algarve Archives -

February 20, 2022February 21, 2022

An afternoon stroll around Vila Real de Santo António

We were undecided whether we should head over to Spain for the afternoon, or to the last Portuguese town before the border – Vila Real de Santo António. We were almost at the border when we realised that my passport wasn’t in the car, so decided it was probably safer to stay this side of the river and take a stroll around the town and check out the most easterly beach in Algarve.

Look up!

Shaun always sees things I don’t, or maybe he points things out to me and I don’t bother doing the same for him..? He noticed a beautiful mosaic above a shop which I would certainly have missed. Maybe it’s because I’m short, or maybe it’s because I’m so focused on keeping the dogs walking to heel that I don’t spot some of the more interesting stuff higher up.

I really enjoy turning my photos into digital art. I’ve sold some of my work to local restaurants and hotels, and now I’m working on a few commissions of private houses. If you would like me to create an original piece for your home – or of your home, drop me a line hello@fiftysister.com

Everyone in their Sunday best, or were they?

One of the first things we noticed was how well dressed everyone appeared in Vila Real de Santo António, maybe they had been to church? On hearing them chatting we realised that most of the visitors there were Spanish. I don’t want to be derogatory about Portuguese people, because they really are the most welcoming, friendly easy going people I’ve ever met, but their dress code is super casual. The Spanish on the other hand, are seen wearing designer sunglasses, expensive shoes, crisp white pressed shirts and all round less casual clothing. I’m not the first person to notice this, as a few of my friends have said exactly the same thing. On the streets of most Algarvian towns and villages, practical clothing is the number one choice, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all.

Take a stroll along the river on the Avenida da República

We started by taking a stroll along Avenida da República. The city front facing the Guadiana river. It’s a really beautiful part of Vila Real de Santo António (VRSA) and where some very fine architecture like the Grande Hotel Guadiana is located. Vila Real de Santo António’s harbour is along the riverside, where you can embark for river cruises, the short ferry ride to Spain and boat trips to the Atlantic beaches. Follow the calçada payment south to the mouth of the river and border with Spain. Shaun and I wondered how difficult it would be to swim the border as it’s not that far. Depending on the tide, we think it would be an easy 10 minute crossing.

There are lots of restaurants selling fresh fish stews, cafés with a huge selection of cakes and snacks and a good variety of shops. We strolled to the end of the walkway, where the surroundings became a bit questionable, with people living in shacks made from old boat parts and women selling very preloved clothing from an old well worn, weather beaten leather sofa. Now I am sure I’ve just put you off visiting this place, but it really was a small part of the town, filled with old boats and crumbling buildings.

Marquis of Pombal Square - Praça Marquês de Pombal

Opposite the harbour on Avenida da República is Praça do Marquês de Pombal. A beautiful perfect town square or praça which was designed to be the commercial and civic centre of the city. Lots of market stalls to choose from selling everything you can think of. Wander in every direction and you will find cafes, bars and small restaurants filled with locals and visitors.

Praia da Ponta da Areia

We headed to the last beach of eastern Algarve which is Praia da Ponta da Areia, where the Guadiana meets the Atlantic. Drive via Farolinho de Vila Real de Santo António. Take a right halfway down the road and follow the signs to Caramelo Beach Club. There’s plenty of parking spaces and boardwalks straight to the beach. You can also access the beach via Caminho dos Três Pauzinhos which is a 15-minute hike through a beautiful pine forest – Mata Nacional das Dunas de Vila Real de Santo António. Keep an eye out for chameleons, which come down from the trees to lay their eggs in the sandy soil. Everything is closed in the winter, so make sure you take a drink with you as it’s a reasonably long walk to the cafes in Monte Gordo further west on the beach.

We were having a super afternoon, relaxing whilst watching the huge swell hit the rocky breakwater when…… Bird ran off to take a poop on the beach. Shaun was doing his best to keep his eye on the prize, geomapping the poop’s location by scanning the beach for rocks and other memorable landmarks, when eek! He slipped between two boulders and ripped his big toe in half (maybe not quite that bad but he was stunned and a bit traumatised by all the blood) and scraped lots of skin off his shin. I made my way there as quickly and carefully as possible but he had lost the ability to speak. Realising conversation was the last thing on his mind, I made a dash to scoop the poop and wait it out on the beach until he had recovered from his tumble.

He hobbled back to the car and we drove home in silence. If there’s one thing I’ve learned after being married for almost 35 years, it’s when to shut the hell up. After putting his chair in the late afternoon sun and applying a bottle of beer to his mouth, he slowly regained the ability to speak and asked what was for supper. He won’t be playing tennis for a week or so, but a bit of daily first aid should fix him up until his nail grows back and his skin heals.

It cut our afternoon short so we will be back again soon with more info on this area and no doubt some more photos. Check back soon for new posts or subscribe to my mailing list by clicking here. I will send out an email once a month to keep you up to date.

Have a beautiful week!

Gail x

February 19, 2022February 20, 2022

Winter in Algarve

Enjoying winter in Algarve with a stroll and dunk on Praia do Barril, Santa Luzia.

A warm up in the sunshine after my unexpected dunking.

It’s been a wonderful winter in Algarve. Very little rain or cloud to block the glorious winter sun. I watched a few videos of the storm in the UK yesterday and was reminded of the many wet and windy days in Devon last winter. It’s almost one year since we packed up the car and headed back to Algarve and I don’t think we’ve had more than 7 days of rain in that whole year. I know that there’s more to life than just the weather, but waking up to sunshine pouring through the bedroom window puts a smile on my face before I’ve even opened my eyes.

Today we had some lovely vegan pancakes for breakfast with maple syrup and cinnamon, a huge pot of Jasmin tea and a compulsory double espresso before we headed out to the beach. If you follow me on Instagram you will know that I posted a cheeky photo of me naked on the beach this week (scroll down to view). All rather unplanned, but I want to see more natural ageing bodies in my feed so I feel I need to contribute to the cause. I’d like to say that I always stroll along the beach completely naked (it is a designated naturist beach), but I simply don’t feel the need to cast away my clothes. Last year I was stung 6 times by wasps over the course of the summer, the thought of getting stung on any of my lady bits is enough to make my eyes water. Personally I think most people look better clothed. Having said that, I don’t have a problem with nudity, and the double standard of the male vs female nipple is beyond my comprehension. Free all the nipples!

Bird, a little puzzled and curious as to why I threw all my clothes on the beach before making a dash for the ocean.

Sparkles and a dunking.

I decided to take a dip today and was enjoying the view of the sun dancing on the ocean beyond my toes as I floated in the Atlantic, when I noticed a rather large wave heading my way. In those few seconds I was trying to calculate whether the wave would break before me, or if I had the option to simply ride over the wave and continue my wallowing. Mid calculation, I realised it was time to grab my sunglasses and jump as high as I could to avoid the wave that was about to break ON MY HEAD.

… I managed to hold onto my sunglasses but lost my cap as I tumbled in the wave. I popped up just in time to see the next one coming so made the decision to dive through it rather than try to avoid it. Shaun was on the beach approaching the shoreline, wondering whether I would appear laughing or gasping for air after my slamming from the wave. I gave him a thumbs up to indicate I didn’t need saving and scouted around for my hat, whilst making a swift exit from the sudden swell. There was a bit of a rip current, so I swam parallel to the beach until I was safely out of it, enabling me to easily return to shore. Bikini off, my lovely hooded towel poncho on, and it was time to soak up some sun in the dunes.

It’s a dog’s life.

Ginger and Bird love the beach. As soon as they see me packing my backpack with my swim stuff they run to the car to jump in. We have collapsible crates in the back of the car which they snuggle in to and get comfy for the 5 minute car ride to the boardwalk by the beach. We used these crates when we drove from the UK to Portugal and I can highly recommend them for anyone wanting comfort for their dogs, with the convenience of easy storage when not in use.

Beautiful Ginger, she loves the sun almost as much as rolling on dead fish.

Bird loves to swim in the shallows looking for fish, Ginger on the other hand, likes to run along the high tide line of flotsam and jetsam to find disgusting things to either eat or roll in. She almost died twice from eating washed up palm oil on the beach in Devon about 7 years ago. Now she prefers dead birds and rotting fish, the smellier the better. There’s a risk she could eat palm oil again, so I could put a muzzle on her, but that would prevent her from enjoying her game of chasing Bird with sticks and fetching the ball. I do worry so keep an eye on everything she munches on.

Stunning sunsets

This week we’ve had the most amazing sunsets, one of the best things about winter in Algarve. As my friend Sarah once said, you need clouds to make a good sunset. I guess the same can be said about a good life. We need a few dark days to appreciate the good ones.

I hope you like this new format. Drop me a line to hello@fiftysister.com with questions or topic suggestions. I hope you have a beautiful day.

Gail x

February 17, 2022February 21, 2022

Bring in the big cats

This week there was a major change to the landscaping behind the house, so we needed to bring in the big cats to make the earth move. The land, which is a mix of 50% limestone and 50% top soil will be excavated and moved to the front of the property.

Episode 4 – the big cats making the earth move for us

In my YouTuve video I give you a full 360 degree tour and also explain a couple of compromises I’ve had to deal with. Don’t forget to hit the like button on YouTube if you enjoyed the video, subscribe if you want to keep up to date with my build and hit the bell icon to be notified when I post more content on there.

The first time we’ve viewed the house from this angle.

We had a small digger onsite for a couple of days, but it wasn’t up to the job of moving so much earth once we decided that we could no longer afford the concrete wall we’d planned for the north of the property. In this episode I will give you this week’s update and show you the new landscape features. I am going to visit site again tomorrow to discuss the drop away of land in front of the infinity pool and take a look at what the big cat team have been up to.

Big cats bringing us some hammer time!

Building the road for the concrete trucks to access the east wing.

Most of the stone behind the house is limestone, but we hit a new patch of granite so we needed the huge mechanised hammer to break a new access to the higher land to the north. The hammer costs more money per day- wear and tear on the machinery plus the operator probably needs therapy after spending the day being on the end of the world’s largest and loudest hammer. I will take some video tomorrow if he’s still drilling away so you can see just how impressive this piece of kit is. You can check out my last blog post here and episode 3 on YouTube here

Totally wearing the wrong clothes for this very long unplanned visit!

We hadn’t intended to spend so much time onsite for this visit, it was supposed to be an office meeting plus a drive by of the site. Needless to say after a couple of hours onsite my hair was full of dust and my jeans looked like I’d been playing 5 a side football.

Check back next week for another update. You can send me message via the contact page by clicking here.

Have a beautiful day!

Gail x

February 13, 2022February 20, 2022

Episode 3 of building our new minimalist house build in Algarve

Welcome to episode 3 of building our new minimalist home in Algarve.

Our dream is to build a minimalist, industrial style, single story home, nestled in the mountains of Loulé, Algarve, facing the Atlantic coast. A low maintenance home and garden, with free power and water, needing no extra input from mains services once complete. Add to that a kitchen garden and edible plants in the landscaping and we can work towards self-sufficiency in the future. I’m loving every minute of the process and excited to see the build progress each week.

This week we have a bit of a lull in construction whilst we move earth and rock around site in preparation for the east wing which is the ruin we have incorporated into the design. The ruin was a smallholding with goats many years ago, and most recently (we can see it hasn’t been used for at least 20 years), it had been used as a hillside small laundry/washhouse. Today I share; some of the designs which inspired me, a stroll around the land from east to west, our design and the new minimalist lifestyle which we have embraced to let go, free ourselves of possessions and provide us with more freedom.

Subscribe on YouTube to be notified when I post new videos. The team are onsite 6 days per week, pushing to finish the concrete and steel for us as they have lots of other jobs waiting!

You will find my blog here: fiftysister.com/blog with my most recent post for the house build here: https://fiftysister.com/change-of-use/

Have a beautiful day.

Gail

#algarve #portugal #loulé #aplaceinthesun #dreamhome

Music: www.bensound.com

February 6, 2022February 20, 2022

Change of use

Change of use of the en-suite bedrooms.

Lots of time to think over the past week due to the slight delay with the ruin demolition, so I’ve come up with a change of use for 3 of the bedrooms. I shall explain…

Through the years

We started this build process 5 years ago after selling our large family home in the UK. We had hoped that the whole process would be complete within 2 years, even with delays (wishful thinking!). Well, we certainly didn’t factor in the painfully long length of time that Loulé planning would take to approve both our planning application and the construction licence, plus a pandemic stopped everything in it’s tracks, but here we are 5 years later with the concrete structure taking shape nicely.

Just the two of us.

Our intention initially was to build a home for our family of three, me, my husband and our son, (who works in the maritime industry and – at the time- was spending long periods away at sea). However, after spending some time in Portugal, our son decided it wasn’t for him, even though he loves the weather, the people and life in general here. What’s missing for him is an abundance of young people… Where are they? Well, they have left to find better paid and more varied work than is available in the south of Portugal. Head north and you will see more young people out and about in the evening – which is surprisingly a rare sight in Algarve.

This is the original design submitted to planning with 5 en-suite bedrooms. Scroll down for the updated use of surplus bedrooms as scribbled/edited by me (very badly!).

Memories of muddy pups and soggy socks

So…. then there was just the two of us to live in the house with the prospect of regular visits from our son. I’m not going to bore you with all the toing and froing but we were selling the project, then we weren’t, then we were….well you get the idea. We moved back to the UK in November 2019 to renovate a small cottage we owned there, and spend some time figuring out what we wanted to do. Lots of rain and mud and more rain, soggy dogs and drenched clothing reminded us why we left in the first place. Then the pandemic hit, lockdowns, travel bans, you know how it was. We were stuck there for a while but decided to make the most of it and renovate our cottage. We finished the renovation and listed the house January 2020 which sold within a week or so. Fast forward a few weeks and we were on our way back to Portugal to finish this project once and for all.

All in my head

My husband sees this as an investment, he doesn’t have any emotional connection to it at all, he just sees profit. For me, I have invested a lot of time and effort designing the layout of the house and have considered every detail of the build and finished project over and over in my head. I’ve spent hours in my imagination, opening doors, looking at light switches, placing artwork and trying out different options for exterior flooring finishes. I can see it finished and enjoy spending time in this home in my head. I didn’t think this was unusual until I mentioned it to my husband, who informs me this is not normal to be able to walk around a virtual house in my head. Maybe it’s my magical power – does anyone else have this ability?

Investment vs dream

We designed the house with five en-suite bedrooms to maximise the profit. However, we are just two people, why would we need so many bedrooms? This past week it hit me that we could actually be living in this house by the end of this year. I guess I didn’t think too much about the reality of moving in, as lots of people including my architect and engineer told me it would be sold before we finish it. The reason being, there are lots of people with more money than me who will pay top dollar for a unique and NEW home. There are some people who only buy new. I have already declined a very nice offer, but what would I buy instead? Ultimately of course, everything has a price and I may not be able to decline crazy offers if they come my way, but for now, I am going ahead to finish it for us as our dream home rather than with only re-sale in mind.

All change!

This brings me to the changes I’ve made this week to the function of the rooms. Instead of 5 bedrooms, we will have 2 master bedrooms, an office, a chillout/music lounge and a spa room.

Very 'la-di-da' Spa

What do I mean by ‘a spa room’ I hear you ask? The family bathroom on the east side will be designed as home spa bathroom. I’m going to spend a lot of time designing this room which will have a circular tub, next to glass doors opening out onto a small terrace with an outdoor shower. The bedroom next to this will support the use of the pool. I shall explain…. The spa room (which can easily revert back to its original use as a bedroom) will have towels, bath robes, spare swimsuits, toiletries etc and act as a changing room for visitors using our pool. It will also be where I practice yoga and meditate. I will use it for home beauty treatments and my own personal salon – a sort of beauty room. So basically, I have claimed this room for myself, a quiet, tranquil space for me, but with the added use for visitors using the pool.

Chillout

At the other end of the house on the west side, we will have a music/chillout room. A place where we can go and lounge on a huge day-bed to escape the summer heat, without worrying about a damp swimsuit or wet hair. Somewhere to listen to music in comfort, surrounded by comfy cushions and throws. This could also double as a spare bed if a tipsy visitor decides to stay over. My husband wanted this as an office, but it’s a waste of a room with an amazing ocean view, just to have a desk and an office chair, so he’s been shuffled eastwards next to the spa room. I don’t need an office as I’m happy to work anywhere, however I’ve made a claim on the space in the basement/garage with panoramic views of the ocean, to use as a studio / workshop for all my art projects and silversmithing.

More big changes this week.

This week we have the transformation of the ruin going ahead, so I will be back with another video before the end of the week. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube (click here) and tap the little bell icon to be notified when I post something new. Thanks for stopping by!

Have a beautiful week.

Gail

February 4, 2022February 20, 2022

Episode 2 of building our home in Loulé, Algarve, Portugal.

Finally! You can now watch episode 2 of our construction on YouTube.

We are now three months into our house build in Algarve. Episode 2 gives you a walk through of the concrete and steel construction. Click here if you missed episode 1.

Steel and concrete prices increased substantially last year due to decrease in worldwide supply, so we’re busy cutting costs of the construction by limiting the number of materials and different craftsmen. In a bid to make it passively eco friendly, we increased the overhang on the southside to provide additional shade, and extensive use of glass on the north side to improve flow of air to cool the interior in the summer months without the use of aircon.

The finish in the majority of the house for the ceilings and flooring will be raw concrete, so the upfront costs for the construction are higher, but will save time and materials at a later stage. All of the electrics will be surface mounted, providing easy access and again less materials. The only downside to this is, the workmanship must be exceptional to prevent mistakes and the need to redrill poorly positioned fixtures. I shall be overseeing the electrics daily as an essential extra pair of critical eyes.

The search is now on for solar panels and battery storage, which will take up the least amount of space but with maximum lifespan to prevent early replacement. Solar has come a long way in the past decade or so, but strangely is not a regular sight on houses in Algarve. With over 300 days of sunshine per year, one would expect to see panels on every home. But, with the average salary of locals of €700/per month, the panels are out of reach to the majority of the population.

The short video above is a computer simulation of our finished construction project. The rear of the property will in reality have a different layout, with a terrace of 3m x 60m as I mention in my episode 2 video.

We will also install a small wind turbine to power the house at night, reducing the need to use the battery backup, or mains backup during the hours of darkness. This will ensure heat to our swimming pool all year round to make use of the pool outside of the summer months. Something else that surprisingly isn’t standard practice here!

Water will be drawn from the bore hole once it’s installed, with backup from the city water supply. This is simply a case of switching to the mains water from a stop tap. We anticipate that we will hit water at approximately 125m deep, drilling through limestone all the way. The cost depends on the geology of our location, if its stable and solid we can use plastic pipe, if we discover pockets of shingle or caves, we will be forced to use steel – the most expensive option.

Our dream is to build a minimalist, industrial style, single story home, nestled in the mountains facing the Atlantic coast. A low maintenance home and garden, with free power and water, needing no extra input from mains services once complete. Add to that a kitchen garden and edible plants in the landscaping and we can work towards self-sufficiency in the future. I’m loving every minute of the process and excited to see the build progress each week.

You can see more of the design on my website for the house which is loulehills.com

Click here to watch episode 1 – as the first machinery arrives to prepare the construction site for the steel and concrete.

Click here to watch episode 2 and subscribe on YouTube to be notified when I post new videos.

Have a beautiful day!

January 20, 2022January 20, 2022

In Algarve you can truly taste the sunshine all year around.

Before moving my life to Portugal, I day dreamed of gathering fresh oranges each morning in the sunshine, wearing my pyjamas and flip-flops, and snacking on sticky, syrupy sweet figs, straight from the tree whilst hiking the rugged, dusty, mountain trails with my dogs.

Straight off the tree and into my belly.

Finding good vegan places to eat, off the tourist trail or away from the coast can be very challenging. Even though there are; mangoes, avocados and figs in abundance, it’s very hard to find a mountain restaurant which serves an attractive or tasty vegan meal. The chef will always oblige with a vegan plate, but don’t be surprised if you receive; a bowl of hot cabbage stew on a summer’s day, gazpacho with cheese and ham generously sprinkled on top, or avocado toast topped with two perfectly fried eggs.

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Summer sunshine treasure

In late summer, the fig tree boughs are heavily weighed down with an abundance of soft, ripe, delicate green or black fruit. Some have gone past their best and are drying naturally on the tree, others are simmering perfectly in the warmth of the day, oozing sweet, blushing, cerise, strawberry jam-like goo, completely beyond comparison to shop bought fruit.

Saturday is fresh produce market day in Olhão.

The local markets are filled with fresh produce, grown, picked and sold directly by the farmers. Honey available in every shade of amber, gathered from bees feasting on carob, rosemary, orange blossom and wild herbs. Summer fruits and salad are grown and harvested all year round. Crumpled skinned ‘Rosa’ tomatoes are huge and heavenly. It’s a foodie paradise!

Wild flowers start to appear from January through May before the heat of summer.

Village stores filled with local artisan produce

Ask most people about the best Portuguese food, and they will tell you all about the ‘Porco Preto’ which is Iberian black pig and ‘Javali’ which is wild boar. Or perhaps the huge variety of delicious local artisan handmade fresh, cured, or smoked cheeses, (mostly from sheep or goats) available in every village store. But for me, as a vegan, it’s all about the fruit, veggies and wild foraging. On the trail, there’s easy pickings of black mustard, wild asparagus and nettles, with the scent of wild herbs such as thyme, fennel, rosemary and water mint in the air.

Wander the pretty cobbled streets of Olhão behind the market halls.

Make time to visit the farmer’s markets

Head over to Olhão market on Saturday morning to find chillies in every shape, colour and heat for around €4 per kilo. I use a handful of freshly pounded chillies and plump purple garlic to make Sambal Belacan. Or, chillies dried at home for a few weeks, chopped then scalded with peanut oil, make an ideal coating for noodles or blanched carrot tops.

Straight from the market and into my dehydrator for a few days to gently dry the fruit.

Mountain life

I lived for several months last year in the mountain village of Salir, 20 minutes north of Loulé. The days are warmer inland than the Algarve coast in the summer by several degrees, and in winter we enjoyed beautiful crisp, frosty, early mornings. A glassy frost carpeted the vibrant, green, grassy floor of the mountain orange grove. Small frozen puddles and dried carob fruit crackled underfoot as I made my way past the mill pool, to the heavily laden orange trees, which look out towards the table top mountain of Rocha da Pena. Some oranges dispensed lots of juice and were packed with seeds, some were almost seed free but unwilling to surrender their liquefied treasure. At -2℃, the oranges are cold, the juice is already chilled to perfection.

View from the millpond towards Rocha de Pena, Salir. Algarve. Portugal.

You can truly taste the sunshine all year around. Oh, did I mention the wine? Maybe next time!

May 20, 2021February 8, 2022

Carvoeiro for the afternoon.

Carvoeiro

A visit to the beautiful Algarvian town and Praia of Carvoeiro. Portugal.

#carvoeiro #algarve #portugal #portugal?? #portugaltravel #visitportugal #visitalgarve #travelalgarve #exploreportugal #explorealgarve #expatalgarve #expatportugal #emptynest #emptynesters #midlifeadventures #algarvebeach #carvoeirobeach #portugal_lovers #portugallovers #portugalguide #movingtoportugal #portugaltrip #portugalemfotos #portugalemfiltros

May 10, 2021February 8, 2022

Stupa Budista

The Buddhist temple in the mountains of Algarve.

In May 2021 we visited the Buddhist temple – ‘Stupa Budista’ in Salir, Loulé, Algarve – just 15 minutes away by scooter from our home. We decided to go at sunset to watch the sunlight fading over the mountains, with far reaching mountainous 360° views, including the Atlantic ocean in the distance.

We were greated by a big white and brown Rafeiro do Alentejo dog, waiting patiently by the temple for some fuss and attention from visitors. We were alone and had the place to ourselves for the whole visit, which was magical. I know we will visit again, maybe at sunrise instead.

We walked clockwise around the stupa in a positive frame of mind, as advised on the information board.

Salir is a very quiet, tranquil and peaceful village of traditional homes, nestled in the Serra do Caldeirão hills. Hiking on top of one of these hills is a wonderful treat all year around. Spring is the best time to visit.

To get there- West of Salir on the N124, a sign points north to Moinho do Malhão. Turn right and take the scenic winding road up to the cross roads and look for a large sign on a sharp right hand turn, marking the entrance to Humkara Dzong, a small Tibetan Buddhist community. The rough unmade road leads to a magnificent and beautiful Stupa with a most spectacular view in the Algarve.

Lama Kunzang Dorje founded the community in 1982 and in 2008 the five metre high Stupa was constructed and consecrated. The first of its kind in Portugal, the monument marks the highest point in the hills overlooking the Algarve and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. From this point, it’s often possible to simultaneously watch the sunset and the moonrise. You will enjoy some of the cleanest air in the world on this hilltop. It was windy when we visited, and starting to get chilly at 14°C as the sun disappeared under the horizon.

Just beyond the Stupa, there is an old windmill hich has been converted into a temple where the Buddhist community gathers each morning for prayers.

In the Buddhist faith, the Stupa is symbolic of the potential that everyone has to achieve enlightenment: we consider all expats who have chosen to live here in the Algarve as ‘enlightened’. Thousands of prayers, sacred relics and other offerings are contained within the Stupa. Buddhists believe that the shrine is a source of positive energy which promotes health, wellbeing and prosperity. Whether you’re a believer or not, you won’t be able to deny that this spot brings great joy and peace to the visitor.

Definitely worth a visit.