Portugal’s Paradise: The Algarve

Carrie and I have been sunning and strolling on the pristine white beaches that appear everywhere along the Algarve coast. We visited the rocky point in Cape Sagres where Henry the Navigator supposedly ran a school for potential sailors in 1420, later built as an 18th century fort. We wandered just beyond here to Cape St. Vincent, the spit of rock which is the actual southwestern tip of Europe to see, you guessed it, another sunset, along with about a hundred or so other tourists eager to take in the daily color and light show. We tasted delicious Algarve wines at Quinta do Frances. Our only disappointment came today when our boat tour of the fabulous Benagil sea caves was cancelled due to rough seas.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

While wine tasting the other day we wandered past Silves, where there was an old fort perched high above the village. This fort and village were not in our tour guide, but after a little research we learned of its historical significance. We stopped there to take in the history and views and were glad we did. Historians say Silves was founded during the Roman expansion into the region but there is also evidence of Celtic influence. Silves became part of the Moor empire in 713 and remained so until the “reconquista” in 1189, when the castle and fortifications were built.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Things That make us scratch our heads

• Wash cloths: In every hotel we’ve stayed in, both in Spain and Portugal, they don’t supply wash cloths in the bathrooms. We knew this, so we brought our own along. But why?
• Salad dressings: The only dressings for lettuce here are oil and vinegar. Even at the grocery stores you can’t find Ranch, Thousand Island, Blue Cheese, Russian or anything else. We’ve come to appreciate this and like the simple taste. We’ll be doing more just oil and vinegar when we get home.
• Salt: They use salt differently here. On the lettuce salads, with just the oil and vinegar, they add a touch of salt. On a cooked piece of meat, chicken or fish they add a sprinkling of salt. It really adds more flavor to the meal. When we get home, instead of adding salt to a recipe as we cook it, we will be adding a touch of finishing salt. We can’t wait to try it.
• Potato chips/french fries: In Spain they call french fries ”potatas fritas”. However, they call potato chips by the same name. We have asked several times but no one can tell us how to differentiate between the two. There were several instances where we just wanted a bag of salty chips to accompany a soft drink or a glass of wine and ended up with a big plate of french fries.
• Tuna: I know both Spain and Portugal are surrounded by oceans, but it seems they put tuna on everything here. If you order a lettuce salad chances are there will be tuna on it. Tuna is a popular topping for pizza here as well, apparently. I even sampled a savory breakfast turnover that looked delicious – yep, Tuna!
• In both Spain and Portugal we have noticed that much of the background music at a bar or restaurant or in a taxi is typically classic American rock and roll or other American standards. In general, most people here don’t speak much or any English, so why do they listen to music in another language? Do they understand the words or meanings of the songs?

Even though we recognize and are sometimes frustrated by these idiosyncrasies, we still love Spain and Portugal, and are so happy to be visiting here.