... Mértola
The 'Alentejo' is beautiful. Wide, stretched out, to me it looks quite similar with the 'Meseta' in Spain, but the difference is that the Meseta is a flat plateau where the scenery of Algarve is hillier. It is basically the same as Extremadura. Because the landscape is quite flat you can already see from far the next village and sometimes it is possible to look as far as twelve kilometres. The town comes slowly closer. It makes the hike easy because there is a point of reference and you can not really do much wrong.
... paisajem
... castle (Viana do Alentejo)
... Cuba! (sem o Fidel :)) / Cuba without Fidel :)/
... infrou / cactus/
... Villa Ruiva
... paisajem
... paisajem (Villa Ruiva)
... Ponte Romana (Vila Ruiva) / Roman bridge (Villa Ruiva)
Here a beautiful Roman bridge that was used by the Romans, Visigoths and Arabs. Still intact!.
... Igreja/ church/
... a stripped cork tree
... cow (Viana do Alentejo- Cuba)
... goats waiting for ...
B.V. (Cuba)/ voluntary firemen (Albergue) Cuba
... Ermita (Cuba)
... Cristovão Cólon/ Christophorus Columbus (Cuba)
... ´Alentejo: Mother earth of the discoveries!´
... the 'real' history! (Cuba): -» Columbus was Portuguese!!
This was funny. In the village 'Cuba' pretend them stronger, was that Columbus was a Portuguese, from the Alentejo, from the village of Cuba! (And the first island in the new world, or rather second, because the first he called Hispaniola, but so the second island to his hometown).
... paisajem (Cuba- Beija)
... paisajem (Cuba- Beija)
... São Matias
... paisajem (Cuba- Beija)
... B.V. Beija
... B.V. Beija
... Mijn ´Bombeiros´- suite: 5 estrelhas!!
Castillo (Beja)
... arco romano (beja)
Castillo (Beja)
... Castle (Beja)
Currently I'm in the far south of Portugal, in the Algarve!. And at the border ... with my beloved Espanha!! Tomorrow I catch the boat and will be in Andalucia!!! I am now fourty days in Portugal and almost every day I had shelter, about 90% of the time at the bombeiros, and sometimes in a hostel. Yesterday I had to squad a shack (opposite the Igreja !) because I was in a village with nothing even the priest was gone and that on a Sunday!. It was cold but I have a super sleeping bag although sleeping on the ground was pretty tough.
... Cuba libre!
From Évora I followed a typical castle route, eastern Portugal, down, Beja, Cuba, Mertola, Alcoutim, and now Vila Real de S. Antonio. Everything here reminds about the Arabs, the names, castles, lots of history lies here. In Mertola I stayed an extra day, just because there was so much to see.
... Ibn Gas, senhor do castillo dos Mouros!, Mértola / Ibn Gas, lord of the more castle, Mertola
I was in a 'Museo do islámica arte', with impressive Arabic inscriptions (grave) stone, pottery.
... museo do arte Islamica, Mertola/ Museum of Islamic art, Mertola
... Santiagomatamoros! (Museo do arte Islâmica, Mértola)/ Santiago killing mores, Museum of Islamic art, Mertola
... Igreja Matriz, Mertola/ church, Mertola
... facade, ... Igreja Matriz, Mertola
... Mertola
... the weapon of Santiago!, Mertola
After the city was taken it became the seat of the 'orden de Santiago ", the knighthood that protected peregrinos (pilgrims) against villains but also being active in the reconquest (Reconquista) of Portugal and Spain from the Moors. The weapon of Mertola still reminds about those times (a crusader and the cross of Santiago).
... caminho Mertola- Alcoutim
I sleep almost every day at the Bombeiros. Now I have a private room insanely big, almost a hotel with a private shower. I have a key, really special. I feel I am being treated exceptionally well here in Portugal.
... wilkommen in Boa Vista!/ welcome in Boa Vista!
The Alentejo and Algarve are a world of difference compared to the summer. It's very green everywhere at the moment and there are streams, rivers. I had to hike on the 'nacional' since hiking on the path was impossible because of a swollen river with such a high waterlevel ( twenty meters beyond its banks) that it would have been too dangerous to cross the river.
... swollen river, Cabeça Gorda
When I see pictures of how it is here in the summer I can hardly believe it!. At the moment it rains here, everywhere are lakes, small dams and I hardly keep my feet dry !. Especially when the sun shines the colors are fantastic here!. I often do not know what I should photograph so many beautiful sceneries!.
... Paisajem /landscape/, Cabeça Gorda
I celebrated Christmas eve in Alcoutim. And a Christmas Eve to remember it was!. I had hiked a giant lap, nearly fifty kilometers before I arrived in Alcoutim, devastated, exhausted. Fortunately I was able to stay with the Bombeiros because really everything was closed!. Also hostels, restaurantes were closed. I could not get somme food, eat anything!. Luckily I still had some biscuits with me!.
... Alcoutim
... B.V. Alcoutim / Voluntary Firemen Alcoutim/
... wind mills on the other side of the river, (San Lucar de Guadiana), Alcoutim
I spent the day by watching some movies in the cafe (the latest Haggie pottãh ), had a prato (lit. 'plate' = meal) and drank beer, updated my Diário (diary). Later when I returned to the Bombeiros I played on my travel guitar.
... Algarve, antes Castro Marim
... caminho Alcoutim- Algarve
... zoutpan, Algarve
... a beautiful scenery made of Azulejos /blue tiles/ and Benifica eagle! (B.V. Vila real de San Antonio)
Tomorrow Espanha! I'm going to Huelva, Seville, and then I 'll head south to Marruecos / Morrocco/!!.
Un feliz 2011 pra tudos! / A happy 2011 to everyone!.
João Guilhaume
