Tavira

That drive from Setubal to Tavira through the Alentejo region was fun. There are some good wines from that region, but we saw mostly rural areas with cork trees as far as the eye could see. It was foggy at first, but as we approached the SE Algarve town of Tavira, the roads were hilly and winding. I was wondering why so many people were tailgating me though. The speed limit signs are only posted when you have to slow down. You're supposed to know that the default is 90 KPH unless posted otherwise. I was going a bit slower until Deanne looked it up. Oh well, at least I didn't get a ticket.

We were in Tavira in 2007 and had a great 2 nights. We didn't really get out of the center then, except to take a boat to the nearby island beach. This time we got a condo a few kilometers away. That included free parking and a pool. The weather got up to 23 C, or about 73F.

It seems much bigger than before and that may be due to all of the expats moving here, mostly from the UK. We started seeing and hearing them on the route here. We stopped in a small town called Alte for lunch and we heard the accents in the restaurant and on the streets. Alte is known for it's natuarl springs and pools. We walked to them and both of the main ones were dry! Looks like a bad drought year in this region. And that was horrible for the olive harvest in Portugal and Spain. Look for prices of olive oil to possibly double in the next year or so. Or in America, look for it to be blended with other oils.

Tavira has grown a bit. We walked through the old streets and along the estuary river. It was a chill trip with no expectations. We had wine in cafes and we ate out a few times. We veered off the path of Portuguese food for the first time and had an amazing Indian meal. Portuguese food isn't spicy at all, so that was a nice change. We hiked up to a former Moorish castle on the hill and explored back alleys. It's totally safe here. There are tons more restaurants and shops catering to tourists and expats. I literally saw as many Brits as Portuguese in the center.

The Gilao River in town is that estuary that ebbs and flows with the tide. And that leaves the banks of it outside of town muddy half the day. And that brings flies. Lots and lots of flies. If we had an inkling of an idea that this might be a place we could live, the flies changed our minds. Maybe it's just this time of year, but I doubt it.

We're off this morning to pick up Louie at the airport in Faro. It's just 45 minutes west by car. Then we'll head to a place we rented in Lagos, another 45 minutes west of there. Later we'll hook up with friends Madli and Naiara for a mini reunion. Madli used to live in the area, so we're hoping she'll be our guide to the Algarve.

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