Today marks six weeks in Europe. We have six weeks to go
before we use up our allowed ninety days and have to retreat to the UK and
Ireland. We’ve seen a lot, missed a lot, and put some miles on old Bridget. Indeed,
it is such a privilege to have this time to explore and see at our own pace.
When we started looking for a place to explore southern
Portugal (the Algarve), the first thing we read about was how over-developed it
is. They started building resort condos in the 60’s along this coast and it
felt daunting to find the right place. We settled for Alvor, just west of the
city of Lagos. From what we could see, it was a small fishing village that
still retained some traditional charms. So we pulled out of Seville with the
GPS set to our Alvor apartment’s address and took off for Portugal.
Small traditional fishing villages that are surrounded by
tourist areas don’t exactly lend themselves to good GPS directions. We pulled
into town and got led in circles along the very narrow streets as the GPS kept
refiguring to find our street. Finally after getting blocked by a delivery
truck, I got out and walked a few yards and there it was! We met our hosts
Dulce and her daughter Ines who introduced us to our apartment.
One reason we have loved our stay here so much is because of
this apartment. Ines is an architect in Stockholm and they lovingly refurbished
an old fisherman’s apartment with local materials and a clean functional aesthetic.
“We wanted visitors to be able to look at the sea from all rooms” Ines told me.
Mission accomplished. Our windows look over an ever changing view of the
harbor, fishing huts, a small childrens park and a beautiful large dune system,
interlaced with boardwalks out to the Atlantic Ocean. The city of Lagos is
visible in the distance along with rocky bluffs that jut out into the sea. It’s
better than TV.
We didn’t realize how much we needed a rest from all that
history, beauty, art, architecture, jamon, and just being a tourist. This has
been the perfect place to read, relax, draw and bird watch. Alvor is located on
Alvor bay, fed by the Alvor river, historically diked for agriculture at one
time (WAFO folks: it’s the Port Susan Bay of Portugal). The whole area is now
part of the EU’s Nature 2000 program. We’ve seen stilts, cranes and a pair of
flamingos. Just quiet, peaceful and beautiful.
Buying fresh fish, a farmers market loaded with fruit and
vegetables, a nice kitchen with a view to cook in. Walking in the dunes and
estuary, those will be our memories of Alvor. Hope to come back someday and
actually see the array of historical sites in this area. Next stop Lisbon for a
few days before we re-enter Spain in Galacia, an area touted to resemble home
(Pacific Northwest).
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