There are many things that are unexpected to me on this trip, some are about Portugal itself, some are the truths that are revealed once you strip all of normal life away and you have time to think about things instead of being dictated by the tyranny of the urgent next thing.
I didn't really know what the Algarve would be like, I had read thousands of words on the region. I know what it is famous for (sea caves, beaches, wineries and pottery to name a few) but I didn't know what it would be like to live here. We've been here for just over a week now and it feels like we've been here for much longer. Our life is simple and I take great pleasure in the simplest joys, like spotting the sea each time we leave our apartment. I typically call everyone's attention to it, every time, "Guys, THE SEA!"My children are delighted in me stating the obvious every time.
That is truly our view and it never fails to delight me.
Once we're on ground level, we'll either take the path through the grounds to the beach for our morning constitutional or we'll walk through town. If we go to the beach, Kieran runs and runs like a puppy dog set off its leash. The rest of us chat and collect shells, we quickly instituted a three shell per walk rule and even with that the shell bowls are full. We've gotten more picky as the days go on and only pick up one or two of especially nice ones.
The main square is one thoroughfare for everyone- cars, pedestrians, cyclists and dog walkers. The cafes spill out onto the cobblestones as well as the many little shops with goodies for tourists.
The side streets are narrow, with random curves and alleys. Today's walk took us on a treasure hunt of tile frescos of which there are many. The main colour you see is white with plenty of blue and yellow. Today we spotted a building with pale lavender trim.
Here is the church and here is its steeple. It's decorated for Palm Sunday with fresh palm fronds and lavender sprinkled everywhere.
Here is the old church, overlooking the sea.
Tile pictures like this are everywhere, if you know where to look. This one is of the patron saint of the area, from what I can tell, Saint Anthony. I found it incredibly peaceful. The fortress in this area is a few hundred years old and there's something about being by the sea, in the presence of old buildings that sets one in its place in the world.