Page 65 - Demo

Thursday 21st September - Estombar - Castelo de Silves - Albufeira - Prahia de Marinha - Carvoeiro - EstombarWarm but heavy rain in the morning, then sunny. Drove north to the castle town of Castelo de Silves. Just arrived when the heavens opened up and it started raining heavily. The castle was undergoing major renovations (like the rest of Portugal it seemed) and was just a pile of red rubble in the centre. Not worth a photo.Decided not to stay, and drove down to the coast and back east to find a number of recommended beaches around Albufeira. The rain was now torrential, and many of the roads were flooded, which made for interesting driving to say the least! After touring around a lot of overdeveloped areas, we headed west again. Suddenly the clouds parted and the sun shone. The weather in this area was very strange, with one cloud dumping rain then disappearing. Stopped at Prahia de Marinha, a tiny beach, again wedged in at the foot of huge cliffs. A small beach hut at the bottom sold snacks so we had a light lunch and a paddle in the sunshine. Steve went exploring around the few headlands that were accessible, dodging the big waves caused by the sudden storm. Drove to the seaside fishing village and beach at Carvoeiro. Fluked a free car park right on the beach. Sat in the sun on the beach, walked up the steep hills for excellent views and found a great playground for Teia, perched precariously on a cliff overlooking the village. Tried to fly the kite off the bluff but there was not enough wind. Went back down into the village and had an early dinner at a Tapas bar. Drove home to our room for a quiet night of wine and internet (John, our host lent us his computer to catch up on our blogging (in return for a free evaluation of his website!))