Portugal, Salema – great walks, sea views and good food

The area around Salema is blessed with some wonderful walks and we did one yesterday that took us through forests with both skinny petrified like trees and then masses of lush green trees with wild flowers everywhere.

Then we ended up at a terrific view points with beaches in both directions. Perfect for surfing and you can make out all the surfers in the bottom left hand pic. Reminds me a bit of the Australian coast in parts – especially WA?

Such strenuous exercise meant we had to eat lunch at a nice restaurant – check out the size of these oysters – six for 10 Euros! And then the local speciality of cataplana which I shared with Daphne – prawns, port, chorizo, onions, peppers in a tomato based soup sauce. As for the two s’tuffed people”- they were at the supermarket and are all around the town we were in – kind of the Portuguese equivalent of the painted cows I think?

Portugal, Algarve, Salema

From Mykonos to the Algarve to stay with good Canadian friends Daphne and Mark and Marion and Gregg at a lovely villa they have rented on and off over the last few years. It is in a gorgeous spot overlooking the village of Salema and the sea. We started our first night with an excellent bbq (well done Mark and Gregg who also picked my up from the airport which meant I got to see a donkey and cart on the motorway!)

Daphne and Marion took me on an easy walk for my first morning – scenery and wild flowers were great and it didn’t rain.

In the evening we walked down to the village and ate traditional salt encrusted bream and sea bass right by the sea. And ok a few desserts too! Delish

Salema is a very small village although apparently getting busier. It is lovely to see the moored and immaculately kept fishing boats as the evening sun starts to wane.