Driving the Backroads

Roads Not Taken

Here is a road not taken, and that probably made all the difference that day. The road looked like it was going to be a steep descent and maybe we’d find out partway down that it was an extremely narrow road with lots of ruts. We will save this for next time when we have our adventure pack with us.

Oh, what is an adventure pack you ask? It contains trail shoes, snacks, waters, phone battery charger, and adding trekking poles and a first aid kit might be prudent.

Moinho Quest

Gotta Catch ‘Em All! We stop for every castle, castle ruin, hermitage, chapel, cathedral, and now add to the list: moinho. Specifically, windmills (moinhos de vento) and watermills (moinhos de água). This particular one, Moinho do Bengado, was built around 1850 and was fully restored in 2005. We couldn’t help but notice that it is missing its windmill blades. Maybe a lot happened in the last 20 years.

The white structure is open to go inside on Sunday afternoons from 3-6pm. Just off the N270 between the towns of São Brás de Alportel and Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo in the hamlet of Bengado. The stone one is sans door and looks more like a torre than a moinho. There is a small spiral staircase taking you to the top. There is also a foul smell inside (way to sell it, right?)

Ermida Nossa Sehnora da Saúde

When the sign tells you there is a hermitage just over there, you go.

The placard here reads:

Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Saúde 15th and 18th centuries (reconstruction).

This chapel dates from the 15th century when the hermits of Saint Paul settled here in 1448; they stayed until 1606, at which time they moved to the convent of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda (Our Lady of Good Aid), in Tavira. Surviving from the 16th century is the triumphal arch, its stonework embellished with late-Gothic motifs. After the 1755 earthquake, it was rebuilt and the chancel was redecorated with a new retable and tile panels depicting the “Adoration of the Kings” and the “Flight to Egypt”. In the 19th century, the chapel was purchased by the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Good Health, which had work carried out on the façade in 1881.

Ermida de Santa Margarida

Oh wait, there’s another one! So of course we stopped.

The placard here reads:

Ermida de Santa Margarida. Séculos XVII e XIX

The chapel dates back to the late 17th century, at which time it was administered by the Brotherhood of Saint Margaret. It comprises a single nave with the hermit’s house alongside. The façade was remodelled in the 19th century, keeping the original portal. Inside, there is only a modest 19th-century retable. Formerly, this was a place of pilgrimage and major festivities in honour of the patron saint, during the last weekend in July.

Parque de Lazer

Apparently not a place to play laser tag, this leisure (lazer) park was a great find. It is accessible from regular paved roads, but what’s the fun in that? At the park, people gathered for picnics and birthday celebrations while deer roamed nearby. Further down is a lake and hiking trails. We will explore this area after summer when the weather is cooler.

On the way to this park, we drove past old kilns common to the Santa Rita region. The placard indicated it was part of a larger route described more fully on the Território Museu website.

The placard reads: Old Lime Kilns of Santa Rita.

A set of lime kilns made of shale masonry. Large quantities of black and white lime were often fired here. They bear witness to the importance of lime production in Santa Rita, a highly prized local production. One of the recently restored kilns preserves the memory of this art, revived during visits.

Beliche

Well excuse me. This is actually the name of one of the reservoirs, and on a whim, we drove out to see it. Following a rather rainy winter, the reservoirs are full.

Let’s zoom out to see the size, shape and location of the reservoirs. They look a bit like dragons from this view!

Odeleite

The other nearby reservoir is Odeleite, and we decided to explore the town too.

The town is very small but full of really cute things. We found the church, looked at the bridge and wandered through small streets past homes. A historically significant site, Casa de Odeleite, once served as the wealthiest house and principal commercial hub in the parish. Now, it is a museum, and free to go in and look around.

A Poem

Not too far from the swing sits this bench.

The poem in Portuguese with a literal English translation.

A Full Moon

One night around 9pm, the neighborhood was a bit more noisy than usual. Seeking a more calm atmosphere, we drove east to the little towns of Fábrica and Cacela Velha. It was a full moon, glowing orange over the water. Hard to capture, these should give you an idea. On the return trip the driver decided to go on the ruddy dirt road. Of course he did. But this was a familiar road, one we have ridden a few times on our bikes and it was nice to experience it this way too.

That night, Cacela Velha was preparing for a cultural festival, Noites da Moura Encantada (Nights of the Enchanted Moor). For three nights the town celebrates the Arab-Andalusian heritage of the region with music, food, and artisan products.

Cacela Velha

We returned to Cacela Velha the following afternoon and saw something new to us: a line of people wading through the water to return from the sandy beaches further out. This is a conga line I look forward to being a part of in the near future.

Triathlon

Tavira held its 2nd annual sprint triathlon on July 12th. It was organized by Clube de Vela de Tavira in partnership with the Municipality of Tavira, and was fun to watch the quiet river become full of people and small watercraft.

Organic Produce

Sometimes there will be a tagalong. I love the flavorful organic produce we pick up at the Mercado on Saturday mornings.

What’s Next?

We are expecting high tides this week from July 25 – 28 resulting in some seasonal flooding to the the riverfront streets on both sides of the river (José Pires Padinha, Rua Jacques Pessoa), the square by the middle bridge on the Sitio Cafe side (Largo da Caracolinha), and the two roads on either side of the Hotel Vila Galé (Rua 1º Maio, Travessa da Caridade). We won’t be impacted where we live, but this might be interesting because there is a big concert on July 25.

Here is the tide chart

• July 25: High at 03:25, Low at 09:24, High at 15:41, Low at 21:59
• July 26: High at 04:08, Low at 10:04, High at 16:22, Low at 22:39
• July 27: High at 04:47, Low at 10:42, High at 17:00, Low at 23:16
• July 28: High at 05:24, Low at 11:18, High at 17:37, Low at 23:51

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