Going to Tavira with an aching in my heart...

I received some sad news this week. I don't necessarily want to write about it here, but suffice to say that I'm grieving a loss. Part of the reason why I went on this journey was to heal from other losses, and now, I have a fresh wound to heal. I decided to stay an extra night in Faro to give myself some space before jumping back into dorm life in Seville. I decided on Tuesday to get up and go to the nearby town of Tavira rather than mope in my hotel room. I figured that getting out and doing things would be the best way to pull my emotional socks up.

The town of Tavira is close to the border with Spain. It was recommended that I go there by my former supervisor as well as some locals from Faro. I consulted the train timetable and set out with my beach gear, and an open mind. The train runs about every hour from Faro, takes approximately 30 minutes one-way, and costs €6.30 return for an adult fare.

Upon alighting from the train in the town, I was struck by two figures outside the train station, a man in a military uniform waving goodbye to his love across the way (the female figure was in the roundabout, the male figure was right outside the station). The plaque on the wall outside the station said it was to commemorate those soldiers who left for war, but also for their wives/partners who were left behind. A very poignant tribute. In a way, it reminded me of saying goodbye to everyone back home before I left for my trip (especially true of a Bear and a Bird - you know who you are). 

To get to the main part of town, you have to walk more or less diagonally away from the train station and down the hill towards the water. Tavira is known as the "Venice of the Algarve" because it's surrounded by a number of canals, rivers, and of course the ocean. 

Above: Left side of the frame shows the "Roman Bridge" (so called because of its design, not its antiquity), and the right side of the frame shows the iconic four-sided rooves of the buildings along the waterfront of the Rua de Liberdade. There is some speculation about why Tavira has these four-sided rooves...my guidebook said it was because of the often sudden torrential rains in winter - that the rains would more easily run off the rooves - but in town, I heard it was possibly due to Chinese influence in architecture at the time. 

Above: walking up to the old part of town amidst whitewashed walls (a Moorish influence). 

Tavira has 21 churches (so many for one town!) but only two are available for visitors to explore, both are located in the old town, up the stairs and just around the corner from the tourist office. The Church of Mercies is a gorgeous church with "mercies" depicted on one wall in the now familiar blue azulejo tiles, and the other wall depicts miracles also in tilework. The stairs leading up to the alter are painted aqua and the alter has a stunning nucleus of the Virgin Mary. Entrance to the church is free. Unfortunately, photos are not permitted inside the church. The roof needs some repairs (I could see sunlight coming through a chink in the ceiling) and the church depends on the sales of postcards and donations to carry out restoration works. I bought a postcard to send to my mom, I think she would've loved the place.

Next two photos: The second church visitors can see is Santa Maria and like the cathedral in Faro, it was built on the site of a former mosque in the 13th century CE. The church suffered major damage from the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 and was rebuilt in the baroque style. Inside there is a crypt where Dom Paio Peres Correia lays, surrounded by his seven knights who were killed by the Moors despite a truce existing at the time between the two ethnic groups. Tavira was reclaimed from the Moors shortly after.

The interior is a jumble of chapel alterpieces as this church serves as a museum of sorts, holding a collection of sacred art from a number of the town's now closed churches. Entrance costs a mere €1.50 and includes the museum upstairs as well as the cathedral itself. The church has a gothic clock tower that still keeps time faithfully and is a major landmark in the old part of the town. 

Below: one of the alterpieces from another church on display in the Santa Maria church. I'm not sure which saint this is (anyone know?) but I'm assuming she's a saint of sailing due to the anchor, and I thought she was lovely.

While I was in Faro, I met two pensioner gentlemen (Flannegans, a pair of cousins from England) who told me about the opportunity to see a camera obscura in action. I had to ask about three different people where it was because the directions from the tourist office were vague, and map they give you is so tiny, it's hard to make out the street directions. The Tower of Tavira where the camera is housed is a former water tower for the town. What's interesting to note is that camera obscura have been around since at least 500 BCE (both in China, and later during Aristotle's time - 384-322 BCE). We know that Leonardo da Vinci and Johannes Keppler also used them. The design is basic: two lenses and a mirror, but the results are startling.

The Tower/camera obscura viewing costs €3.50 for a general adult ticket. You take the lift up to the top which puts you at about 100 meters above sea level. The guide presents a live-action 360 degree view of Tavira through the camera that lasts about 15 minutes. 

Below: a clear shot of the town from the camera obscura. Whatever you see is actually behind you due to the optics of using a mirror.

After the a tower, I decided it was time for lunch, which I ate just outside the ruins of the castle walls (also affected by the 1755 earthquake) and took a stroll along the ruins to take in what my guidebook described as the best view of the town, and enjoyed the gardens therein.

I then walked down into the lower part of town and took in the former market (seen below). If you see the aqua dress on the far right side of the frame, it will look familiar from my last blog post. I bought it off an elderly Portugese couple that fussed over me. The woman helped me try the dress on, and she was pulling at the slip under it, she did all but pinched my bum. It was a funny experience that helped lighten my mood.

Tavira is also known for it's stunning beach on the adjacent island. A 15 minute ferry-ride costing €1.90 return, takes you to this sandy beach that borders the nature reserve on one side, the salt pans on another, and the ocean on the last side. I didn't want to get caught up in any tourist traps, so I literally took the road less travelled and promptly found myself in the middle of nowhere. 

Above: selfie taken on the ferry to the island. I'm wearing the silver & jet pendant I bought in Santiago de Compostela. I think jet is good for grief.

Below: I'm where now?

It's a good thing that I have a solid sense of direction. I managed to steer myself towards the beach and hid between two small sand dunes because the wind had picked up and it wasn't fun to sit out in the open. I think I had a nap, and woke up feeling like I was being sandblasted due to the wind. A quick dip cleared my skin but the sand was so fine, I found some on me hours later after I returned to Faro. I decided that the wind was only getting more intense, and so I packed up in a hurry and ran to catch the ferry (which runs every hour, on the hour from the island). I caught sight of a neat piece of beach art, and stopped to snap a quick shot before running off to the ferry and then "home" to Faro for my last day in the Algarve, and indeed in Portugal. Until next time!

Faro - Capitol of the Algarve

Unlike Lagos with its rolling hills and impressive sandstone cliff faces around the grotto beaches, Faro is built on a flat expanse of land that borders on marshes. I did a double-take when I got off the two hour train ride from Lagos and thought to myself, "this is the same Algarve region?" But yes, the Eastern part of the Algarve is the yin to the Western Algarve's yang. The town of Faro is accessible on foot, and easy to navigate once obtaining a free map from the tourist centre.

Above: the Arco da Vila, built in the 1812 by an Italian architect. The portico is originally Moorish (the only one of its kind in the Algarve), and served as a part of the protective walls encircling the old town. Three items of note: the statue over the arch is of Saint Thomas Aquinas, patron saint of Faro; secondly, see those large birds and nests on the top and left of the arch? Those are storks nesting! The birds are protected and cannot be removed though their droppings are negatively effecting the structure; and lastly, the tourist office is just adjacent (to the left) of the arch for landmark purposes.

Above: the roundabout near the Palácio Bivarin at sunset. My hotel was just left of this frame. I treated myself to four nights here because I badly needed a break from the dorm life of hostels.

Wandering around Faro without any real designs of what I wanted to see on my first day lead to some lovely sites around the old part of town. Here are a couple snapshots from my meandering walk:

Above: a beautiful flowering tree (possibly bougainvillea?) in a broken pot holds court over this little street.

Below: these two gents were outside near my hotel every morning playing an assortment of folk and famous songs (like "When the Saints Go Marchin In") and they were very good. Definitely a pair of characters. 

My second day in Faro, I went to the beach (or Praia in Portugese). The beach lays just beyond the airport (the bus #16 costs €2.22 one way) and is one of the longest beaches I've ever visited in all my travels. I walked for miles before finding a spot, built three little "walls" of sand to shelter me from the gusty winds and relaxed. The beach is located alongside the Mediterranean Ocean, and despite knowing Morroco was in that direction, there was no hint of it. Only two weeks now until that part of my journey!

Below: On my way back, I was feeling revitalized after being overtired from traveling and walking. I took a photo of my footprints disappearing into the surf. Everything changes, everything passes away, everything is transient. The only time that exists is the present moment...

My third day in Faro, I took a day trip to the very pretty town of Tavira, which will be the subject of my next post. Stay tuned.

For my last full day in Faro, I decided to try and squeeze in the main sights of the town.

Below: on the left of the frame is the view of the Moorish Castle (which is poorly maintained and not open to visitors) and the marshlands beyond from the top of the tower of the Sé (cathedral). The marshlands are considered to be one of the 7 Wonders of Portugal, and are a wintering ground for many species of waterfowl such as Cattle Egrets, the Purple Grallinule, and the Red-Crested Pochard. I unfortunately didn't see any of these birds as I arrived in the wrong season. Apparently Flamingoes also winter here. 

Faro has been the Capitol of the Algarve since 1756. Like other towns and cities in Portugal, it was previously a Roman settlement (as early as the 7th century BCE), and it's name was Ossonoba. It changed hands several times over the centuries, being an important Moorish port before it was recaptured by the Portugese King Afonso III in 1249. It was then sacked and burned by the Earl of Essex (favourite of Queen Elizabeth I) in 1596. The city was rebuilt, only to be damaged by the great earthquake in Lisbon in 1755, and the fact that Faro is about 300 kilometres from Lisbon shows the magnatude of that quake.

Below: a rather austere statue of Dom Afonso III, Portuguese conquerer of Faro, just outside the Museu Municipal.

Next two photos: Housed within the Museu Municipal (entry is €2 for the exhibits only) is a huge mosaic depicting Oceanus/Neptune flanked by the North and West winds. This mosaic was originally discovered near the train station in Faro in 1926 but wasn't extracted until 50 years later. Unfortunately, the mosaic was damaged in the 20's when it was first being excavated. The mosaic was commissioned by four individuals during the Roman settlement circa 3rd century BCE. It's size indicates the weath of the town at the time. On the adjoining wall is an artist's depiction of what the completed mosaic would've looked like.

I decided that it I also wanted to see the Recital de Guitarra Portuguesa in the Mesuem (an additional €3), which consisted of a slideshow/video exhibition of the history of the Portugese guitar and demonstrations of the various types of Fado and original compositions by a local guitar player. This exhibit/recital was worth the extra €3 as it gave a great overview of both the instrument (which is similar  to a citar with its twelve strings), luthiers, and it's cultural importance in Portugal. 

There are two types of Fado: Lisbon and Coimbra styles. Fado originated in Lisbon by the poor people (Maria Severa was one of the founders), and Fado means destiny. Often the poor people would sing about the harsh realities (or destinies) of their lives. Fado, as I mentioned in my blog entry about Coimbra, expresses soudade or the feelings of loss/longing. The Fado of Coimbra is considered more elitist because it's sung about university life, and is more formal (with no clapping during performances), and only men may sing Fado in Coimbra (sexism, in my opinion). Whereas the Fado of Lisbon is more informal, being founded in the poorer classes. 

Below: a local Portugese guitar master João (didn't get his last name) demonstrating the passion of Fado. I bought the CD for €10, because it was honestly that good! His guitar is made in Coimbra style with its longer neck and tear-shaped finial.

The Sé of Faro is also known as the Santa Maria Chruch, and was originally located on the site of a mosque. The mosque was destroyed during the Portugese reconquest, and the cathedral was built on its location. The building has undergone many revisions to its architecture due to the transference of the archdiocese from Silves to Faro in 1577, the devasting fires caused by Robert Devereux (2nd Earl of Essex) during the British attacks in 1596, and then of course, the earthquake of 1755. What remains today is a mixture of Medaeval (the tower façade), gothic, and baroque periods.

Below: the exterior of the Sé from the main square in the old part of town.

Above: one of the side-chapels inside the cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria. Check out the ornate azulejo tile works, they stretch all the way up into the archways of the ceiling overhead. 

Below: the stunning 18th century organ covered with Chinese motifs. Concerts are given on this organ, but none where happening when I visited the cathedral. A pity really, I would've love to hear this magnificent organ sing and resound against the high arches of the cathedral's ceiling.

Below: Apart of the cathedral complex are two exterior chapels. One is dedicated to Saint Michael, slayer of the serpent, and another small one called the Chapel of the Bones where the altarpiece is comprised of human bones and skulls - some are relics.

Below: a photo of myself on my last day in Faro taken outside the old walls of the city.

I would definitely recommend visiting Faro if one is planning on visiting the Algarve. It's proximity to other gorgeous towns, it's history, and charm are not to be missed. I may be back one day...