Old Europe - Lee-sj-bo-ah (Lisboa)

The SECOND Oldest Capital in Europe ... Athens, Greece is older.

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LISBOA , ALENTEJO
Pron. [lee-sj-bo-ah]

Here's the view from the juliette balcony of our hotel in Lisboa, we overlook Rossio Square. 

We drove 150 kms from Evora, dropped the rental car off and booked a shuttle to the Internacional Design Hotel. They will also return us to the airport when we fly out. We have a three night stay. Several friends have spent time in Lisboa and they've passed on some tips and recommendations for things to do during the short time we have here.

' We Bones That Are Here ... ' - Evora

' We bones that here are, for yours await.' 

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EVORA , ALENTEJO
Pronounced [ever-a]

Slaves & Steep Slopes - Lagos to Monchique and Ferragudo

Some Day Trips ... Urban and Rural ... Walking and Driving

 

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Wikipedia provides some content.
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LAGOS 

So, we're now nearing the end of our stay in this area.

A primary goal for us, this adventure, had been to identify places that we would return to for extended periods (1 to 2 months) during the Canadian winter. 

' Nourishment ' - Lagos

' Journeymakers are the good folk who turn your trips into treasured memories.'
 

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Click on any photo (some are stock) in this post to launch a slideshow gallery of all the photos.

Wikipedia provides some content.

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LAGOS  
Pronounced [Laa-gowsh]

The FISH MARKET
 

The Moorish Castle of Silves

'The Castle of Silves is one of the best preserved of the Moorish fortifications in PORTUGAL.
 
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Wikipedia provides content for Silves. 
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SILVES, ALGARVE

Some History

The region of Silves has been inhabited since Palaeolithic Time. The town of Silves was founded during the times of  Roman Domination, probably around the FOURTH century. In the early SEVENTH century, when the Moors invaded Iberia, Silves became part of the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba. 

Continue reading here.

The Lagos Coastline

'A clear sky today, a mild wind, 16C and a calm ocean ... so, we took a boat trip with  Days of Adventure to visit the Lagos Grottos .

The geology along this coastline is unique to Portugal. 

The cliffs and eroded rock formations that jut out of the sea here, are what make the area truly beautiful.  A few days ago, we hiked around the massive headland these formations encircle, so it was intriguing today, to enjoy them from sea level.

The photos needed to be published as X-Large!

PORTUGAL: Lagos & Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park

CAUTION: This is a long post with (probably) too many photos. It begins with a short summary of our last few days in Spain.

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Wikipedia provides some sourced content. 
For more detail click Lagos

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EL ROMPIDO, HUELVA, SPAIN

El Rompido is only a few kilometres east of the PORTUGAL border. It's a fishing village out on a limb, 8km from the nearest town of Cartaya. We're staying 3 nights at a golfing resort here; this will be the end of the SPAIN leg of this adventure. It seemed to be the best accommodation for the area; it's the off-season, it's quiet, breakfast & dinner are included, costs are quite low. We have a very pleasant, several kilometre return walk (our daily 10,000 step goal) into town through an adjacent coastal wetland. 

It is one of the most tranquil and un-crowded spots on Huelva's Costa de la Luz, but it's primarily a golfing community. Not many other activities going on ... a nearby beach that needs to be water-taxied to, a few fishing charters, some shopping, several restaurants, nice but limited cycling/walking/hiking. 

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We crossed the open European border from SPAIN into PORTUGAL ...