A Weekend Emerges

Passeio em Faro

One day, we transport to an obscure place in Faro discovering sculptures tucked along pathways while planes arrive and depart nearby.

We see a towering figure and a plaque titled “Homenagem à Atlântida e ao Povo Atlante” — a tribute to Atlantis and the Atlantean people. The description suggests this could be the location of the mythical civilization of Atlantis, based on Plato’s description of where the Mediterranean ended and the Atlantic began, just beyond the Pillars of Hercules — the Strait of Gibraltar.

Continuing along the path, we come across another sculpture: a man seated, gazing out toward the water, and nearby a framed rock. The placard bears a poem:

Firm convictions as unwavering as a rock!
Eternal sensitivity like nature itself.
Homage to our friend: Fernando Silva Grade.

Ah, now it makes sense — the namesake of the passeio we’re walking. Perhaps that is his likeness sitting quietly along the trail.

A little farther along we find a sculpture of a seahorse. The placard reads “Salvaremos os Cavalos Marinhos da Ria Formosa” — We will save the seahorses of the Ria Formosa — an effort attributed to the João de Deus School Group.

The path opens to views of the water and skyline. This is a special place — tucked away, quiet, and peaceful. There’s a restaurant here called Baria, serving tapas and pizza. A sign reminds visitors that capturing chameleons is illegal. Nearby, a small group gathers at a snack bar, talking animatedly while someone plays guitar.

Quinta Walk

Just a short walk from our apartment and we’re in nature. The quinta trails make it easy to stretch our legs, enjoy a bit of quiet, and see what shows up along the path — birds, flowers, and realizing that wandering without a plan is a good plan.

Santa Rita

Santa Rita is one of those quiet countryside stops where traces of the past are easy to miss if you’re not looking. Ancient relics tucked among the grasses hint at stories that reach back thousands of years.

One small road led us to the Túmulo Megalítico de Santa Rita, an ancient tomb amidst the countryside. A short walk through tall, wet grass brought us to the stones.

Along the way we noticed several concrete markers labeled ASA. We believe it refers to Águas do Sotavento Algarvio and marks the route of underground water infrastructure.

We hopped back into the car and continued down the road. Nearby we also stopped at the Antigo Santuário de Santa Rita, another piece of history appearing along the same road.

Driving through the small town of Santa Rita, we paused to admire the tiles.

And continuing on, we found more trails to explore.

Quinta Bonita

While out on a bike ride, Tom discovered another waterfall and knew I’d want to see it. So we headed out on a backroad drive to Quinta Bonita. On the way back, a herd of goats had taken over the road briefly.

What Grows Here

Walking along the back roads, I found myself wondering what grows here. So I snapped a few pictures and decided to catalogue my findings. Quite possibly I’ll spin this into its own blog post.

A Planet Parade

On the last Saturday of February, the skies joined in the fun. The much-talked-about planet parade appeared one evening, with several planets lining up across the horizon. We stepped outside expecting something subtle and found ourselves staring upward longer than planned, trying to decide if that bright dot was really Mars or just wishful thinking. Either way, it felt like the universe had scheduled its own weekend entertainment.

Adventures in Dining (Local)

It started with a fish dinner at Restaurante Petisqueira Belmar, an unassuming place I had probably walked past a hundred times without noticing. Thanks to Patty for inviting us there.

Then came another invitation from Patty: “Want to be adventurous and try wild boar at Caravela tomorrow night?” An enthusiastic yes from me.

Whenever we try to explain where these places are, we never use street names. They’re so long and hard to remember that we rely on landmarks instead. It usually goes like this: “You know the road with the bakery? It’s the street just before it.” Or, “Go into Bishop’s Square and turn down the road before the palace.” This is fun, but let’s try to learn the names.

The street names we’re attempting to learn are:

• Rua Almirante Cândido dos Reis
• Rua Poeta Emiliano da Costa

Two down… several thousand more to go.

A Hidden Place

A lunch in Monchique at Restaurate Jardim das Oliveiras.

Like the Locals

We attempted to grill chouriço on a tabletop grill using aguardente. Everything went well — right up until the grill cracked.

When all else fails, there’s always café cheio and pastéis de nata to fall back on.

Like the Locos

We try to make Mexican food from what we can find in the stores. It tasted about like it looks.

Sunday Funday

And Sundays have turned into slow mornings, an hour on the pickleball court, perhaps longer after drinking coffee and chatting with friends.

Apparently, a Weekend Emerges

Retirement may have erased the official weekend from the calendar, but apparently no one told life that. Between backroad wanderings, unexpected art, new plants to identify, old relics to stumble upon, planets to watch, and friends to share meals with, the rhythm of a weekend keeps showing up anyway.

It just takes a slightly different path to get there.