Faro the familiar

Last time I was in the Algarve was not so long ago, in December 2023, but my partners in crime Alan and Russell are keen to see it for themselves. Naturally this is a totally different trip to that of 15 months ago---more social, less photographic. A holiday rather than a trip.

We arrive in Faro on a sunny afternoon; it's a very agreeable place and we explore the eateries and drinkeries. Faro was in Moorish hands until 1249 but most of what remains dates from after the earthquake of 1755. The baroque architecture is beautiful and the family of storks seems to like it too. We don't get round to hearing traditional music but are pleased to see that it still flourishes.

Next stop is Sagres, at the far end of the Algarve. A windswept town, it's popular with surfers but its other claim to fame is the fortress founded by Prince Henry the Navigator, who in the 15th century founded an academy for his fleets exploring the New World. Sagres truly feels like the end of one world and the beginning of another. For such a small country, Portugal hugely punched above its weight (although sadly there were consequences, with slavery superseding the early ideals of exploration).

Turning east again, we stay a couple of days in Lagos. It's a busy yachting and fishing town and some of the dishes are renowned. Eastwards some more, we stop at Silves. The town is over a mile's walk from the railway station but this allows us an imposing view of the castle which goes back to Moorish times. I like the little details of street art, so different from the meaningless squiggles you see on street furniture back home. And the Beautiful Game put down its roots in Silves in 1919!

At our last stop, Albufeira, we see the B.G. on TV, an English Premier League game at a bar similar to the one shown. Albufeira is not an obvious cultural choice and sometimes it makes us ashamed to be British, but we have found a good hotel with an ocean view.

Well, a return to Portugal is on the cards some time. Besides the eastern Algarve which I visited in 2023, there's a whole lot more in the rest of the country.......Read more