Portugal

Here are our first week images of another historic European country. Pretty low key but all the same very beautiful regions visited and new experiences.  We are very much enjoying the laid back, friendly and relaxed country.  In the Algarve we visited Albufeira, Lagos, Sagres, Cabo St Vincente (Europe's most southwestern point).  Then we moved onto the Alentejo region, where we chilled by the wild seaside of the Atlantic Ocean for a few days in Porto Covo, then onto central Portugal to the wine country and amazing medieval towns of Monsaraz and Evora.

The fort at Sagres, which had breathtaking views of the
Atlantic over wind swept cliffs

At the fort in Sagres, this compass was discovered in
excavation works and was from the navigational school,
 Henry the Navigator

Views from Sagres

Cape de Sao Vicente, a solitary lighthouse
 standing on the most south western point of Europe

Another view of Cabo de Sao Vicente

A not too unfamiliar site to a kiwi coastal scene

Porto Covo streets of blue and white

A typical street front door in Porto Covo

A beautiful beach in Porto Covo we found, which we
 had all to ourselves all day.
  It was just perfect, a picnic lunch and good book each

Monsaraz

Monsaraz, a small medieval walled village, high up
 on the plains with magnificent views of the lakes
 below - our view for the night

View from below of the Monsaraz village -
spot the camping cars

More stunning views of the lakes from Monsaraz

Inside the walls of Monsaraz, where there is a church,
 restaurants, wine bars, tavernas, cafes, homes, post office
and an amphitheatre

Monsaraz again - with more stunning views

The plaza of Monsaraz, probably the biggest open area
of the village

The walls of Monsaraz

JR in Monsaraz

Evora - inside the 14th century walls - A Roman temple,
Temple of Diana

JR on the roof the Se (cathedral)

Evora's Cathedral

Spiral staircase inside the Evora Cathedral

The narrow streets of Evora, an aqueduct
runs through the centre of the old town
 where the walls of houses are built around
and against the support of the aquaduct!

Córdoba, Seville & El Rocio

Here are some pics of our last few days in Spain (about 10 days ago) Córdoba, bullring in Seville and El Rocio. El Rocio is near the boarder of Portugal and what a place!!!! A town full of horses, celebrations and sand, never seen anything like Thank you Gail Becker and ColnRo Koenig for suggesting we go there.

Bridge at Cordoba

Another view of bridge at Cordoba

Seville Bull Ring, the arena being prepared
for its first fight of the season on 27 March

El Rocio, a town where the roads are all sand and
there are more horses than cars

The children get around the town in horse
and carts

We felt like we were in the middle of a Wild
West Country movie scene!
Dust and horses everywhere

The streets of El Rocio were full of sand,
 horses, carts, wagons, people, pilgrims
and lots of celebrating, fun and happiness

The marshlands at El Rocio, a lot of people
come here to bird watch - I think John might
have been doing some other kind of bird watching?

Over a million Spaniards and foreigners visit this
 small village, El Rocio each year on a pilgrim trail
to see the shrine in this church. They come by foot,
 horse, horse and cart, carriage and vehicle. It
was quite an emotional experience watching the
 pilgrims arrive.

The Wild Wild West!

I'm not sure what we were thinking when we rode
our bikes into town? We didn't get very far in the
sand, we chained them up and walked in. We
 laughed, as last time we rode our bikes we were
caught in a sandstorm in the desert, this time we
got caught in a sandpit !

Praia Porto Covo

A tough day in the office!

Back in Spain

We are back in Spain and have had a busy few days visiting Ronda in the Sierra Ronda mountains and then the beautiful city, Seville.

The Puente Nuevo bridge linking the old fortified
town of Ronda

The ravine splitting the old town

The Ronda gorge, a great natural
defence against any enemies!
Spectacular !

The bull outside the
Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Ronda
(the Royal Bull Ring)

Seville, one of many water features

The Palacio de San Telmo, Seville 

Gates to the Real Alcazares
(Royal Palace), Seville

The Seville Cathedral & Giralda - the largest gothic
cathedral in the world, built over a mosque
originally on this site and is included in the
 structure - it certainly is big and beautiful.
It is well worth a visit.

Christopher Columbus tomb inside the Cathedral 

External view of part of the roof of the cathedral
from the Giralda tower 

A stunning view of Seville from the top
of the Giralda

Flamenco
We did the 6pm Nana show! 

Flamenco dancing

Plaza de Espana in the Maria Luisa Park

Panorama of the Plaza de Espana - and I still couldn't get it all in one photo!

A moat around the Espana Plaza, that had
row boats for hire