Beaches, Seafood and Wine

The Algarve.

It's great for golf, brilliant for beaches and superb for seafood, but did you know the Algarve's wonderful for wine?  So get set to clink glasses, relish reds and whites, and do it all under a canopy of captivating countryside.

Our first day is always a day of relaxation, so we headed out early in the morning to Praia Vale Centeanes - our  closest beach.  Sunday lunch was at O Stop.  Exactly what you need on the beach, great beach food, friendly staff, cold beer and sangria and shade.  After a long hot morning in the baking sun what you need is somewhere with shade, that is relaxing, staff that clearly care and cold drinks.  The food is hot and wholesome text book Mediterranean fare.  We had grilled Dorado. - Lunch was excellent in the most beautiful location.  What's not to like?

There is also a great pool area at Rocha Brava with lots of sun beds and cocktails......

On Tuesday we went along to Casa Bonina to enjoy learning about and tasting some of the varied wines from around Portugal co-hosted by local wine expert Phillip and Manager Jorge.  Phillip has a fabulous knowledge of the local wine industry.  Cheers.  Of course, had to buy a couple of bottles.

Jorge encouraged us to visit Phillip's (also known as Antonio) wine bar in Porches RoLha.  Wow, just Wow!!!  A great tapas restaurant, with lots of character inside.  So many good things on the menu.  They have a permanent menu, and then an additional weekly menu.  Great selection of local wine and olive oil.  One of those rare places where you just have to try everything.  A truly great evening.  Thank you for your hospitality, a lovely atmosphere.

Looking for another unique wine experience.  Look no further than Morgado do Quintao, one of the Algarve's most stunning vineyards, which offers the chance to enjoy a delicious lunch served with their wine underneath a 2,000 year old olive tree. 

It all began in the 18th century when the Count of Silves, taken by the beauty and potential of the Algarve region, planted the very first vineyard on the property.  The estate, an expansive 60 hectares in size, quickly blossomed nurturing 7 hectares of vineyard where grapevines and ancient olive trees thrived side by side.  As time went on - 300 years to be exact, - the land was handed down, like a beloved family heirloom, over five generations.  In 2016 a new chapter started - wine making.  Starting modestly with 2,000 bottles, they rapidly expanded their operations to an impressive 80,000 bottles annually.

Picture this.  You are sitting at a table draped in white linens underneath the massive shadow of an ancient olive tree to enjoy the Farmers Table lunch experience.  There were 22 guests, mostly Americans and we chatted to a lovely couple from Boston on their honeymoon.  Portugal is now THE place to visit for Americans, they can't believe how cheap it is.  Quinta Morgado do Quintao is located in Lagoa about 20 minutes from Rocha Brave.  You need to either drive there or take a taxi/uber.

It's no secret that I love wine, but I also enjoy a bit of culture.

The story of LAGOS is over 2,000 years old too.  It was a Celtic settlement before the Punic Wars of Rome and Carthage.  During the Second Punic War the people of Lagos sided with Hannibal and the Carthaginians.  That didn't work out so well.  The Romans came, then the Visigoths from Toledo, followed by the Byzantines.  In the 8th century the Moors arrived.  The Moors hung on until the arrival of King Alfonso III in 1241.  He declared himself King of Portugal, the Moors then left and Lagos was Portuguese.  In 1415 King John I gathered his fleet in Lagos, sailed south and sacked the Moorish port of Ceuta.  Lagos became the centre of the expanding empire.

We parked in the large car park near the Marina and then walked over the bridge.  Look out for the Boa Esperanca, an old sailing vessel of peculiar design.  It is a seaworthy replica of a 15th century caravel.

The religious, civic and military history of Lagos is in its landmarks.  One can start with the Flag's Mast Fort.  It is a square shaped fort, now a museum (closed on the day we visited), with turrets and a drawbridge guarding the harbour entrance.  The Castle of Lagos and the encircling walls were at one time the city's main defence.

Henry the Navigator Statue.  The statue was made by Leopoldo de Alemeida, a famous national artist, in 1960.  Henrique is sitting.  He stares rather vacantly into space.  Perhaps, like Antonio in "The Merchant of Venice", he is worried about his rich argosies, dodging pirates on the high seas and crashing on a lee shore.  Or perhaps he's planning his next venture abroad.

Old Slave Market.  Portugal's maritime ascendency had a dark side - slaves.  Prince Infante D. Henrique, who was not actually a seafarer, earned the name "Henry the Navigator" by dispatching expeditions of discovery over the sea to Africa and beyond.    The first cargo of slaves was delivered in 1441 by a Captain Antonio Goncalves.

Church of Santo Antonio.  You enter via the attached museum displaying various animals, biological freaks pickled in jars, along with displays of archaeological relics, traditional implements, weapons, coins, paintings and religious icons.  A short tour of small diverse galleries terminates in the ornate church, a treasure trove of gilded carving.  Where the gold stops the white and blue azulejo tiles begin.

In the middle of the large pedestrianised square is the controversial statue of Dom Sebastian by sculptor Joao Cutileiro.  Dom Sebastian is the king who raised Lagos to city status.  It is safe to say there is nothing else like it.  It is beyond modernistic and Dom Sebastian's gender is doubtful.  And what is he wearing? 

The Lagos fish market, Mercado Municipal da Avenida de Lagos, is a wonderfully  restored building overlooking the Marina.  The ground floor is packed full of fresh fish.  Anything with a fin, tentacle or shell is sold here!

Time for lunch.  Right on the Lagos harbour there's an old shack that houses a restaurant call A Barrigada  (a full belly).  It is a simple place that serves grilled fish (as much as you can eat) with simple accompaniments: boiled potatoes seasoned with garlic and oregano and a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and onion.  O Barrigada is always full of people from all ages and nationalities enjoying a bounty of fish.

Life beyond the beach: we are off to discover a different, more authentic Algarve.  The Wild West.

Phil decided he didn't want to use the Sat Nav and sat down with a map the night before.  We drove to Odiaxere and headed to the Barragem Dam.

 This road is a dead end so after viewing the Dam we retraced our steps to Corsino.  Driving through the hills of the Serra to N267 (Aljezur-Monchique) where we turned left and headed towards Costa Vicentina with a beautiful panoramic view ahead of us.  After 10 km and just before Aljezur we turned towards Lisboa at the roundabout, then after 800m turned left to the signposted Praia da Amoreira.  Locals and visitors alike regard it as the west coast's most beautiful bay.  In the north it is bordered by a vertical thrust of black volcanic rock and to the south a large rocky outcrop.  Time to sit back and enjoy the view and a cup of coffee at Restaurante Paraiso do Mar.

We then returned to Aljezur, where you can see the ruins of a Moorish fort and leave on N120 towards Lagos.  After 1 km we turned right on M1003-1 then after 8 km turned right to Praia de Monte Clerigo and enjoyed a delicious lunch at O Sargo.  We have visited this restaurant before and just had to return.  Shown straight to a table at the front of the restaurant overlooking the beach.  English spoken by all the servers and English menu provided.  It's virtually all from the sea, which suits us fine.  We both chose the tuna skewers with lemon rice.  Bread, olives, carrots and a slightly chewy octopus were served accompanied by a bottle of ice cold white house wine and mineral water.  Fabulous.

After lunch we returned to Aljezur and turned right to  Carrpateira.  What appears to have been a recent fire does make one reflect.

Before the town entrance we turned off towards Praia da Bordeira, the beach is a wonderful reward.

  We then returned to Rocha Brava.

After all that driving we decided to stay close to home the next day and headed to Nossa Senhora Da Rocha.  A striking pilgrim's chapel perched on a cliff that has sweeping views of the coast-line.  Fishermen built it in the 16th century.  But pillars from the 6th-7th century are a Visigoth testimony to early Christianity.  

At the foot of the cliffs there are invitingly beautiful beaches connected to one another by a tunnel.

Time for a swim.

Another beach we love to visit is Praia Grande at Ferragudo.  This is a very large, fabulous beach.  Apparently a big cleaning machine cleans it every morning.  The sand is golden and soft, perfect for children and building sand castles.  It is protected by the breakwater and the cliffs, so the water seems to be generally calm.  There are gaps between the sunbed places for those who just want to lie or sit on their beach mat or towel.  The Restaurante Praia Grande is a favourite of ours and a brilliant place to have lunch.  Great sea views, good food and wine and a friendly excellent service and a playground for children.  A  traditional Portuguese restaurant.  What a wonderful spot.

After lunch we headed to Farol da Ponta do Altar:  The lighthouse is fine, but the views over the "Bay of Lagos" are the reason to visit.  We walked east from the parking lot along the cliffside until we were above Praia do Torrado (we couldn't figure out how to get down to the beach without rock climbing, which we passed on).

Our last day and we headed to Praia de Benagil.  It's amazing to watch the madness at Benagil beach. A veritable touristic invasion of the area since Benagil's wonderful cave has been repeatedly extolled over practically every means of communication in the virtual world.   Benagil went viral long before the pandemic.  In the subsequent years, even during restrictions, pressure on the stunning beach with its equally stunning sea cave has pushed the bounds of sanity.  Businesses running 'pleasure trips' to and from the cave have fallen out with each other in their determination to take as many people back and forth as possible.  It's overcrowded and there have been serious accidents lately.  The government no longer allows kayaks or swimmers to enter the cave and the lifeguards are constantly keeping alert.  Pirates too!!

Meet Mary the Harris Hawk who is doing a wonderful job keeping the gulls at bay at Rocha Brava.  She does not harm the birds but merely scares them away.

The Algarve was certainly busier this September than in previous years but still very enjoyable.

As the sun sets on another wonderful holiday.

 

Moving on up

I have no idea where the time has gone, but suddenly my granddaughter is starting secondary school this year.

The secondary uniform seems so impossibly big and grown-up.  By the end of this year she will have changed - the increase in confidence and independence that comes with secondary school is amazing and wonderful to watch.  The other big change though is the workload and the degree of concentration that she will have to start using each day.  Substantially more real learning than she did at primary school.  Homework becomes much more real, arrives most days, and has shorter deadlines.

At the end of the day my grandchildren are growing up.  Every time they make a big giant leap, it leaves me with a lump in my throat but they need to learn to fly. 

August birthdays

Happy Birthday to our dear friend, Geoff.  May your 90th birthday be filled with magic moments....and lots of whisky!

And it's also my birthday.  Thank you for all the lovely cards and presents.

"Birthdays are nature's way of telling us to eat more cake."  Edward Morykwas.

 

Soaking up the Sun

What could be better than spending time with your loved ones?  Especially when grandchildren are involved.  You get to watch the next generation grow up (and play an important part in it) and create unforgettable memories in the process - for them and for you.  On holiday with the grandchildren, you get the chance to experience the adventure of travelling again through childlike eyes.  And that is something very special.  

However, Europe is in the middle of a heatwave named Charon, after the boatman who ferried the dead to the underworld!!!!!!!  And we are taking the grandchildren.

But get the basics right - a well-positioned villa with shade and a pool - and everything else falls into place.

And in the summer heat, with the temperature touching 25C at midnight, the pool became the centre of our world.  It sits there on arrival, shimmering in the sunshine at Roca Marina.  It says, very loudly, "come on in!"  And, by God, we do; within five minutes of arriving the grandchildren had dived into the water.  For the next seven days, they were rarely on dry land.

We breakfast, lunch and eat dinner on the terrace by the pool; we read and sunbathe by its side.  At night the grandchildren thrash and weave through the water, looking for all the world like Minoan bull dancers amid the spray.

The views from this water paradise are amazing.  The area promises healthy walks for the energetic.  Perhaps I'll go tomorrow - I don't - I've been too thoroughly seduced by the pool.  But Mike, otherwise known as Team GB, goes from being an extreme relaxer to hard-core roadie.  Mallorca is the mecca of European cycling and Mike would set off on his bike early in the morning for a 45 mile ride through some of the most beautiful mountain and coastal scenery.  Well done Mike.  If only we can get away from our pool.

The rest of us look down to the Mediterranean and can see young bloods race about in speedboats in the bay at Camp de Mar.  We decide to head down to the sandy beach that is well-suited to families with its transparent waters and breakfast on the beach.

In the transparent waters lies S'Illeta, a natural islet which can be accessed via a wooden bridge.  This iconic rocky outcrop and restaurant has been featured in the Night Manager and a number of other films.  We tried to book the restaurant but it is fully booked for months.  It is a photogenic paradise for Instagram and has captured the attention of the young bronzed avid Instagrammers.  Very entertaining to watch them posing.  I don't do Instagram but I expect there will be an incredible number of posts tagged in this location.

After coffee and croissants and a delightful swim in the clear water it was time for some action.  The family hired three paddle boards and set off to explore the bay.  They really enjoyed it.

Another day it was All Aboard Mallorca's best boat trip.  This pedal-powered boat was great - no need to worry about soaring fuel prices and awesome fun to slide off into the sea for a swim.

Daddy Day Care.  A fantastic fun filled day at Western Waterpark on the water slides.  Daddies acting like kids, returned with bruised bum cheeks!  Nanna spent the day sitting by the pool.

Camp de Mar is not subject to noisy night clubs.  This is because the nightlife here revolves around the Maria 5 Beach Club and several local restaurants.  Maria 5 Beach Club is a restaurant and lounge bar beautifully located under a shade of pine trees and looking out to perfect sea views.  There is something so special about having a cocktail while close to the beach......right?

And after a cocktail we enjoyed a couple of meals  at The Beach Club Restaurant.  We have been coming here for years.  Great spot right on the beach, good food and friendly service.  It does get very busy in the evening.

More cocktails and dinner out, this time to Port Andratx.  Restaurante Roma, also called My Way.  It is located towards the end of the harbour with great views.  We visited on a Tuesday and there was live music.We were beyond disappointed when the gates of Villa Italia closed and we will always reminisce about the stunning food they served.  The team has moved on to Roma and is hosted by Alfonso and his wife (with their son in the kitchen).  A beautiful setting especially at sunset.

On Thursday evening we dined at the restaurant at Biniorella and Mariano Miranda worked his magic with his guitar, as he does every Thursday.  Such skill.  Apparently Javier, the Manager, first discovered him busking outside Palma Cathedral.   A man of amazing talent, he is a genius with the guitar.  I don't understand why he isn't world renowned.  A fantastic evening and great food too.  Javier commented on how wonderful it was to watch our grandchildren enthralled by the music too.

Back home now.  The weather is awful.  I really miss soaking up the sun, listening to music with a drink in my hand, watching the children playing, looking out to the coast, surrounded by family.  But then if we had it all of the time a family holiday wouldn't feel as special!