Europe 2018 - Faro, Portugal (in the Algarve)

(21-26 JULY) We flew from Frankfurt, Germany to the airport in Faro, Portugal, on the south coast not far from Spain. Unlike most of the coastal Algarve, the city of Faro is not a beach city, but lies inside a large coastal salt marsh with outer barrier islands, the Ria Formosa. 

The barrier islands have beautiful beaches, one of which can be accessed by bus or ferry, and others by ferries, speedboats, and water taxis. The Ria Formosa is a Natural Park that is home to numerous types of fish and wildlife, including some of the largest populations of seahorses (now protected species) in the world. Tourism is a big industry in Faro and the Algarve region, so as you can imagine, there are many types of boat trips offered (hawked) by private companies.

Here is a link to a  photo album of Faro. 

Not counting travel days to and from Faro. We spent 4 days there in a small city house [ADD VRBO LINK] just a couple pf blocks outside the Old City wall. Our travel style is usually to not speed around from attraction to attraction but to relax, enjoy the place and people, and choose things to do that give us a good sense of place. We took a ferry to Ilha Farol (Farol Island), where there is a large lighthouse (farol in Portugese). We had a wonderful lunch, including a nice discussion with a couple our age from Belgium at the next table, walked and sat on the beach, collected a sand sample for the Museum of Sand in Portland Oregon, and took the return ferry to Faro. Another day we took a ferry to Ilha Deserta, sat on the beach, I snorkeled for about 10 minutes in the chilly Atlantic, ate a delicious lunch at the only development on-the island, NAME Restaurant, and returned to Faro on a speedboat (15-minute ride instead of 45-minutre ferry ride). We also went to a performance of fado music, including a short documentary about the history of fado, at the municiple museum in Faro, and then toured the museum exhibits. The museum is in an old convent built during the early 16th century in the former Jewish Quarter of Faro after the Jews had been expelled (or killed). The building is beautiful, built as a square around a large courtyard. We learned a lot about the history of Faro, including the periods of Roman and Moorish rule. They also had an exhibit of surrealist art. It is a small museum, well worth a visit if you happen to be in the area. We walked around the Old City and the pedestrian streets of the Faro shopping district. A lot of the streets in the shoppoing district are pedestrian only, with many restaurant outdoor tables and a diversity of shops, not just touristic, but for locals. 

One of our favorite parts of travel is meeting people, including local residents as well as fellow travelers. The hosts of our rental house, Veronica and Bruno, are a wonderful young couple who have created a cozy and well-equipped home away from home for travelers in their vacation rental. From the moment she greeted us with a big smile we felt welcomed and at home. Veronica and Bruno, and their 1-year old adorable daughter, came by with a bottle of sparkling wine as a gift for our anniversary (53 years), and we got to know them a bit more. 

We did not meet any Portugese people who didn’t speak English, and many who spoke other languages, as well. We learned that English is taught in grade schools, and of course, in tourist areas English is somewhat a universal language. I always feel very fortunate to be an English speaker, and always very envious of people who are multi-lingual. As a result, we had no trouble communicating in Faro (and everywhere we were in Portugal), and learned a lot about Portugese life and culture from taxi drivers to barkeeps to locals we met. Portugal seems to be a fairly easy-going place where the people are warm and friendly, the food and wine are good, the lanscape and cities are interesting and beautiful, and, for tourists at least, the cost of living is less than many other parts of Europe. 

On the speedboat back to Faro from Ilha Deserta we sat with two couples from Ontario, Canada. I broke the ice by apologizing for the way our Dear Leader had insulted their Prime Minister, and they assured us that they like Americans in spite of our bizarre leader. we laughed a lot, and I suggested that we all go for a drink when we got back to Faro. We walked from the dock into the Old City where I led the group to the Old Tavern (established in 2018!). We had been there the day before for a coupkle of drinks, and got to know the young bartender, who has a moustacher like Salvador Dali. When Sherry told him that we liked his Dali moustache, he said, “Of course, Salvador Dali; my name is Salvsador!” We truly hit it off with Salvador, and told him he would fit in perfectly with the hipster scene in Portland. Needless to say, we and our new Canadian friends had a fun time sitting outside at the Old Tavern with cocktails and beers. 

We enjoyed Faro. Next stop, Lisboa! 

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EUROPE 2018 - HEIDELBERG, GERMANY

Three hours into a one month trip in Europe, sitting in a German-Greek restaurant in the same building as our hotel, my cell phone died. I don’t mean died as in the battery was drained; I mean died as in brick. One minute it was working, the next it was not. So here I am, no cell phone always in my pocket, buzzing, chirping, calling to me with it’s silent siren song of “take me out, use me, look up some trivial fact, take a photo, check the latest crazy Trump move....” To be honest, it is very liberating. To be more honest, Sherry has her cell phone. (To be even more honest, I ordered a new one that was delivered to our kids before they left for Europe and we will see them in a few days.) 

So, Heidelberg, Germany. We decided to take a few days in Germany to start the trip, after flying direct from Portland to Frankfurt on Condor Airline. I read somewhere that Heidelberg is more charming than Frankfurt because it was not bombed during WWII (there is a legend, likely untrue, that the British and Nazis agreed not to bomb Oxford and Heidelberg for some reason). In any event, the old part of Heidelberg is charming and fun, and filled with tourists like us. 

Our Heidelberg photo album is here. 

We stayed at the Hotel Hollander Hof, a centuries-old building facing the Neckar River near the old bridge (Alte Brucker). Our room was small but comfortable, with a magnificent view of the river and bridge (see photo, above). The staff was marvelous and very helpful. We planned the stay in Heidelberg as a jet-lag recovery, and it was perfect for that. We walked the old town cobble streets, looking at people and shops and the architecture. We took the funicular up to the castle that dominates the view above the old city. We didn’t do the tour inside the castle (a family we met from Mexico-Columbia said it wasn’t worth it), but strolled the beautiful grounds and enjoyed the views of the city below, as well as the remains of the incredible castle and gardens. 

We took a one-hour ride on the Neckar River aboard the Sonneschiff, one of the largest boats powered by electricity generated by the solar panels that line the top of the boat. Not quite as silent as a sailboat, but very quiet and no emissions. 

We went to an art museum and enjoyed the exhibits; however, it is not air conditioned and I do not really enjoy saunas. (A note that a lot of buildings we were in, including our hotel, do not have AC. One local person explained that electricity is very expensive, and people do without air conditioning. In fact, she said, newer buildings, including houses, are designed to stay cool. 

We found a cozy coffee bar around the corner from the hotel, which became our morning habit before breakfast. One of the employees is a young woman who was very excited to learn that we are from Portland; she was there for the wedding of her best friend a couple of years ago. There it is, that small world phenomenon. 

It was not until the second day that we were asked The Question: “What do you think of your President?” This was from a Dutch man who was dining with his wife at the table next to ours at an Italian restaurant. We expect to hear this question often, and, in fact, it has come up a few times since. What can we say, without getting into a lengthy rant about our Dear Leader? Sigh.

For our purposes, three nights in Heidelberg was perfect, mostly relaxing, and a great way to get into a month-long trip. Next stop, Faro, Portugal, in the Algarve. 

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