Position 37 06.60N 008 40.50W

29/8/11- 5/9/11  Portimao to Lagos

Pleasant sail to Lagos until we tried to tack and got genoa all wrapped around the inner forestay.  Moral of story wind in genoa or take off the inner forestay.  Found the old city walls of Lagos by mistake on one of Paul’s walks.  Lots of restaurants and trendy bars around the marina as well as in the town.   Lagos was where slave trade started up- by Henry the navigator – whom I have just found out never went to sea. 

Old city walls in Lagos

We hired a car in Lagos because I wanted to see more of the Algarve that everyone talks about – mmmmmm!  Spent the first day on the hunt for cockroach traps and killer spray, cans of meat that I haven’t bought and you cannot get in Portugal.  We are canned out now with tomatoes and beans – good farty times ahead.  Went up to Monchique highest mountain in region (902m).  We went twice – it was cloudy the first time and we couldn’t see a thing.  Good views down to the coast second time around. 

View from Monchique towards Lagos.

Drove to Henry the Navigator’s school of Navigation at Sarges.  Big fort with big stone compass laid out in stones on the inside.  At least the guide book said it was a compass but it didn’t have degree divisions that made sense.  However, coastline from there down to Cabo de Sao Vicente was spectacular.  We had lunch on one of the remote beaches, everyone sunbathing and Paul and I in shorts, tea shirts and safari hats eating prepared rolls – one of Paul’s favourite lunches.

Henry the Navigator’s school at Sarges.

Guide book said you should visit Alte which, and I quote, ‘enjoys the reputation of being the prettiest village in the Algarve... with balconies overflowing with flowers’.  We like many other visitors were thus fooled into going there.  The roads to what looked like might be pretty streets had ‘no entry. residents only’ signs on them.  We did go to Silves though, which had a great castle and we had best roasted chicken and salad at this little place by the market that we have had so far in Portugal.

Me messing with white elephants at Silves.

Gruesome little chapel made from the skulls and thigh bones of dead-uns.