Embracing a rainy holiday

 Bom dia from our lovely apartment at Rocha Brava.

The first view to catch our eye were the stunning agaves with their towering flower spike putting on a show for us.  Unfortunately, they are semelparious in nature, which means they flower once and then die.  The reason the agave is so interesting to me is the massive amount of plant there is.  It takes a lot of energy to produce such a behemoth.  Sometimes called the century plant as they flower so rarely. If you ever get a gander of these agave, check out their leaves.  They are about six feet in length tipped with a dagger of a point at the end, which can cut to the bone if you have to misfortune to encounter it.

The sun popped its bright face out, inviting us to spend our first day at the pool.

It is always a treat to visit the Bonica Bar at Alagar Seco for a cocktail at this dramatic location, nestled into the limestone rock, before heading west for a stroll along the Carvoeiro boardwalk.  Wonderful views over the stunning coastline especially at sunset.  Once in Carvoeiro we enjoyed dinner at Oasis.  Special ribs and chicken satay - excellent portion sizes and good value for money..

There is a fantastic little beach quite close called Praia do Vale de Centeanes.  We spent the next morning here.  There is no shade, unless you are silly enough to ignore the danger signs and sit really close to the cliff, so it pays to take a sun umbrella with you.  Unfortunately, this year the beach has been affected by  abnormal amounts of seaweed.  Despite the seaweed Phil decided to go for a swim but he was shocked how  cold the water was - only 17 degrees.  This is our 6th visit to the Algarve and even in October the water has been so much warmer.  It is the Atlantic, not the Mediterranean but we can't remember it being this cold before.  Apparently it is because some downstream winds have caused the cold, deep waters to replace the surface waters that have been warmed by the sun.

O Stop is a fantastic place for lunch at Centeanes.  The location is incredible, just on the beach.  Perfect fresh sea bass, the chips were good too.  If you are going to this gorgeous little beach it's nice to know that you have an excellent Beach bar and toilet facilities.  A must "go to" in this area.

Enjoyed a wonderful Sunday brunch at the Tivoli Hotel on the road to Carvoeiro.  Fantastic location on a large terrace with the stunning Atlantic backdrop.  Exquisite food and live music.  Fixed price 30 Euros buffet with huge prawns, smoked salmon and a dozen other cold starters.  Help yourself to as much and as often as you like, then head up to the BBQ where the chef will cook you octopus, fish, steak, burgers and then help yourself to vegetables, salad, rice and potatoes. Excellent choice of wines too. Fabulous desserts from the kitchen to round off a perfect meal.  What's not to like.  Afterwards to walk off some of the calories we visited Vale de Covo.  The cove is incredibly beautiful and steps lead down from the cliffs adjacent to the Tivoli Hotel parking area.  It's like walking into a postcard.

The next morning we had breakfast while watching the weather decide what it wanted to do.  The forecast was rain.  So we decided to visit Pousada Palacio de Estoi, The Algarve's Pink Palace.  The hotel and grounds are open to the public, so you can explore even if you aren't staying there.  There is free parking right outside.  The building itself has some beautiful ornate rooms. We would have loved to have had a coffee on the beautiful terrace but the rain was lashing down.  The building and grounds are ornate and a little bit over the top, but in the best way possible.  The grounds have a central  fountain in the ornate gardens.  And if you walk a little bit further, you can find steps that have beautiful azulejo tiles.  The mix of Portugese tiles and neo-Rococo style (complete with cherub statues, of course) is both charming and unique.  Where's the pinkest place you've ever been?

On the way home  we stopped in Guia.  So many people queuing in their cars to get out of the rain and shop in the large complex.  If shopping isn't your thing, why not head to Ramires.  This restaurant opened in 1964 and we last visited it 35 years ago with our then small children to experience Piri Piri Chicken.  How we found it without the satnav is incredible.  It's in a back street but worth finding.  Many say that the town of Guia has the best Piri Piri chicken in Portugal.  Order Piri Piri chicken anywhere in Guia and you'll be struck by how petite the chickens are compared to our enormous breasted chickens.  The drumsticks and wings are positively dainty.  The chicken is cooked on coals to achieve the distinctive crispiness and flavour.  Likewise the chicken must be flattened to ensure even cooking.  The marinade is a simple but delicious combination of garlic, chilli, oil and lemon and probably a few treasured trade secrets too.  Our meal consisted of the bone in chicken, cut into pieces along with a plate of fries and a tomato and onion salad to go with it.  The chocolate mousse for dessert is good too.  It's a pretty restaurant with blue and while Portuguese style tiles.  You need to get here early as the three floors get very busy. 

We were invited by some very good friends to stay the night with them at their villa in Quinto do Lago.  Back in July this area was hit by a huge blaze very close to their home in Pinheiros Altos.  They took us for a walk to show us how close it came to them and you can still smell the smoke.  It must have been terrifying with pine trees exploding into flames.  Fortunately, their home was safe. Maureen and Graeme then treated us to an excellent meal to celebrate our 70th birthdays this year.  From the warm welcome, excellent service, delicious food, beautiful surroundings and great wine the Alambique was superb from start to finish.  Thank you for a very special evening. 

The next morning it is still dizzling so, as we are already half way, we decide to visit Tavira.  We parked just outside the town to avoid the narrow streets and any congestion.  It was much easier to park a little bit further out and walk into the town centre.  R. Joao Vaz Corte Real 62B 8800-352 Tavira.

Tavira  full of historic churches and fine mansions with filigree balconies, lies along both sides of the Gilao river, linked by the Roman Bridge, which isn't really Roman.  It is a big fat liar that dates back to Moorish times and the current structure was built in 1667.  But once upon a time, there was a Roman road here that linked Faro and Castro Marim, so this is where the name comes from. The Roman Bridge is a cobbled, picturesque, pedestrian-only bridge that takes you across the Gilao River.  It has some jutting-out bits with inbuilt seating so you can tuck into one and watch the world go by.  You'll not only spot people walking past but a variety of pretty wading birds and millions of tiny crabs in the mudbanks of the river.  It's also a perfect vantage point for enjoying the view of Tavira up the hill with the castle, camera obscura and various churches on the horizon.

As you walk around keep an eye out for all the unusual door knockers.  I love quirky features on buildings.  There are interesting door knockers in towns all over Portugal but you're going to see lots of  maritime ones in Tavira.  The most common non-nautical variety is a pair of hands.

One can get very 'churched out' in European cities.  I don't mind popping into a couple but they generally only interest me if they have some spectacular architecture or intriguing features.  Well, Tavira's gorgeous Igreja da Misericordia, with its lovely doorway topped by saints Peter and Paul, is one I deem very worthy of going into.  The Igreja da Misericordia is tucked down a side street between Praca da Republica (the main square in Tavira) and the street going up to the castle.  It has a very ordinary exterior.  It'd be easy to stroll past without a second glance.  I was only drawn in because I spotted the gift shop through the door selling lots of Portuguese tile trinkets and then realised the church had been on my to-do list from all my online research. 

Once you're inside, you'll find probably the most impressive church interior in the Algarve.  The walls are lined with incredible blue and white azulejo tiles depicting various religious scenes.  There's a brilliantly ornate ceiling and the altar is a gleaming gold Baroque masterpiece.  Oh and there's a bell tower you can go up for pretty views.

But the best view of the town is from the walls of the Moorish castle in the old Arab centre on top of the hill.  From here the four-sided "Telhados de Quatro Aguas" (roofs of four waters) that line Rua da Liberdade are clearly visible.  An architectural feature that seems to have originated in Tavira, these pyramid-like roofs possibly evolved to allow the sudden torrential rain of the Algarve to run off easily.  (Yes I can confirm the Algarve does have sudden torrential rain!)

From the castle walls, the nearby clock tower of the church of Santa Maria do Castelo also acts as a landmark.  The church itself occupies the site of what was once the biggest mosque in the Algarve.  Its facade retains a Gothic doorway and windows.

Below the castle, the delicately arcaded church of Nossa Senhora da Graca was built in 1568 for the Order of St. Augustine.  After falling into disrepair, it was used as a military barracks until the 1970s before being restored into this posh hotel, Pousada Convento de Tavira.  While they were doing it up they found part of a 13th century Islamic street, as you do in the Algarve, so the foundations are now displayed in the hotel's small exhibition.  But the real beauty of the place is just sitting with a drink in one of the shady yellow archways.  We had decided this courtyard was a real hidden gem until a load of loud Americans arrived.  We decided to move on to Barril beach for lunch.

This is the easiest way to visit Barril beach.  To get there by car follow the signs to Santa Luzia and Pedras d'el Rei.  At Pedras d'el Rei you will find a large car park (pay), where you can leave your car.  However, we parked our car for free next to the road leading up to the bridge.  After parking, you have to walk over a bridge that crosses the waters of the Ria Formosa.    The only beach in Tavira region where you don't need to go by boat.  After the bridge there's a small touristic train that takes you to the beach.  You can also decide to walk along the track if you prefer, anyway it's a very nice ride.  The train goes every 10 minutes.

Built during the 1840's, the buildings found at this beach were used by fishermen during the tuna (Bluefin tuna) fishing season - April to September.  Nearly 80 families lived in the small village  but in the 60's and with the change of the migration routes of the Bluefin tuna, the village was eventually abandoned.  The buildings have been restored and turned into bars, restaurants, a small  museum and other facilities.

We had a delicious seafood lunch at Museu do Atum.  This is not just a place to eat but to learn a bit more about the island's history.  So glad we had to move inside to drink our coffee because of the rain or we would have missed the museum.  There is a unique trait to this beach, an anchor cemetery. There are more than 100 rusting anchors in the sand, arranged in rows.  There is also an old tuna fishing boat near the beach.

For some this might be a rather dramatic landscape architecture design but it is a feature to celebrate the history of the beach and its former village.  Originally used for the fishing, they were embedded into the sand dunes close to the beach, creating a maze of nets, which would ensnare the large and powerful Bluefin Tuna.  These complex structures required hundreds of anchors to secure the nets against the ferocity of the Atlantic Ocean and the strength of the tuna.  Truly a unique sight, it reminds us of what the local economy of this area was about, in a time before tourism.

Beaches are places you usually visit when the sun is shining but there is actually nothing better than watching the dramatic Atlantic waves crash onto the beach from the safety and warmth of a good Algarve beach bar.  We met our lovely friends, Paul and Sheils, who own an apartment in Vilamoura and recommended Evaristo, at Praia do Evaristo, Sesmarias, Albufeira.  It certainly lived up to expectations!

This was our first view of the restaurant.  Stunning view of the rocky coastline because all the walls are glass.  No menu but a big fridge of the freshest fish.  We chose the fresh squid with garlic to be followed by two fresh sea bass which was grilled to perfection, served and cut at the table!  Accompanied by some young potatoes, chips, salad and fresh lemon, so basic, so good!  The view, the wine, the company and the food, this is foodie life to the MAX.

Decided the next day we needed to walk off some of the wonderful food so drove to Ponta da Piedade.  Near Ponta da Piedade you can find a lighthouse, which dates back to 1913.  The lighthouse is closed to the public, but is still nice to admire from the outside.  You can park your car near the lighthouse or on the side of the road.  Parking is free.  The parking spaces can fill up quickly, so we recommend to go early.  We arrived at 10 am and had no problem.  When you arrive you will see the view from the cliffs.  Although the cliff views are beautiful, you should go to sea level to see the true beauty of Ponta da Piedade.  There is a big staircase from the cliffs to sea level of 182 steps.  Quite a lot of steps but well worth it.  Along the way there are several viewpoints to rest. When you finally reach the end you can truly appreciate the beauty of this natural wonder.  If you don't want to walk back up you can usually find small fishing boats that can take you to the caves nearby and afterwards they usually drop you off at a beach nearby.  We walked back up.

There is also a new boardwalk to the west of the lighthouse.  It is quite long (1 hour to the end and back).  It extends across the clifftops from the lighthouse, heading westwards towards Praia do Barranco do Martinho and even further to Praia do Canavial and Praia de Porto de Mos.  This boardwalk follows the coastline and there are several viewpoints along the way.

Right on the Lagos harbour there's an old shack that houses a restaurant called A Barrigada (a full belly).  It is a simple place that serves grilled fish and other seafood delights.  Outside the restaurant, you  can see the fish nets and octupus traps used by some of the fishermen that supply the restaurant.  It does not look impressive from the outside.  But don't let that stop you.  Four kinds of grilled fish in the "All You Can Eat Fish" entree at 13.50 Euros which included potatoes, and a delicious tomato, cucumber, onion salad.  Fish was replenished quickly as we ate and the waiters were friendly.  Would recommend for fish lovers. The jug of house wine was good too. The surroundings may look modest but I loved the authentic experience.  Not to be missed.

Sadly our beloved Queen passed away after 70 years on the throne whilst we were on holiday.  We watched the funeral on the TV.

And on our last night - an enormous thunderstorm.

It's always disappointing when you holiday in a country that's notorious for it's excellent weather and it rains, it's safe to say you'll be more than disappointed if you arrive and it's lashing down with rain and there's an incoming thunderstorm.  Should you ever face this dilemma try out lots of dishes at the local restaurants.  Again, I definitely don't need an excuse to do this but I think it's a great way to truly enjoy the food you're eating if it's raining outside as you're much less likely to want to head off in a rush.  Take your time sampling a load of dishes and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere and, if with friends, the great company that you're with.  And finally, there's not much else you can do apart from embrace the rain!  The weather is often unpredictable and while it can be painfully irritating, there's also nothing you can do about it.  So the best way to embrace a rainy day or days on holiday is simply to just get on with it and enjoy your time!  Whether that's going to the beach, attending a waterpark (you're gonna get wet anyway!) or just simply sightseeing, you may as well make the most of your time on holiday.  We did and we really enjoyed our holiday.