I have been fishing during the day although the closest I have come to catching anything is this fearsome character:
But today, Thursday, the 12th of our latest excursion to Portugal, for
the first time we have not experienced blue skies and sunshine but steady rain
and drizzle all day.
Hopefully the weather will improve tomorrow as it is Janice's birthday
and although already recognised as an OAP in the UK for the last 5 years,
tomorrow she will be officially an OAP in Portugal, entitling her, on
production of her passport, to half price rail travel.
In Fuseta rail travel is "the only way to travel" not least because it
does not have a local bus service nor, with the exception of the flat bottomed,
non-wheeled variety that ferries you to and from Ilha da Armona, any local taxi
service but does, for some inexplicable reason, have two railway stations not a
mile apart and on the same line.
By rail you can travel west to Olhao, Faro and onwards to Alberfuira
and Lagos or east to Tavira and Vila Real San Antonio where you can see across the
estuary to Spain.
You just have to take your life into your hands when getting on or off the train - no "Mind the Gap" announcement here.
It was to Tavira that we travelled to yesterday and, having failed miserably to
find a particular restaurant, we headed across the river and got lost in the
alleys and side streets before coming across a couple of English bars.
Following directions from the English locals we got lost again before the
Algarve's answer to Brentford's Archie Karachi tempted us into the Punjab
Palace Tandoori where we sampled chef Vindaloo Vic's delightful "Prato do Dia" of
Lamb Madras, Chicken Tikka Marsala, Tarka Dal, Pilau Rice and Naan with complimentary popadoms and chutneys, at
the ridiculously reasonable cost of £7 a head.
Well stuffed we wandered back across the river and stumbled on the restaurant where we originally planned to have lunch and then came across Tavira Municipal
Museum which was hosting two exhibitions:
The first, "FOTOGRAFAR. ANDRADE FAMILY LOOKS ON TAVIRA, reflecting
the views of four generations of photographers of the same family, the
Andrades, images of Tavira and it's inhabitants and incorporating the history
and evolution of photography techniques and equipment from the start of the
20th century to the current day. And jolly interesting it was too!
The second "MANIMAE - THE RADIANT DAYS" an
exhibition-reflection on the sustainability of territories, species and human
societies, which, frankly passed well over my head and appeared to be various
collections of alabaster plaster covered rubber gloves.
There was, however, a blank
canvas and a selection of crayons and felt tips for visitors to add their own creation.
As you are well aware by now, I didn't get where I am today by passing over an
opportunity and left my own little masterpiece.
"Cultured out" we returned early to the railway station, stopping
on the way to purchase a pound of homemade sausages from the English "talho" to remedy my
sausage withdrawal symptoms.
No visit to Tavira is complete without a troll round the local Lidls emporium
which is situated next to the station and even more tatty than it's Blackwater
sister. However It never fails to come up trumps and just when we thought we'd forgotten
all about 60's soap powders, it gave us:
Must
sign off now and open another £1 litre bottle of red hoping
that the weather will be kind to Janice tomorrow and leave you with a little toon to conjure up memories of our youth in the 60's.
Hey Ho!
