Exploring Faro

James is running out of time to see a bit more of the Algarve and so this morning I proposed Faro, the Capital of the Algarve. We took advantage of the glorious sunshine to park, wander as aimlessly as we wanted and simply hang out as long as he had energy and interest. A perfect day!

Igreja do Carmo church

The storks have returned and are busy building nests, courting and making all kinds of wonderful noises.

In the seven years I have been coming here, this same gypsy woman has been sitting outside the same church begging.

The Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) is from 1816 and displays the bones of more than 1,200 monks from the Carmelite cemetery.

We had the feeling we were being looked at while wandering the gardens. I spied this little face peering at us from on high!

St. Anthony….just for you PM!!

Speaking of gypsies!!!! This one doesn’t want to go home.

The sun was streaming down and there was an unidentifiable sweetness in the air. Both of us were content to wander and breath it all in. I find everytime I visit Faro I see more detail, I find new things and I appreciate it just that much more.

Igreja de São Pedro-Church of Saint Peter

Saint Peter

Climbing to the top of Faro Cathedral, which was built in 1251!!

View out over the Ria Formosa from Faro Cathedral.

What a pair huh? We will both be 63 next month and I think we look pretty darn good for two old farts.

This rose in the Cathedral garden was truly stunning.

Detail at the base of a statue in the Cathedral.

A very voluptuous little angel. I find it sort of provocative myself!!!

I love this and the next photo…..these were more or less hidden behind a huge wall carving. I managed to squeeze in behind a pole to get this and the next shot.

See info on last photo.

By this time we were quite hungry and decided to find a place nearby……that took about 45 minutes!!! We had a great meal of pizza and beer and were so hungry that we totally forgot to take a photo of the food.

Our lovely cold Sagres.

This is where we ate and the pizza was amazing.

As always, you have to walk it off otherwise it will stay with you! Good thing we were both still in fine form with an abundance of energy. Still so much to see and do and we had decided to take in a short Portuguese guitar recital at 15h00 so……..off we headed.

Not certain what church this was but it had a lovely fountain outside and I think a funeral was happening so….no shots of the fountain as too many people milling about.

I love this wall art. Almost missed it as it was quite high and on the opposite side of the street but something compelled me to turn around and there it was.

How gorgeous must this have been in it’s prime? It’s still quite beautiful.

We delight in the colour available to us all through the “winter”.

I think this would make a great book cover!!

Moe lovely colour and angles.

I loved how the light was reflecting off the wall between the windows.

These two old friends were playing checkers.

The Portuguese guitar recital was in the top of the tourist information building. We had a few moments to wander around the roof top prior to it commencing……I took a few shots that caught my eye. What I loved about them was the business of chimneys, angles, light etc.. I think roof-tops can be quite fascinating and a world onto themselves, especially for the many cats that live up and around them. The concert, by the way, was quite wonderful……..I’d seen him before but for James it was a wonderful introduction not only to the guitar but also the history of Fado and the difference between the poor peoples Fado from Lisbon, which is sung by both men and women, and the intelectual Fado from Coimbra, which is sung primarily by men.

Our senses had reached overload. Our pizza’s digested. Our feet starting to complain a bit and home was calling out to us……….and so we headed back to the car for the short drive back to our villa……..

This beautiful sculpture of a Portuguese guitar.

James and a very stylized hoopoe.

9 thoughts on “Exploring Faro”

Diane Elkas January 10, 2018 — 6:59 pm

I also love Faro a lot, and, likewise, I always find something new to discover. I look forward to going back, and, I am sure that I will see things that never caught my attention in my previous visits. Looks like you had a great day! And, as always, your pictures are fabulous!!! Hope you are all doing fine and that the cold is behind you by now. Love and hugs.

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  canadianboystravel January 10, 2018 — 8:58 pm
  
  Hello Diane. Thanks for the commentary. We are, as you can tell, living the dream again this year. It won’t be a whole lot longer and you will be here. We’ve already discussed an evening with all of us and Ana and Simao. Bring your Fado voice!!! Our best to Benoit. Love and Hugs back to you.
  
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Diane Elkas January 10, 2018 — 9:38 pm

Great! I look forward to that Fado evening!

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Michele Dextras January 10, 2018 — 9:38 pm

As usual wonderful photos that give an eye view of life in southern Portugal. Missed the food photos though.

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  canadianboystravel January 10, 2018 — 10:08 pm
  
  It’s terrible how hunger robs my brain of thought process!!!
  
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mdextras January 10, 2018 — 9:42 pm

I really should scroll back up and look at the photos again before commenting! I love the photos of the statute of the little angel and the warrior angels. And the wall art is wonderful! Don’t know how big it is but it reminds me of the Leonard Cohen one on Crescent Street in Montréal.

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1. (Post author)
  
  canadianboystravel January 10, 2018 — 10:09 pm
  
  It’s quite large, about 25 feet across and 10-15 feet deep.
  
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JoAnn January 11, 2018 — 2:44 am

Certainly looks like you and James had a wonderful day. Tell him to stay put in Portugal bcuz otherwise he’s coming back just in time for a fresh dumping of that white stuff!!

Your pictures are beautiful. I do love the two you got of the statue behind the wall carving. Beautiful!
I too love the wall art there. North Americans could take a lesson or two from it.

xoxoxx

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1. (Post author)
  
  canadianboystravel January 11, 2018 — 10:16 am
  
  I think if he could stay he would stay!!
  
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