Tavira Uncovered

Saturday is normally a market day but on this particular Saturday, we had a few errands we wanted to run that took us to one of our favourite Algarvian towns, Tavira.  It was a warm and sunny day, perfect for wandering and both Laurie and Pat were interested in some exploration and “perhaps”……just “perhaps” a little shopping, and so, shortly after 9.am. off we headed.

This lovely fish motif in the fishermen’s market.

You can’t help but love all the people watching. It’s always the old men, sitting it out and gossiping while the old women do all the work!!

I rest my case……..do you see any older women sitting around?

And yet again!!

Two happy campers……

One of the things we wanted to do was to head up to the old castle and see what was blooming in the gardens.  It wasn’t as gorgeous as it usually is but it still satisfied.

Marco and the poinsettia.

Patricia was in glee with this full bed of multicoloured poppies.

Love this very full bed

I asked both of them to pose for me under the bathroom sign…..

Thank goodness he humours me all the time.

A view from inside the garden

Near the entrance to the gardens.

Look at that smirk. One happy gal.

Curly, Larry and Moe…..you figure it out!

Laurie, Marc and Patricia

The Silver Nomad and the Two Graces!

I know I know what these are but I can’t find the word in my brain today.

We had gone our separate ways to accomplish our individual tasks and agreed to meet at the Roman Bridge in an hour and a half.  I thoroughly enjoyed wandering and taking a couple of smaller streets that I had yet to explore.

Truly majestic and beautiful

This tiny little place, nestled between two other already renovated buildings, was finally getting some TLC.

This terrace was completely over the top.

This is part of the last photo….a bit of close up detail.

St. Sebastian Church

This old fountain was tucked away in a back room that I’m not certain I was supposed to go in.

The bell tower on St. Sebastian Church

This tiled house was quite striking. The closer to the wall you got, the more textured and 3 dimensional it looked.

This tile was inset in the wall of an old house.

Whimsy.

Loved the colour.

More old men doing what old men do!!!!

For Patricia

OK, I know I shouldn’t have but I couldn’t help myself!!!!!!

One of my favourite perspectives on Tavira.

We met up with Pat and Laurie at the designated time and headed off to find a place for lunch.  Our first choice turned out to be closed, the menus at two others didn’t appeal to us and we ended up at Zeca da Bica, my favourite place in Tavira.

Passed this lovely old pot on the way to the restaurant.

Very near the restaurant we spotted this old fellow taking in sun!

My absolutely delicious lamb

Laurie enjoyed her first bacalhau a bras

Both Patricia and Marc devoured their fried rabbit.

A big meal like that demands the longer route to the car and so, we headed in a very circuitous direction and zigzagged our way.

Pure whimsy and delight.

Wish I had a reason to purchase one!

Detailed door knockers.

Blooms are everywhere.

Look at this happy happy woman!!

My two beauties……enjoying the day and each other.

Relaxing while the others are enjoying the park.

Look at that blue sky….WOW.

A group selfie.

The bird of paradise is in bloom everywhere right now.

This fellow was sunning his corpulent belly…..he kept pulling his shirt up!!!

The turtles enjoying the sunshine.

This little baby was quite small……about three or four inches across

Love this….the car was parked next to it and when we arrived back, from a different direction, is sort of jumped out at me.

A perfect day it was and culminated in arriving home and finding a bag of avocados hanging on our gate for us……many thanks Bonnie and Ken.  And consequently, a marvelous enormous bowl of guacamole somehow made it’s way to our coffee table with individual drinks!!!!!  A lovely cinq a sept.  (Merci mon mari)