We weren't sure we were getting a legal deal when we reported to the back of a van in the parking lot to rent our car from Thrifty.

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The view from our balcony is absolutely incredible.

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This climate is evidently good for flowers such as this amaryllis.

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The TV in the apartment was so small that Tom decided he'd be able to see it better through the binoculars! What a jokester he is.

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Our first trip to the mercado (market) was an adventure.

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We traveled east to the village of Quarteira where we found this quaint church with a stork nest on top of the belfry...

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... and this narrow road which we chose to walk rather than drive.

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They had installed a new oven which was virtually impossible to use. Al, the engineer, read the manual but we still couldn't get the thing to work. Tryna pushed a bunch of buttons and at least got it to work enough to broil our steaks (though she couldn't repeat the process!). They delivered a countertop electric oven the next day!

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The book talked about a fish market in Olhao so we decided to find it. Even though we got there mid-day, the market was still bustling.

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To our surprise (since it wasn't mentioned in the book) there was also a produce market. Here we were able to buy some wonderful fresh veggies.

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His catch delivered, this fisherman then spent his day mending his nets.

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On the way out of town we spotted this horse-drawn cart filled with hay or feed. He was riding along the same road as the cars and creating quite a traffic jam.

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The village of Cacela Velha was home to the poet Ibn Darrajal-Qastali (958-1030) and a ceramic factory from 1892-1940. It has been described as "a fortress built by the sea" and has both Roman and Arab remains. This is the church cemetery.

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Santa Rita's Church is an 18th century church composed of a nave, an apse with dome and choir.

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As we meandered through the village we saw numerous houses with these outdoor washtubs made of cement. This is a throwback from the time when the village women used to wash their clothes in the stream by thrashing them on the "rubbing" stones.

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Our next stop was Castro Marim which is the last village in Portugal before crossing the river into Spain.

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This is the Nossa Senhora dos Martires church which was built inside the fortress.

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In the foreground is the village of Castro Marim. The tall buildings in the background are across the river in Spain.

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Today found us heading west. Here we were crossing the Arade River on this unique bridge.

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The lighthouse at Cabo de St. Vincente is the western most point of Europe.

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Whatever are you doing Tom?

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A shortcut off the main road took us to the tiny village of Tabual. It was a quaint little village with very narrow roads so we decided to turn around and head back out to the main highway. Without a good map one shouldn't be too adventurous!

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The castle at Silves with its famous water cistern and walls is of Arab origin.

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Will we fit? We took a wrong turn on our way up to the castle and found ourselves negotiating narrow streets like this one. Al did an incredible job as our driver though there were a few times (like this one) when expletives could be heard!

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I believe this church is an example of Manueline motif. At any rate, it was a beautiful structure.

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The red poppies here in Portugal stand out in a field much like our orange California poppies.

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How exciting to find this Portuguese windmill with the sail frames still attached!

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Among the beautiful houses on the slope in Monchique stand the mother-church (Misericordia) and the Senhor do Pe da Cruz Hermitage (17th century).

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We decided to rest a while in this parklike area complete with benches, bronze statues and a beautiful tile mural depicting the town.

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The church in Monchique.

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The hill we climbed to get to the church!

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Almonds were growing everywhere!

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Today was a perfect day to stroll along the beach looking for treasures and whatever else we could find. This arch on the beach is an incredible structure. It's amazing to see how many topless sun worshipers there are here.

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All dressed up for an evening out.

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We have to have at least one sunset picture don't we?

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