The Algarve...Lagos, Portugal

Welcome to the Algarve, which is a region located on the southern tip of Portugal.  It is an area known for its rugged sandstone cliffs and wide sandy beaches that hug the Atlantic Ocean.  Lagos is one of several towns that can be found in this area...and it also happens to be where we have been living for the past three weeks.  

When we first arrived here the weather was cool and cloudy with some rain.  Thankfully, that has all changed.  Lately we have enjoyed nothing but sunshine and increasingly warmer temperatures...mostly mid to high 60's, but some days reaching into the 70's.  That has allowed Lance and I to do some hiking and we were delighted with what we discovered.    

Lagos is an old maritime town that is very quiet during this time of year.  Many of the apartments and quite a few businesses close down for the winter season.  That will all change when summer comes around.  If you visit, you will find many expats from the UK, Germany, and Scandinavia.  Some live here year round, while others come to escape a harsh winter.     

Part of the old wall that surrounded the city.

The fresh vegetable and fish market.

Above and below are two of Lance's favorite coffee cafe's.

A view from our balcony at twilight.

Christmas decorations in the old town.

Near the end of our second week here, Lance and I hopped a bus to attend the Sweet Potato Festival which was held in the town of Aljezur's.  It was an interesting event featuring baked goods made with sweet potatoes, crafts, music, and food.  It was well attended, and a fun way to spend our Saturday.     

A stroller filled with bags of sweet potatoes.

This has been a relaxing stay for us.  We have mostly settled into an easy going lifestyle of  grocery shopping, cooking, a bit of hiking, and...yoga!  Lance and I have been attending class three times a week and are really enjoying our teacher, Isabel.  She is both helpful and encouraging...especially to Lance.  And...I do believe he actually likes going.  We plan to keep up the classes when we move on to Porto...and have already lined  up a teacher.  

Next week we will depart for Paris and then the Strasbourg Christmas Markets.  It will be a short trip, but we are looking forward to it...despite the current unrest taking place in Paris.  Then, it's on to Porto for a month.  In case I don't have a chance to post again before the holidays, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year!

  

  

  

Sevilla, Spain

Lance and I headed from Zagreb to Lagos, Portugal in the middle of November for a month long stay.  After a week of settling in, we were scheduled to travel to Faro for a concert...then on to Seville, Spain for a few days.  I have to be honest and say I wasn't terribly excited about going.  It wasn't because I didn't want to see Seville...but more that we had just settled down and I wasn't looking forward to another side trip so soon.      

Nonetheless, we departed on a cool, rainy Saturday for Faro on the regional train.  While in Faro, we tried to visit The Capela dos Ossos...which is a little chapel built of human bones and decorated with a golden skeleton, but it was closed for the day.  

Nossa Senhora do Carmo...the church where the chapel is located in Faro, Portugal

However, we did eat at a well established restaurant for lunch and another for dinner that served typical Portuguese food for that area.  We were not disappointed with either place, as the food was very good and the service was excellent.  Saturday night we attended a concert given by the Harlem Gospel Choir from New York City.  Even though the rain continued all day and night, we had a good visit.  

On Sunday, we boarded the bus for Seville.  Like all the other major cities in Spain that we have visited, Seville did NOT disappoint...and I was immediately happy that we had made the effort to come.  It is about the same size as Valencia, and considered to be the 3rd or 4th largest city in Spain.  We only had 2 days to see the city, which isn't nearly enough time, but we did our best.  Below are just a few of the many beautiful, historic buildings we saw during our brief visit.

The Reales Alcazares de Sevilla

The Palace Alcazar is a mix of Christian and Muslim styles that has parts of the building  dating back to the 1st Century.  It is comprised of beautiful buildings, patios and gardens...and is the oldest European royal palace still in use today.  If you only have time to see one historic site in Seville...this is the one you want to visit.     

                

Metropol Parasol

Metropol Parasol, commonly referred to as Las Setas de la Encarnacion (the Mushrooms of the Incarnation,) is a contemporary wooden structure that opened in 2011.  It was designed by a German architect who was inspired by the vaults of the Cathedral of Seville and the ficus trees in the nearby plaza.  The bottom level of the structure has Roman and Moorish remains found during construction of the site...the street level is a market and public plaza, and the second and third levels feature a restaurant and a winding walkway with fantastic views of the city.   

Santa Maria de la Sede

The Seville Cathedral was built on the site of a 12th century Islamic mosque, and, the Giralda Bell Tower was the mosque's former minaret.  The cathedral was built over 7 centuries and exhibits many different styles from different architectural periods.  Sadly, there was not enough time during our visit to tour the inside of the cathedral.  

Carriage rides are offered near the cathedral  

Teatro Lope de Vega 

This is a small Baroque Revival theater that was built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929.  It now holds cultural events for the city.  

Two other beautiful building that we saw on our tour.  Unfortunately, I don't recall the names or the purpose for the buildings.   

The Plaza de Espana

The Spanish Plaza was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929.  It has a huge semicircular plaza on the edge of a park.  There are several bridges that connect the plaza to the ornate buildings that are now used for government offices.        

Mercado Lonja del Barranco

This mercado is a food court located in a glass and wrought iron pavilion near the Isabel II bridge.  It has stalls that serve a variety of foods.  Tables are available in and outside the facility.  We enjoyed a tasty lunch there during our two day visit.  

Here are just a few more of the wonderfully restored buildings and churches that we came across during our walks to and from our apartment.  Many of these places were not on a main boulevard...but rather on small, side street hidden from view.     

The wonderful thing about Spain are the surprises hiding behind the neighborhood walls as you wind yourself through the historic city.  If you're lucky, you may come across a door that is opened and allows you to peek inside this wonderful hidden world.  

During our visit, we stayed in this interesting compound that was built in the 1600's.  It had a fountain, a small chapel, and numerous pots used to house plants during the spring and summer months    

We had a short, but wonderful visit to Seville.  We definitely hope to go back some day to see all the things we missed.  If you are planning a trip to Spain, you should definitely add Seville to your list.  I would also like to encourage you to consider going during the late fall or early winter months.  The crowds are much smaller...and although the temperatures are cool, the sun will warm you up.