Most of the roads between Evora and Tavira were very good but there was one long stretch of roadway that was one-lane only and very hilly. It could have been a road in rural Iowa or Nebraska! Luckily we didn’t see another car on this stretch of road.
It was thrilling to see the many storks with nests high above the ground on tall poles. We read that many storks return to Portugal from Africa in April to build their nests.
We arrived in Tavira in time for the freshly baked cake that the hotel chef makes for guests every afternoon. Our room is in a section of an old church and is decorated with many religious artifacts. It’s a small space and very impractically arranged. On the bright side, the breakfast is good and the staff members are kind.
Tavira is a lovely city on the Gilão River. The houses are whitewashed and the streets made of cobblestones. It feels very much touristed but for a good reason – it’s compact, walkable, and there are many good seafood restaurants.
Today we walked uphill to the Torre de Tavira and Camera Obscura (Camera Obscura in the Tavira Tower.) We were the first and only guests so Clive, the British owner who constructed the camera, showed us the main sights in town via an early optical device called a ‘camera obscura’. Clive transformed an abandoned water tower into a dark space to project a live image of the town onto a circular canvas. He gave us a fascinating view of the city. The water tower with the Camera Obscura is in the top right corner (next to the church) the photo below. It was fascinating and Clive was an enthusiastic narrator.
Around town, streets are marked with colorful signs like this one.
Not everything is pristine here, but it’s pretty close. We planned for three nights here and we have 2 more. Just enough!
Spring flowers are blooming, the city is bustling, and there are plenty of shady parks for relaxing. We have learned that expats are here from Sweden, France, the United States and the U.K.
These flowers are so pretty that they almost look plastic (they’re not!)
We’ll spend tomorrow seeing some of the sites that were closed today (Monday). On Wednesday we will dip back into Spain for a four night stay in Cadiz.