We took the overnight from Madrid to Lisbon. It is the only train between the two cities, and runs on old, bumpy, slow, and uncomfortable track. One would think that Spain is not the largest trading partner of Portugal. As we arrived at 7:20 in the morning, we decided to head straight down to the south coast to Lagos (LAH-goosh) for some rest and relaxation.
Little did we know that they are having the same unusual weather as Madrid – cold and rainy. We found a great hotel, with a lovely proprietor who should have been an anthropologist, and a room that opened to a terrace with one wall covered with jasmine in bloom and the other in bougainvillea.
This area in Portugal has been named the number one expat retirement spot in the world. It also seems to be popular amongst Germans, Brits, French, and Scandinavians. There are more restaurants than people. Nonetheless, it had some nice aspects, and we were able to get in some relaxation.
We decided to rent a car and explore more of the Algarve, the southern region of Portugal. They have southern and western coasts, and include Cabo de Sao Vicente, the “occipital” point of mainland Europe (to most of us that means the southwestern most point). We had a Citroen, and it drove nicely. The use of traffic circles is ubiquitous here, and, if I do say so, they make intersections flow quite easily.
We were quite impressed with the rugged landscape of the area, and it was really nice to get into the countryside for a bit. The wildflowers were going nuts with bloom (although I was driving, so don’t have many pics). There were also quite a few storks. Both the European and African species are now protected (don’t see stork on the menus any more), and they create rookeries on the tops of power and light poles.
The waters are always rough on the western coast. This is the last spot sailors saw as they headed off to the new world. What struck me was how much these rocks and cliffs had seen through the millennia.
Beautiful pictures! Love following your travels. We’ll arrive in Granada this Friday. Any chance you’ll be back from Portugal and in the area. We’ll travel through Andalusia (Cordoba, and Sevilla as well) until May 28, then 3 days in Barcelona. Any and all recommendations are gratefully accepted. Will hope the weather warms up for us (and for you), because I’m ready for warm!