Vertiginous view on our hike today to our turnaround point, ruins of a 400-year-old fort built to defend against pirates. Salema, the village where we’re staying, borders Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Nature Park, so we have easy access to trails.
Tag: Spain and Portugal (July 2022)
Cliff Hike
Hiked a trail starting a few blocks from where we’re staying. Excellent cliff walking, repeated ascents and descents, quiet beaches, an inland loop through arid countryside.
Atlantic Breezes
Salema, Portugal, where we’re currently staying, has ducked Europe’s most extreme heat. Atlantic breezes make daily highs around 80° feel comfortable.
Supermarket Hike
While the boys and their mom enjoyed the beach and the waves, we hiked to a supermarket where we filled backpacks with fresh produce and meats for the grill. We got in a pleasant hike and stocked up beyond the limited selections at two small stores near where we’re staying.
Backpacking
Walked from our Seville hotel to a bus station, long distance bus to Lagos (Algarve, Portugal), local bus to dropoff point, mile hike to a house we’d rented in the village of Salema for a week. Here, nephew #1 explores the roof, and eyes the Atlantic where he and his brother later swam.
More is More
Explored the palace and gardens of the Royal Alcázar of Seville where ”less is more” is not a guiding principle. Later, as the temperature climbed to 110°, we dispersed to our hotel’s rooftop pool and air-conditioned siestas.
Looking Up
A day of different spaces, starting with Seville’s massive Cathedral, ending with a flamenco performance in a small space. Here, the oval dome of the Cathedral’s Charter House exemplifies remarkable Renaissance engineering.
Up Next: Seville
Nephews and their dad (and the rest of us, off-camera), about to board a bullet train to Seville.
Sunday Stroll
Climbed up from Nerja’s Burriana Beach. Walked past avocado, citrus and banana trees, then an ancient aqueduct.
The Remains of Lunch
“Something light,” we said. Big plate for the (almost) 15-year-old (left). Almost nothing for the 13-year-old (right). Generous tapas for the rest of us. Time for a siesta.