Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

Saturday it rained in Estoi and it only seemed fitting as it was my last day at the quinta with its wonderful community of friends. I was off on a new adventure, however, to the town of Tavira, a grown-up ancient fishing port situated on both banks of the Rio Gilao. Many thanks to Randy,…

Friday January 17 dawned free of rain with few clouds in the sky, so, off we went on our planned hike of a trail at Barranco do Velho. Randy, Marc, Patricia, Gary and myself set out on the groomed trail taking in the sights of Caldeirão Mountain. We began at a high point and followed…

It’s been a busy week with a trip to Tavira on Tuesday to explore where my new location will be starting on Saturday plus shop for art supplies and have lunch. Wednesday was a group hike up São Miguel with the communication towers at the summit. It was a windy somewhat overcast day and the…

Sunday began with a trip to the Estoi Gypsy Market. It only happens on a Sunday. Vendors and shoppers from near and far crowd into the open air market from about 7:30 a.m. until shortly after 12 noon. It’s a lot of fun and one could actually furnish a house from the goods on hand.…

Friday and Saturday went by in a wave of sunshine and cool breezes. It was an opportunity for me to explore some of the lanes and pathways around Estoi and check out the Pousada grounds. That wonderful combination of ancient palace and modern hotel is under renovation. They have recently repainted the exterior and are…

The village or parish of  Estoi isn’t large  – it has a population of approximately 4,000 people and that reduces in number, in all likelihood, in the off season, which is now. This is the second year in a row that it has served as home base for exploring the Algarve. Thursday, January 9, was…

Hiking in the Algarve is regarded as a highly rewarding experience. Not an experienced hiker in the best sense of the world myself, I rather tentatively asked my friends next door if I could join them for their Wednesday morning saunter down the Ludo Hiking Trail. Randy and Harald have been hiking together for several years…

Tuesday, January 7, 2020 dawned in Estoi, Portugal and it was time to shop for provisions. My friends, Randy and Marc kindly provided supper the previous evening and Randy obligingly carted me off to the grocery store the following morning. A a short walk of about an hour in a loop behind the quinta completed…

Slightly more than a year after my second sojourn in theAlgarve, my Portugal adventures begin again on Monday, January 6 when I will be arriving in Lisbon. Most of that day, the Feast of the Epiphany, will be spent on a train from Lisbon to Faro. I’m looking forward to spending time at the Quinta…

On Thursday, January 3, we hit the road for a tour of the west coast of the Algarve. It was a bit cloudy when we set out but the sun prevailed later in the day although the west coast lived up to it’s reputation for being cooler than the central Algarve. With Randy at the…