March 4th: Country Tracks

Today we are following the Percuso das 7 Fontes, the route of the 7 springs. The walk leader said we would cross the river by some stepping-stones before coming to a traditional basket weaver’s workshop. Slight problem; the river’s in flood. But really this was only a small detour and doesn’t affect the main walk.

This is the decayed pumping device built over one of the springs. The long horizontal pieces of metal ran in a circle to drive the pump- presumably a horse or donkey provided the power for this- and the metal boxes on the ground formed a continuous loop lifting the water from the well.

We finished in the small town of Quarenca for coffee in the square, overlooked by this lovely Portuguese church. The sun shining on the church and the black clouds directly behind gave the scene a dramatic, biblical quality, and I was half expecting to hear a deep, omnipotent voice booming, “You’re all doomed.”

March 1st: Seaside Rocks

An organised coastal walk led us through a fascinating variety of rock formations. This first one is known locally as the frigate, and you can see why. The coast has eroded most unpredictably and you can be standing on what you believe to be solid ground only to find it has been severely undercut. The next photo is an example, with the people on top giving an idea of scale.

Erosion seems to apply equally to man-made structures. The walk leader pointed out that the bridge we had just crossed was built over a sheer drop to the sea. It had felt solid enough, with a concrete sidewall and floor slabs. “Now look back”, he said, ”It’s actually built on wooden supports which are rotting away!” The question is- would we have been able to open our umbrellas quickly enough if it had given way?

Back to the scenery! The rock arch, so they tell me, is like Durdle Door in Dorset and the last pic shows a rock like a shark’s tooth.

Feb27th: Some Ports in Portugal

There are still a few fishermen left. Here they winch the boats up a steep concrete ramp safe from the pounding seas. In the huts behind we saw much activity with nets being cleaned and stored away. Notice the small rock stack on the shore. It has been much undercut by the waves and will one day topple over in a storm or perhaps from a concerted heave-ho by the lager lads.

Vilamora marina is the largest in Portugal, where the trappings of wealth are to be displayed in the form of luxury yachts. This is one of the many sleek cruisers in the harbour, and appears to be made out of the same shiny silver material as must-have expensive upright fridge/freezers. The boat presumably comes equipped with a crushed ice button as part of the bridge controls.

This unusual plaque was fixed to the wall outside a bar, the Antiquities Bar, in the old port of Albufeira. I can’t decide if the crusader has had a heavy night at this very bar or is just plain seasick from a rough voyage back from the Holy Land!

Feb 24th: Group Walk

We start out climbing a dirt road that leads to a deserted village: it seems few youngsters want the arduous life of a peasant farmer. As expected, there is general decay, but some of the house fronts have fallen out, and one of the walkers, who lives here, said this would be due to earth tremors. Shades of the 1755 earthquake that destroyed much of Portugal!


Now we see the incredible concrete man, alias Terry, who has climbed the survey pillar at the highest point of our walk. This is where we eat our packed lunch.







On the way down from the hill, an energetic barking dog leapt out from a house beside the path and barred our way. We probably weren’t much at risk and, anyway, the owner swiftly appeared and grabbed the dog. I took a quick snap. Looking at this in more detail later, it appears that we were in more danger from being bitten by the owner than by the dog!

We pass through more orange groves and finally arrive at a village café-cum-grocery store where we order coffee, and sit outside on the wall as the café doesn’t have sufficient chairs for 13 walkers. All the while we are kept under surveillance by some locals in traditional (it would be nice to think) dress.


That’s us, on the wall, at the end of our 9 mile hike.

Feb 20th: Farragudo

In between showers we take a trip along the coast to Ferragudo, originally a fishing village, and walk from there.
There are still some fishermen around as evidenced by the jumble of fishermen’s huts showing signs of occupation. There were also stacks of lobster pots on the quay we had just walked past. The rest of the town is devoted to tourism.




But we quickly get to some small pretty bays and enjoy the sheltered sunshine.
Just after taking the photo, the surf rushed in and soaked Jane’s trousers.




We nearly manage to get back before a sharp shower, but there followed an interesting mixture of clouds and sunshine, resulting in an unusual picture.

Feb 17th to 19th

Camping Albufeira is a large site, part of which is block-booked each year by the Camping and Caravanning Club of the UK to hold a rally. As members of the club, we booked our pitch through them to get the discounted site fees. We’ve never been on a rally before, but know all about them through the Club magazine: lots of social events like line dancing, quiz nights, bingo, whist drives, walks etc. Well, we are keen on the walking. Checking in with the rally steward, he said, “There’s lots of activities, but no pressure.” We breathe a sigh of relief. He continues, “But unless all members support these functions we’ll lose the use of the hall.” Gulp.


The weather is mild but unsettled. Long-stay rallyists tell us it’s been raining since December. If your pitch becomes waterlogged, the campsite has a rapid response gravel service. A lorry appears and two men Feb 17th to 19th furiously shovel gravel onto your pitch and then rake it into the mud and puddles. We requested this facility on day 2 and were impressed by its’ efficiency. The Portuguese are clearly less mañana than the Spanish. You can see all our lovely effective gravel on the photo, and how our pitch would be un–gravelled by looking at the vacant plot adjacent. It is water, about 6 inches deep

Feb 15th & 16th: from Merida to Albufeira

We arrive at Merida on Sunday night, Feb 14th, and will stay an extra day here. Merida is a pleasant town with a big Roman history. The photo shows a Roman bridge 720 metres long in excellent condition. The biggest threat to the survival of Roman structures wasn’t decay, but the pirating of the beautifully trimmed stones to be reused in other building work.

The Moorish fort in the town is an example of this, built entirely of “re-cycled” Roman building blocks. The bridge itself was preserved intact presumably because it continued to be needed to cross the river.

This is the bullring, built in the Moorish style. It looks like most people’s nightmare of a package holiday hotel.
Merida to Albufeira is around 5 hours drive and, after about half way, warmish and sunny (18 degrees). We arrive late afternoon and book in to the site.