Faro lies about 55-60 miles southeast of Lagos, and it has over double the population. Not only is it bigger than Lagos, but it serves as the governmental and regional hub of the Algarve region in Portugal. It has its own international airport, and we’ll fly from here when we’re ready to leave the country. That time hasn’t come yet, though.
After we stow our bags in the hotel room (our hotel is sandwiched between two cafes on a busy pedestrian walkway), we head out to do our customary initial excursion.
To the right, at the end of the pedestrian walkway, stands an obelisk. This is the “Obelisco a Ferreira d’Almeda”, put up in 1910. It honors Ferreira d’Almeda, a politician instrumental in developing roads, the fishing industry, and the abolishment of corporal punishment in the Portuguese navy. No one much cares anymore.
Walking along the Jardim Manuel Bivar. we notice a stork’s nest on one of the neighboring roofs. I don’t know what it is about storks; but I am all eyes when I see one. Maybe because where I live is stork-deprived, while my travels in Europe seem to have covered a stork migration and habitation zone. Anyway, I am fascinated-and there are two of them!
There are some notable buildings along the road where we see the storks, including the Bank of Portugal. One of the several branches of the National Central Bank, it was built in 1926-29 in a mix of architectural styles.
The Igreja Santa Casa da Misericordia is also on this street. You have to pay to get into this baroque church; so, needless to say, we don’t enter.
The Arco da Vila lies along this route, too. It is located where one of the medieval gateways to the city stood. This neo-classical archway (now under renovation) was commissioned by a local bishop in the early 19th century.
The marina of Faro is not far from the city center. It can hold over 250 pleasure craft and has a lot of piers. The marina is surrounded by a promenade, and there are a slew of restaurants and cafes in this area. Consequently, however, there is only one way to get out to the Ria Formosa; and that is under a railroad track-when it is low tide. This, no doubt, has an effect on the size of the boats that can moor in the marina. Large yachts need not apply.
We step into the Old Town of Faro to get a quick peek at the Cathedral. It’s a national monument of Portugal erected sometime in the 13th century. It looks old. Opposite the Cathedral is a statue of Bishop Francisco Gomes do Avelar who oversaw its reconstruction after the big earthquake of 1755 toppled the previous version.
After stopping back at our room for snacks and showers, we return to the marina for a sunset cruise around the Formosa River. Pudim, the captain and leader of the cruise, greets us at the head of the pier and we head to his boat. It’s just the three of us, and off we go!
As I mentioned before, the only outlet from the marina is under the railroad tracks. So boats have to wait until the tide is low enough to safely cross through. Apparently, this time of late afternoon/early evening fits the bill. Even so, as we motor under the tracks, we all duck our heads.
We are finally out on the Ria Formosa and it looks more like a lagoon than a river. In fact, there are several barrier islands and marshes that are home to hundreds of birds. That, to me, is the real appeal of doing this cruise.
Another appealing aspect of this cruise is that, at least initially, you can see quite a bit of Faro from the water-including the far promenade.
Pudim shows us a chart of birds inhabiting of passing through the Ria Formosa-and it is extensive. They can be found in the barrier islands and marshes. There are spoonbills, cormorants, herons, grebs, and a score of others. Flying or feeding, they are just about everywhere as we continue our boat journey.
Of course, one sees the sorts of things that can normally be seen on such cruises-other boats and channel markers.
The one thing that we don’t see is a great sunset. Clouds on the horizon prevent that from happening. Oh well, you can’t win them all.
Naturally, returning to the marina, there are also some very good views of the city walls and the far promenade.
We thank Pudim for the cruise and say our goodbyes before heading back into Faro.
I can’t remember many of the meals I had in Portugal; but I do remember the desserts. “Pastel de Nata” is the national treat of Portugal. It is a egg custard tart that is caramelized, baked, and comes in different sizes. No matter the size, it is always delicious!
Its real name is “Nossa Senhora do Carmo” (Our Lady of Carmo); but people refer to it as the “Church of the Bones”. We’ll find out why in a little while.
As expected, the interior of the church is richly appointed in gold and silver. The chapels are no exception and sport quite a few statues of Jesus in different poses.
The church has what appears to be a normal backyard: some bushes and flowers, some graves, a gardener’s shed. And there it is just to our left-the Chapel of the Bones.
The Chapel of the Bones isn’t big (only about 10 by 20 feet); but it has large windows and is thus infused with natural light. Someone once said that this is the cheeriest bone-filled place in the world; and they may be right.
Bones are everywhere, mixed with mortar. There are over 1,000 skulls and 1,250 monks have their bones here. Wait a minute: something doesn’t add up.
Over the door to the chapel, it supposedly says “stop here and think of the fate that will befall you”. I don’t know if all the monks signed on for this; but they apparently agreed to it before the end…or weren’t in a position to do anything about it.
There is a plaza in front of the Church of Carmo, and it has a mosaic in the center of it. The mosaic adds to the charm of the 18th century baroque church.
Nearby is a small park with a “pigeon tree” within it. I call it a pigeon tree because there are, at times, hundreds of pigeons perched upon it. God help the people who use the sidewalk passing under the tree while the pigeons are on it! My girlfriend and I sit safely on a nearby bench (out of range of the pigeon tree) to do some trip planning.
We pop into the Mercado Municipal to pick up a few items. It’s big, and it’s a great place to buy fresh seafood and fake teeth.
The Old City of Faro is bound by walls with some gates and historical azulejos beside them. Azulejos are a specialty Portuguese art form using tin-glazed, ceramic tilework and usually blue paint. It is said to have originated with the Moors. I’ve also see them in South America.
The azulejos near the walls, depicting the arrival of the Moors and the enactment of the first laws in the Old City, recount the history of the Old City of Faro.
The Old City of Faro has three surviving gates: (1) Arco da Vila (2) Portas du Mar, and (3) Arco do Repouso. We go into the Old City via all three; but, in this instance, we are at the Arco do Repouso.
The monumental gates to the Old City were either built by the Moors or replaced them. This arch has a name which commemorates King Alfonso III resting in the shade after he conquered the Moors and chased them from the city. The entrance here can be a little deceiving since there is an additional arch not far from the gate. All lead to cobblestone streets.
Speaking of Alfonso III, we meet him in the stone (a statue) a short walk away in front of the Archaeological Museum. As already described, King Alfonso was the guy who finally kicked the Moors out of Faro and returned the city to the Dark Ages. Ironically, his statue seems to be holding a scroll.
We stop for dinner not far away in the Cantinho Restaurant. We order mostly starters, including the flaming sausages with toast. I’m glad we remembered to blow out all of the flames before eating.
Having just passed by Faro Cathedral the first time around, we thought it merited closer inspection-even paying to get in.
First, we climb the steps up to the bell tower-and what panoramic views greet us there! Not only do we see birds congregating on the marshes of the Ria Formosa; but we we see the various nearby rooftops, and even a plane taking off to God knows where.
We even see a stork standing up on one of the roofs. A special treat for me.
The Cathedral also has a Chapel of Bones in its outside courtyard; but it is not as good as the Church of Carmo’s. They probably copied it from the Carmo Church using whatever bones they could find.
Faro Cathedral got its start sometime in the 13th century-no doubt shortly after Alfonso III kicked out the Moors. It’s been rebuilt a time or two, however. The Cathedral is located next to a square known as “Largo da Se”, which explains why the locals refer to it as the Cathedral da Se.
Inside, the Cathedral is a little less spectacular than you would expect-what with all the gold and silver from South America and the slavery trade.
Of course, it has all the normal bells and whistles: an altar, chapels, and an organ.
It even has a reliquary with sculpted hands and a foot holding specific bones of some saints that you may never have heard of.
Faro is fine; and although it is the end of the road for us in Portugal, we still have a few days left in the country. There are some picturesque cities and towns in the orbit of Faro, such as Tavira and Loule. How about we spend some time in those places?
Musical Interlude: “Night in Faro”-Beatpower