Off to Monchique for a change of scene and a contrast to the coast. Coffee at the cafe on the Rio do Arade. Went to the regional market there.All towns and villages have a local food market every weekday, but once a month the larger places have these regional markets which are outdoor and where you can anything from live animals and birds to clothes, food, ironmongery,you name it. There are also cafes where the locals seal their bargains over coffee and beer and stalls selling freshly-cooked chickens, and fartados which look a bit like a cross between a pancake and a doughnut. We bought local honey a a pot of pollen and strawberries from Spain which looked fantastic but did not really taste of anything at all.
Lunch on top (literally) of the highest mountain in the Algarve (3000 feet, 950 metres) with fantastic view over the whole of the south western part of the Algarve right down to Cape St Vincent.On the way down from the mounyain, called in at the beautiful old spa just below Monchique and had wander round there.
Stopped on the way back for a walk along the levada from the cafe where we had had coffee on the way out. The walk follows the levada ( irrigation channel) above the Rio do Arade which flows down to the sea from Silves, the old Moorish capital of the area in the 12th century. We hoped to have the company of the friendly dog which often comes with you as a sort of guide dog, but he must have been off guiding someone else today.
Back home for dinner at El Curvo, our friendly local restaurant in Algoz.
No comments:
Post a Comment