but I opted for hamburger. Jim’s starter was a full plate of spaghetti with red sauce and clams and pork (Jim thinks). A basket of white bread and breadsticks also arrived at the table. Next came Jim’s main course, a thin pork cutlet with French fries and a salad. And a bottle of wine, about the size of a medium bottle of coke (good thing I was the driver!).  And, Jim’s coffee completed his meal.

I chuckled my way through Jim’s meal, quite pleased that he was eating that while I thoroughly enjoyed my two thin hamburg patties, French fries and a very fresh mixed lettuce salad. I also enjoyed my coke, served in a real glass coke bottle which I poured into an old-fashioned Coke glass.

I will say that the restaurant was as clean as a whistle and the gentleman serving us was extremely friendly and courteous. The main difference in this place was that we were not in a tourist district but we were where ‘real’ people who live and work in Spain would eat. A local place, to be sure. It was quite eye-opening and the experience was great.

Back on the road, we turned the car in the direction of Ayamont, the border town between Spain and Portugal. We were only a few kilometres from the border and we were travelling on a highway quite close to the seashore. Intensive agriculture was evident on both sides of the road with occasional pastures where horses and cattle were grazing.

We passed through several towns along the way, some quite busy with people and traffic, towns that serviced the local populations, and some that were more touristy in nature and quite quiet. Most hotels, shops and restaurants were closed as the ‘season’ does not truly begin until the first of March. Water parks, cafes, resorts, souvenir shops, grocery stores all sat idle, awaiting the day that the visitors would return for a new season. We tried to imagine the traffic and congestion that would descend on the area and we were very happy to be driving through ahead of the crowd.

We knew we would have to rejoin the main highway to use the bridge to cross the river boundary between Spain and Portugal. Until we saw the sign that said “Ferry to Portugal”. What??? We did not know that such a thing existed. So we quickly made a decision to follow the signs to the ferry and traverse the river the old fashioned way.

After a few false turns in Ayamonte, we finally found the ferry dock and learned that it travelled across the river once per hour on the hour. It was 4:30 pm and the next ferry was at 5. We decided to wait. Soon the incoming ferry was within sight and came into the dock right on schedule.

Bikes and pedestrians poured out making way for the passengers who were waiting to board. Pedestrians first, moms with strollers, tourists with bicycles (I was getting nervous that the ferry did not take cars) and, finally, our car, the only car that was boarding this ferry. Make way for the vehicle. People moved aside as a ferryman guided me and the car over the gangway and onto the deck. He told me exactly where to park and when to stop. “Stop!!”

The ferry left the dock and I waved farewell to Spain. About 30 minutes later, we landed in Portugal in Vila Real de Santo Antonio. Disembarkation was the same as in Spain … first the pedestrians, next the bicycles and finally the car. We made our way out of the port area and onto the road that would take us to Tavira, our final destination for the day.

It was an uneventful drive through more agricultural land and, thanks to the great directions provided by Rick, we had not trouble finding the house they were renting. It was great to see them and good to be off the road.

A welcome drink, a tasty meal and great conversation completed the day, followed by a good night’s sleep.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

It was about 10:30 this morning that Rick finally rallied the rest of us and we left the house for the day’s adventure. The first destination was the beach just west of Santa Luzia. As today was a holiday in Portugal, the roadways were busy and loads of people were headed to the beach. Kindly, Rick dropped us off at the trail to the beach and he and Jim went searching for a parking space. Trish and I met them at the train station where a tiny tourist train would take us the rest of the way to the beach.

The train was cute and folksy. It constantly plied the narrow gage tracks back and forth transporting tourists and locals alike. The beach was pure sand splashed by the waters of a very calm Atlantic waters. A garden of anchors from ship wrecks decorated the small dune separating the cafes from the beach. We enjoyed a lovely coffee and relaxed on this beautiful day before heading back on the train.

Spring flowers were just beginning to burst forth and happy crabs were scurrying to and fro on the mudflats vacated by the morning tidal waters. As the train approached, the crabs quickly took cover in little holes in the mud, popping their heads back out after the rumble of the train had receded.

Once back to the car, we headed to the village of Santa Luzia. It is a seaside town and the thoroughfare along the beach offers a myriad of restaurants and cafes for lunch. We chose one that offered shade cover at outdoor tables and thoroughly enjoyed the fish meals that we ordered. Beautifully prepared and delicious to eat, lunch was a feast from beginning to end. Interesting that the menu was offered in Spanish, Portuguese, French and English. Quite an eclectic crowd.

Joining the crowd of diners was a crowd of dogs. Most were on leashes but not all. Most were well behaved but not all. Most were appropriately quiet but not all. We simply are not accustomed to having dogs as dining companions, whether inside or out. A learning experience, to be sure.

From lunch, we once again took the car to yet another destination. This time we were going to tour Tavira, the town where we are based. It is an old Moorish town with more than twenty churches scattered throughout the community. Several of them were built hundreds of years ago as mosques and have been repurposed as churches as history unfolded in this town. The streets of the original village are still cobblestone and feature many open spaces, squares where public events were held … and continue to be held.  Today is Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras and there was a celebration in the main square.

Tavira is a town of two levels. The main business section radiates out from the river’s edge but much of the residential area rests high on a cliff overlooking the town. There is a staircase of 100 steps to go up or down the cliff. People who use these steps regularly must be very fit indeed!

And now we are back at home, enjoying the pre-dinner drink and reading, writing and relaxing as the evening quietly unfolds. It has been a very pleasant day and I am sure that tomorrow will bring new adventures our way. It’s almost time for dinner.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

After doing some laundry and hanging it out on the rooftop deck to dry, we hopped into the car with Rick and Trish for another countryside drive. It was very nice to have Rick driving which meant that I could enjoy the ride and simply watch out the windows. Today we headed into the mountains along a steep, narrow highway (I use that term loosely). There were no guard rails and treacherous drops over the edge of the very narrow shoulders on the road. However, there were fabulous vistas across the valley and Ria Formosa flats to the ocean (about 30 kilometers). It was another gorgeous blue sky, sunny day, perfect for the drive we were taking.

 At the base of the mountains was intensive agricultural land. As we climbed the agriculture gave way to forest and rocky terrain. But the land was terraced high on the mountain sides. Historically, Arabs had occupied these lands. In the 13^th century, the Christians gained control of the land and forced the Arabs to return to their original lands or to move at least 15 kilometers inland from the shore. The Arabs applied their agricultural skills as they developed their new homesteads. The terracing was a result of their work. Although much of the terraced lands has ceased to be cultivated there are still orchards of olives, many varieties of oranges, lemons as well as some market gardening.

Along the road, we passed through many little towns filled with modest dwellings, often in poor repair. At higher elevations were larger homes and property in good repair, brightly painted and decorated with ceramic tile.

In the village of Sao Bras De Alportel, we stopped for a coffee and visited a cork museum and manor house. Sadly, the cork industry in the area has disappeared as the last cork factory declared bankruptcy within the past year. Although cork has been used to create many products over many years, the call for cork products has declined and the production costs have increased.  It is interesting to note that the first harvest from a cork tree occurs 21 years after the tree is planted and the second harvest occurs 15 years later. No wonder cork is expensive!!

We returned to Tavira for lunch at a road house at edge of town. Our table ordered three kinds of fish, all delicious - seabream, seabass, and horse mackerel. Trish opted for chicken which was also very enticing.

Part of our lunch conversation was devoted to a continued effort to identify the many jelly-like creatures that were seen along the shore yesterday. Originally we thought they were Portuguese man of war but upon further investigation they are not. We invited the restauranteur looked at our photos and he declared that they were jellyfish. Yes, we concurred but they are so large and ugly – what kind of jellyfish? We will continue to search for the answer.

Later this afternoon, we went on a Tuk Tuk tour with Diego to see birds and the salt flats. Tavira is a major producer of sea salt and distributes it all over the world. They offer three products: edible sea salt, industrial salt and flor de sal (flower of salt). Flor de sal is a very fine salt which is reported to be lower in sodium than regular salt. Thus it can be used by people who need/prefer a salt reduced diet.

We spent about an hour travelling through the salt production area, looking at the salt pools and learning about the process of extracting, harvesting and cleaning salt from the sea water. We also travelled through an enormous farming complex that grew acres upon acres of raspberries as well as figs, pomegranates, oranges, grapes (for wine), olives and almond trees.

We were also fortunate to see many varieties of birds as we travelled along – a flock of 35 or more white flamingoes (red under their wings), storks, a heron, sandpipers, egrets, several gannets, stilts, and several flocks of smaller birds which remained unidentified. Diego introduced us to a free phone app called followbirds which identified bird which could likely be spotted throughout the Algarve.

Following the TukTuk tour, we met up with Rick and Trish at Flavours Café, a very North American style café with coffee, wine, scones, croissants, omelettes and sandwiches. Two coffees, a local beer and a cup of hot chocolate arrived at our table. The hot chocolate (hazelnut flavour) was reminiscent of Nutella heated in a cup. I do not think there was a drop of milk in the cup. Not my favourite beverage, to be sure. Nonetheless, it was pleasant to sit and chat. We never lack for topics of conversation and laughter is easy and frequent.

We finished our drinks and headed home where we had a simple dinner of cheese, bread and salad. A special treat awaited us for dessert – Magnum bars from the freezer. Yum!! And another day came to an end. Only one more day to go before we move on.

Thursday. February 27. 2020

It has dawned another glorious sunny day and we are setting out once again to explore some of the surrounding territory. Before we go however, I have to give a shout out to Rick, our host, who makes fresh squeezed orange juice from local tree-ripened oranges. It is such a treat!! Thanks, Rick.

Today we headed up river on the rustic road on the west side. There is a better road on the east side of the river that leads to a myriad of towns and villages as the road plies north. However, the east river road has not yet been explored by Rick and Trish, nor by us so that is the route of  choice. Predictably, the road is narrow and rough and winds along between the cliff on the inside and the river on the outside. The river is low on water even though the wet season has just passed. One wonders where the irrigation systems will get their water as the dry season moves in. The land, where it is flat enough to cultivate, is heavily farmed with now predictable crops – olives, oranges of all kinds, and market gardening.

After travelling quite a distance we came upon a rustic bridge that would transport us across the river so we could head back on the better road. When I say rustic … I mean very porous pavement as well as a section that was totally built from wooden planks. It appeared that part of the bridge had been swept away by river water at some point in the past and, rather than rebuild the bridge, a structure of wooden planks was installed to connect the road with what remained of the original bridge. The planks were only as wide as a single car with no guard rails or other safety features. As I said, it was rustic and we were all relieved when we had successfully crossed and were on firm pavement again.

The road back to Tavira on the east side of the river had much more traffic and a variety of businesses along the way. When in Tavira, we traversed some familiar streets and headed out of town in a different direction. Our destination was a series of villages that dotted the landscape along the Ria Formosa, a strip of land that runs for over 60 kilometres between the seashore on the inner passage and the actual Atlantic Ocean which spans the width of the Algarve. The Ria Formosa is a haven for many bird species and many plant species and provides some very protected beaches and trails. Of course, the tidal action of the water impacts this land so that it varies in width as the tide comes in and goes out. There are places where, at low tide, it is possible to walk out onto the Ria Formosa and, at high tide, places where the Ria Formosa is totally under water. It is important to be aware of the tidal action in order to get back to solid ground before the water reaches its maximum height.

We travelled to a lovely seaside community called Monte Gardo where we wandered onto the boardwalk and stopped at a café for a morning coffee. The ocean was very calm and the beach had a scattering of families and others strolling along the shore or playing in the sand.

One of the interesting features of this community is the proliferation of fishing boats sitting on the beach. Rather than build a pier, these boats rely on a tractor to push them into the water and to pull them out. All the boats were equipped with many fishing nets which were being mended or cleaned by fishermen who had just arrived back from early morning fishing. The fish were loaded into containers, many varieties of fish including octopus and rays. They were being transported to vendors or sold from the boat right on the beach. We saw many people with a plastic bag of fish making their way home from the beach.

Fishermen had small huts where they could store their equipment and tools. The boats and the huts all appeared to be In good repair. Flags seemed to be connected with each boat, two colours that must have been used to identify the locations of the nets from a particular boat.

It was fascinating to see the process used to enter and exit the water with the tractor that plied the beach. What was also notable was the amount of work required to clean, repair and maintain the nets that were a vital part of each boat. Many hands hard at work to catch our lunches.

We left Monte Gardo and drove a short distance to Vila Real de Santo Antonio. In Vila there was a long breakwater that separated an outflowing river from the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. This was also a major fishing community with boats heading out to the Atlantic or making a return trip to the docks in the town. We drove all the way out to the end of the breakwater, observing a range of plantlife growing in the dunes on the sides of the roadway. There were also several bird species visible as we travelled along – plovers, herons, egrets, gannets, seagulls (of course). We watched pleasure craft and sailboats make their way out to the open water where the river met the Atlantic.

We stopped for lunch at a restaurant at the base of the breakwater. Three of us ordered fish – cod and sea bream, the catches of the day – and Trish indulged in her favourite – chicken. The meals were delicious and substantial.

After lunch we turned the car in the direction of Tavira again, making one stop at Cacela Velha on our way. The cobblestone streets led to a beautiful church overlooking the Ria Formosa. We stood high on a cliff looking down over the water that separated the mainland from the delta that ran along the Oceanside. The tide was coming in and it was possible to see the strength of the current and the amazing clarity of the water as the tidal pool began to refill after low tide. There were several people hiking on trails near the water and they were soon going to have to climb to higher ground as the water rose along the shore.

One of the most unique things we saw in Cacela Velha was an old-style telephone booth that had been converted into a lending library. Shelves of books awaited readers and trades were encouraged.

Under clear skies and bright sun, we completed the day’s journey as we began, travelling through dense agricultural land as we approached Tavira. It has been another wonderful day exploring this part of the Algarve.

A short nap awaited all of us once we arrived home. Later we variously read, wrote blogs, sorted photos and caught up on email as the afternoon transformed into evening. A light dinner of cheese, bread, salad and wine completed the day.

Laundry is done; packing awaits. Tomorrow we leave for Albufiera.