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MONSARAZ

the view on a wet morning

Monsaraz is at the top of a steep mountain and is completely enclosed within the walls of a castle.  The views are terrific, one can see for miles around.  It was used by the Moors and later the Knights Templar.  Like all of these remote towns all the streets are cobbled, narrow and steep with the lovely little white washed houses.  It must be striking when the plants and flowers are in bloom.

One of the entrances

SOCIAL LIFE IN CAMP MINA S. DOMINGOS

With lovely sunny weather all week and such pleasant companions here we've all stayed on and had fun dinners, grill, chats, happy hours and walks.
Sean is American, young, married to lovely Carolina.  Mike is English and are Pam and Rob.  Just a few pics of them all.  On our grill evening a Portuguese family at the next table were celebrating a birthday with song and a guitarist and we all had some of the cake.

Sean and Carolina

music with our grill

happy hour

lads grilling

MINA S. DOMINGOS

The great mining town of Sao Domingos has changed very little with time except the huge mines are derelict since 1960.  The houses of those miners are tiny except for those from the higher officials of the British firm.  Great tiny streets of whitewashed houses some consisting of only one room, some with toilets still outside and I'm told that some of them have the kitchens in a building opposite.  The free camping here is on a large lovely Baragem or dam.  It's great.  Very friendly neighbours, grand walks and weather just changed to sunshine and warmth.   Couldn't be better.

Mina S. Domingus

local meal with Sean

ALCOUTIM

Making my way back to the east coast because I bypassed an area that is so lovely with several very Portugese little towns.  Had a great drive through the mountains to Alcoutim where there's a very lovely town situated on the Guadiana river as is the beautiful town of Mertola.   Stayed in the former. The wildflowers are just beautiful.  Many of them I have never seen before.  It's so pretty here now what must it look like when everyone puts out their plants and flower boxes.

Alcoutim

Mertola

SAGRES

Sagres is one of the last towns in the west of the Algarve.  The coast along here becomes very rocky and there's a lighthouse at the San Vincentino point that has the strongest light in Europe.  All along these regions there are many people walking the "Fishermans Path" or Vicentina Way.  There are wonderful walks along steep cliffs, twelve stations along the way where some people stay in hotels and some in tents.  Great views, lots of wild flowers, turquoise water and a chance to surf.

The Lighthouse

The Portuguese Finisterre

surfers only, too cold for swimming

LAGUS

A lovely town with a wide marina, lots of windy streets and many cafes and restaurants.  It is, of course, cobblestoned.  The Portuguese pronounce it Lagosh.  There is a beautiful church dedicated to St. Anthony but it was unfortunately closed for some hours when I rode my bike there.  It's always great to stroll around these little towns with their colourful trim around windows and doors.  Some of the houses are so tiny they have a frontage of only one window and a door.
There's a camping place beside the sport stadium for 3 euros/night.  Met David, the nice man that I camped beside up at the Barragem and also Chris who lives in Dublin.

St Anthony's church in background