The summer before Mozambique….
We left Thailand behind after a full seven years. What a ride that was! So much happened in that time. We learnt to scuba dive, went on many adventures, I finished another masters, did teacher training, set up a counselling practice. We lived in Bangkok and Phuket, fostered many cats, fell in love with Misty dog, mourned Misty and a few cats passing…. Watched countless sunsets and swam in warm oceans, walked through jungles and went on many boat journeys. It was sad to leave but it was time. Time for a new adventure and a new job, time to meet new people and explore new places. Thailand will always be in our hearts and we will forever cherish those memories. But, before Mozambique, it was time for yet another European summer. As you know, my blogs are more about documenting things with photos, so here it goes!
We finally made it to Edinburgh to see where Joshua and Sandra are living. Edinburgh is such a beautiful city but after Thailand it was rather chilly and we had to stock up on warm clothing which oddly has come in handy in Maputo! Our walkabouts through the city took us to many places… Their flat is by a lovely canal and I found some graffiti, of course! Edinburgh Castle is visible from many parts of the city and although it looks austere there is a beauty to it. It was a pleasure to walk around the city and to be shown sights and places that Joshua and Sandra enjoy going to.
We visited Dean Village in the Stockbridge district. Until the nineteenth century it was an independent village in the shadow of Edinburgh. The village is on The Water of Leith, the main river that flows past Edinburgh to the sea via the Firth of Forth. Dean Village was best known for its many mills, which were used to grind grain. It is now a residential area with beautiful houses and views. Way out of our price range!
We went to Carlton Hill, in the centre of the city and so easily accessible. Amazing views of the city and Arthur’s Seat, and a selection of historic monuments.
We travelled to Brighton by train, a very nice journey and a lot cheaper than flying. Brighton remains the same but it is always good to see friends and spend time with family. We managed to see some live music, enjoyed Don Letts at the Concorde 2 and found some cool graffiti, good to see Jah Shaka immortalized on the streets of Brighton!
As it seems to happen every year, we made our way to Portugal, ready to depart to Maputo from there. We explored Olhão in the Algarve, a cute small town by the water’s edge, gateway to our favourite island, Armona. Olhão is an old fishing village but more recently has become popular with tourists. There are still plenty of good places to eat, great cafes and the riverside walk is lovely in the evenings.
We went to Armona island for the day with a picnic and lots of suncream. This island is is part of the natural park of the Ria Formosa. It is just so beautiful and special with magnificent beaches and so much space. The water was a little cold but we managed to dip our toes in.
We went to Lagos and took a boat trip to look at the famous secluded beaches of Lagos such as Praia D. Ana and Praia do Camilo and the amazing rock formations. Lagos was surprisingly ok, very touristy but quite pretty. I was pleasantly surprised! It is historically associated with the Portuguese Discoveries with an attractive centre that is mostly pedestrianized. The rock formations were really cool and it is well worth doing the boat trip if you are in the area.
In Faro, we visited the Bone Chapel. There are a few of these around Portugal but we had never been to this one! It is an ossuary dating back to the 18th century. The chapel was constructed from the bones of over 1,000 monks. If you look closely at the photos, you’ll be able to see that it has femurs and is decorated with over 1,200 skulls. Above the entrance, there is the following insightful or creepy inscription:
Stop here and consider that you will reach this state too.
The church also has a beautiful tower with amazing views of Faro and the nature reserve. Oh, and the planes fly right over.
On the drive back to Lisbon we stopped over at Cais Palafítico da Carrasqueira. The Cais Palafita de Carrasqueira is composed of a wide range of boardwalks made of wood that is buried in the mud of the River Sado. These improvised constructions are a little more than fifty years old and were built to allow fishermen to board their boats during low tide. It is a surreal place with its own unusual beauty. Kind of eerie but beautiful.
Nearing the end of our holiday, we finally made it to Lisbon. No matter how many times I go there, it always looks beautiful and special. Some photos of old shops that were common but are now disappearing and some beautiful blue skies.
With our holiday coming to an end, we explored Ericeira, one of the big surfing areas in Portugal. It is pretty wild and windy with a pretty old town centre. We also went to Mafra Palace. It is the most important baroque monument in Portugal and it covers an area of almost 4 hectares! It is truly massive. Some fun facts: it includes 1,200 rooms, more than 4.,700 doors and windows, 156 stairways and 29 inner yards and courtyards. Its library is thought to be one of the most beautiful in the world and the Royal Building has two carillons with 98 bells. Oh, and there is one room full of furniture and chandeliers made of animals! We were only able to see a fraction of it and I was left wondering how one family could possibly need so much space.
And finally, the last 2 days at a beautiful beach in Alentejo with brother Jorge and Filomena. Thank you for a lovely stay and companionship. See you next Summer.
lisbonchick 
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