I told you I would

I'm not sure anyone is still around, maybe you've all escaped to far away exotic holidays...now, there's a thought, right?

Anyway, I'm back and I bring some photos with me.

To start with, the reason everyone goes to the Algarve on holidays. The beaches.

Usually the sea is calmer than how it's pictured here, but waves are better for photographs. Anyway, the water temperature was above 20 C which was refreshing enough but not too cold. The air temperature, on the other hand, was above 30 C every single day and in a couple of days reaching 37, 38. So the only thing to do was to head to the beach hoping it would be cooler there and in the meantime endure the heat in the streets melting your brain relentlessly.

When the temperatures allowed it, it was nice to stroll around during the day, though I strolled mostly at night this week. One late afternoon I managed to get to the castle in Tavira to get some photos. It was only a 5 minute walk from my house but it was a hard task with the heat.

This is the main church seen from inside the castle. The trees helped to freshen it up a bit.

Tavira is completely packed with churches (see that white and yellow one at the end?). I believe it was how the Christians tried to establish their religion in a place that was strongly influenced by the Moors. Brief historical information: Portugal was founded in 1143 but it was only in 1249 that the lands in the South were conquered from the Moors, the whole Algarve region in particular.

Inside the castle there is a really nice garden.

It smelled wonderful, I can tell you.

It seems Tavira was conquered from the Moors in 1249. In 1252 a Spanish King decided to conquer it for himself, claiming it was his. After a few harsh words (I imagine), the Kings settled an agreement that involved their children marrying and the distribution of the lands. Since there was a child from that marriage it was agreed that the whole Algarve region would be portuguese. God bless that child!!

It is not clear when the castle was built but it already existed in 1168, when the Moors were in battles against a traitor called Abdalá ibne Ubaide Alá - I couldn't make this up even if I tried.

Oh I miss these pretty little houses already.

As I mentioned before, strolling at night was more pleasant but you needed to stay close to the river and sometimes it was still too warm.

One time the river was almost empty and there was a heron hanging around.

In the Algarve or anywhere in Portugal, you have to have fish, particularly freshly grilled. Even if you don't like it, because you will like it. The only dinner when I didn't have fish was when I had this vegetarian pasta thing. The tomatoes smelled for miles. I had lots of great fruit, strawberries that really tasted like strawberries and that you didn't have to add sugar to, cherries, apricots, figs. Yum.

This was the view from my balcony, on a very stuffy day. See the castle and the churches?

This part of the fortification was really close-by.

And to finish it, a required sunset photo. Days are so long in June. Happy Summer!