Portugal 2012

As we have done for several years, we flew to Portugal for part of the winter.  Last year we stayed four weeks in the Algarve and toured more of Portugal during the next two weeks.  This year we decided to spend the whole six weeks in the Algarve. 

Above is a picture of the Guadiana River from the fortress town of Mertola.  Mertola and the Guadiana (which runs 60 miles up from the Atlantic) are within a few miles of the Spanish border.  Mertola has been a trading town since before the Romans, who conquered the Iberian peninsula from the Lusitanians in the 3rd century BC.  Just north of these mountains there is a bountiful prairie region where the Romans grew winter wheat and is now the breadbasket of Portugal.  The Romans used Mertola to ship wheat and extracted materials like marble to the ocean and back to Rome.  It's just a tiny fraction of what there is to see in Portugal.

Seventy miles to the west, but also in the mountains (Sierra de Monchique) we attended a local festival with some of our friends.  In the mountains you see the old Portugal and this gentleman is typical.  His hobby is spoon carving and this was a chance to sell some of his skill. 

I'll post a more detailed description in the Travel section for anyone interested.