As The Days Go By

As the days go by we have come to appreciate so many things. The weather has been extraordinary. It ranges between 75-80 degrees and each day has proven to be a perfect day to do what ever it is we have decided to do. There is always the hint of a breeze and we find that most delightful. As tourist season goes, this is considered off-season so it is very quiet. It just couldn’t get any better than for us.

We find we are motivated by our wanderlust and so we are meandering along the coastline taking in the beauty of each of our stops and absorbing its unique history. We park our car at the city edge and pull out our book on the history of where we are and then walk along the cobbled streets. For instance, in the town of Silves there is an old church that was built during the time of the crusades. The dead warriors were brought there to get their final blessing before their burial. These are funny little tidbits of history that never make it into a book but fascinating to think about while you are there.

The walking helps us to see the village life. We know when the fish man comes with his truck full of fresh fish. Or when the bread man brings his fresh breads and pastires. Everyone knows. We sit with ladies as they have their late morning coffee and chat. Late after noon the men gather to drink beer and play bocce ball. All this enriches us and we remember the little things in life that make living joyous.

We took a boat ride one day to see the grottos along the coastline.

We snap a thousand snapshots hoping to capture the waves as they hit the rocks, or as the sun peaks through an opening in the rock and changes the color of the water from sapphire to turquoise.