Year: 2018

We were up early to catch the 9:30 bus from Seville to Faro (3 hrs) in Portugal’s Algarve region and then transferred to the train from Faro to Ferragudo (1hr)… a quaint fishing village and neighbour to the city of Portimao. Quiet and peaceful.

It was a long hot day of travelling and we were tired and hungry when we got there. All that was quickly forgotten when we walked into our apartment at the Villa Giavota Resort in Ferragudo. Just a step from 100 foot cliffs, this resort is composed of several apartments of sparkling white Adobe surrounded by exotic gardens. All the rooms open onto the terrace with stunning views of the ocean and across the harbour to Portimao.

The four of us immediately donned our bathing suits and headed for the resort swimming pool. Sooooo refreshing! After a swim, Jake and I strolled to the lighthouse to get some shots just as the afternoon sun was illuminating the entire coast and hills. Wow! I’m glad we will be staying here for the next five days.

Dinner was phenomenal at the resort restaurant called “Lux”. Known for its 5-star burgers, I had the double salmon burger; steamed and smoked salmon together. 😃 The restaurant owners are the chef and his wife, Carla, our server. They were wonderful and came to our table after we ate to chat and learn about us. How nice!

We do not have internet in our apartment, only in the reception area, so I am not sure if I can keep on schedule with my daily blog… we will see.

Here are the photo highlights of Day 4 – Ferragudo arriving.

Today was an incredible experience… we visited the third largest church in the world… Seville Cathedral. It is out of this world with ancient history and mystery. Dating to the 1200’s and built on an original Mosque site, it is way to large to capture in a single photo, and you could walk around it several times seeing something new each time. The highlights were the stained glass windows (of course), the 35 story giralda (bell tower) which Jake and I climbed, and the tomb of Christopher Columbus (magnificent). For all photos, see Gallery/World Windows.

After the cathedral, Monica and Maneau went shopping while Jake and I went on a craft brewery walking tour. Prices here are so reasonable compared to Canadian standards. However, after finding several of the bars closed, we are learning quickly that mid afternoon is siesta time and most establishments shut down for a couple of hours. So we shall do the same while in Spain.

After siesta, our evening was capped with the best meal of tapas and wine we have had so far. The food here is fantastic! Then a night-cap of Spanish made orange wine at a local bar famous for its flamenco… sadly, no flamenco tonight.

That’s it for Seville. Three days of eyes wide open, head swiveling, jaw dropping Spanish flamboyance. I loved it here. We will leave in the morning for southern Portugal but Seville will always be someplace I would love to return.

Here are the highlights of Day 3- Seville Cathedral.

Mon and I were up early (still dark) so we went or a 4 km sroll though the city to eventually find coffee to take back to the apartment. Streets were not deserted but all was quiet except or the occasional small party group just staggering home.

We came across the Setas (Spanish for mushrooms), the world’s largest wooden sculpture. Designed to represent giant mushrooms, this structure can be climbed for panoramic views across Seville (we would do that later in the day). We also saw the Toro del Oro (golden tower) on the banks of the Gudalquivir River, dating to 1220 built as a military watch tower to guard the city. Finally, coffee and breakfast.

Our city walk brought us first to an outdoor artist’s market where we bought a watercolor of Plaza d’Espana. Next, we decided a Hop on/Hop off bus tour would give us a good orientation and history of the city. We enjoyed the views from the top floor of the open-air bus. Even though it was 32°, the breeze felt nice. We hopped off in the Triana district for tapas. Very busy here as a religious procession (parade) was just beginning.

Back to the apartment for a siesta and then off again for the evening stroll to see the Setas (oh my… the view from up there) and then dinner at the #1 ranked craft brewery in Seville, Maquila. The food was amazing!

A wonderful day. Here are the photo highlights of Day 2 -Seville.

We made it… and after 36 hours without sleep, we couldn’t do much more than find our apartment and them stagger downtown to find some supper at a fantastic restaurant called Genova right across the street from Seville cathedral.

After supper we wandered over to the out-of-this-wold Plaza Espana for some sunset shots. Built for the 1929 World Fair, it is a stunning showstopper of painted mosaic tiles all surrounded by a moat where visitors can paddle boats and enjoy the ducks. Then back to our apartment for an early night. Tomorrow, we will be much more alert and ready to explore this ancient city.

Here are the photo highlights of Day 1-Seville.

Monica and I have been planning a dream trip for years with our good friends from Moncon, Maneau and Jake. We will be heading to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) for a five-stop round trip starting from Madrid airport in central Spain to Seville in the south for the first stop, west to Ferragudo on the beaches of southern Portugal, north to Lisbon then further north to Porto, and finally east to Madrid for the last stop.

We know there will be lots of walking and LOTS of hills, especially in Lisbon and Porto. To get ready this summer, Mon and I started hiking the various trails of the beautiful Fundy Trail Parkway at St. Martins, NB. These views would rival any natural wonder in the world! And we got really good and sometimes strenuous exercise. Are we ready? Gulp, I hope so.