The girls insisted on a swim in the pool first thing on the Thursday (September 13). Poor Ellen went out for a play and wandered around one side of the house where the bigger dog saw her and started to chase her and bark. She was really scared. Helmut and Gudrun came and apologised – the dog hadn’t realised we were there and thought she was an intruder. So we ‘introduced’ the girls to the dog – and they immediately became best friends. Ellen, in particular, kept calling for it and patting it all day long!
After the swim we ventured into Fuseta itself (our accommodation is on the outskirts). It is a little town with some tourism accommodation and a small harbour (mainly for recreational fishing boats). A ferry was busy transferring people across to the island that lay beyond a big internal lake system that runs along most of the coast between Faro and Tavira and which is a national marine park. We walked along the beach along the channel and lagoon. It was a lovely walk with the weather being warm.
After this we headed to Tavira – an old Moorish town closer to Spain. The drive was through an extremely dry Mediterranean landscape. A lot of it has been let go quite wild – scrubby country with introduced prickly pear dominating in parts. There were also a number of abandoned orchards (almond and carob trees). Other parts have been cultivated with citrus orchards and vines.
Tavira is beautiful. The houses are packed closely around a tidal river. Many are white stucco while others are covered in beautiful ceramic tiles – mostly blue or pale pink. An old Roman bridge and a newer (but still old) iron bridge provide access to the two sides of the town. We walked along the old cobbled streets and had lunch in the town square. All the shops shut from 12 to 2 (or thereabouts) and everyone enjoys a leisurely lunch at the cafes. The food was again incredibly cheap. After lunch we wandered up the narrow streets to the old castle at the top of the city. It was apparently started in Neolithic times, the Phoenicians then erected a wall there in about 800BC. The Moors extended it during 800-1200 before the Christians took back the area in the 1200s. It was wonderful and has a lovely garden established inside it. It was also possible to see the interesting four-sided roofs of the houses of Tavira – apparently designed so the rain runs off them quickly. Nearby was a church. It had a huge clock and bell tower and a somewhat Moorish inspired design. Inside it was lovely with ceramic tiles used extensively in the small chapels.
After the swim we ventured into Fuseta itself (our accommodation is on the outskirts). It is a little town with some tourism accommodation and a small harbour (mainly for recreational fishing boats). A ferry was busy transferring people across to the island that lay beyond a big internal lake system that runs along most of the coast between Faro and Tavira and which is a national marine park. We walked along the beach along the channel and lagoon. It was a lovely walk with the weather being warm.
After this we headed to Tavira – an old Moorish town closer to Spain. The drive was through an extremely dry Mediterranean landscape. A lot of it has been let go quite wild – scrubby country with introduced prickly pear dominating in parts. There were also a number of abandoned orchards (almond and carob trees). Other parts have been cultivated with citrus orchards and vines.
Tavira is beautiful. The houses are packed closely around a tidal river. Many are white stucco while others are covered in beautiful ceramic tiles – mostly blue or pale pink. An old Roman bridge and a newer (but still old) iron bridge provide access to the two sides of the town. We walked along the old cobbled streets and had lunch in the town square. All the shops shut from 12 to 2 (or thereabouts) and everyone enjoys a leisurely lunch at the cafes. The food was again incredibly cheap. After lunch we wandered up the narrow streets to the old castle at the top of the city. It was apparently started in Neolithic times, the Phoenicians then erected a wall there in about 800BC. The Moors extended it during 800-1200 before the Christians took back the area in the 1200s. It was wonderful and has a lovely garden established inside it. It was also possible to see the interesting four-sided roofs of the houses of Tavira – apparently designed so the rain runs off them quickly. Nearby was a church. It had a huge clock and bell tower and a somewhat Moorish inspired design. Inside it was lovely with ceramic tiles used extensively in the small chapels.
Carlene
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