Touril

Today we explored the beautiful Alentejo Coast; geographically this is the part of Portugal immediately before it turns the corner eastwards to become the Algarve. Indeed Faro the airport for the Algarve is only about fifty miles from our hotel, however the contrast between the developed resorts of the Algarve and the unspoilt coastline of the Alentejo could not be greater.

We started our day in the nearby village of Zambujeira do Mar; the village itself framed a cove where there was a lovely beach, almost deserted. The sea did however look cold. Further down the coast we drove along an unmade up road, which every few hundred metres had boardwalks leading to the most fantastic views.

The coast is completely unspoilt comprising many rocky inlets with an azure blue sea. It is absolutely superb. A speedboat gave me the opportunity to try the zoom lens on my birthday camera. The results were excellent.

 At the end of the drive was a café situated on the cliff-top.

The views from the terrace were great. It was like a set from “The Trip”, except that I did not make Marion guess the bill,

just as well as a two course meal with drinks came to €34. I started with fresh anchovies marinated in garlic, one of those top-eating experiences.

This afternoon I walked some (about 3 kilometres) of the 340 kilometre Route de St. Vincente. Again many beautiful coves and fabulous views. We finished up the day at a nearby fish restaurant, lovely service as has been a feature of Portugal, We again made the mistake of having a starter each, fresh shrimps and pork sausage almost overwhelmed us. Well that is a mistake we will not make again. Must finish now as tiredness is beginning to set in.