Estoi and goodbye Tavira

With our time in the Eastern Algarve running out, we made one last out of town trip - to the tiny village of Estoi. Only 10km north of Faro, our research promised us an easy journey, which is true - as long as connections between trains and buses are made! By catching a train from Tavira to Faro at 9.38 we should have made the 10.15 bus from Faro to Estoi, with about 10 minutes to spare...........and we were pretty confident when the train arrived (and left) on time. Moving along nicely, our train driver kept up his speed, and did not “hang around“ too much at every station - until we stopped in Olhäo, where he seemed determined to upset our scheduling - which he did! With only 1 more stop before Faro, we were still hopeful.......but.....we missed the bus, which apparently left its station on time! Finding it no hardship to be back in Faro, we spent the next 2 hours enjoying breakfast by the Marina and browsing the shopping area which we’d barely seen on our previous visits.
Returning to the bus station, we boarded the bus to Estoi.....hoping to see the village church before it closed for the day! ***a note here to anyone visiting Estoi - buses run infrequently, with even fewer on non-school days and none at all on Public Holidays and weekends - and when they are running, Estoi is merely a detour on their route. The journey takes about 25 minutes and where the bus stops can vary......so find your bus stop and check return times carefully! *** But.....it’s worth the effort - even on a blazing hot day.
Apart from the village itself, we had 3 items on our list of things to see - the Igreja Matriz de Estoi church and the Palácio de Estoi - both of which are in the village - and the Milreu Roman Ruins which are just on its edge ........the bus driver will stop, upon request, at what is commonly referred to as “the crossroads” which are close to the ruins. We missed it - but no matter, he stopped for us a little further up the road and we made the rest of the way on foot and into the village itself.
Estoi is a pretty little place, typical of how the Algarve was before tourism made its mark on the area - quiet and peaceful. Men seem to spend their time sitting outside at cafés and on benches. Women gossip in the streets while picking up the daily food supplies. The small, cobbled streets wind their way uphill and downhill - with no apparent direction - and flights of steps are scattered throughout the village. Houses are whitewashed with brightly painted trim, flowers are everywhere - and small plazas can make a surprise appearance when turning a corner .....but the place is not idyllic! From the owner of one of the 3 shops that we saw while wandering the village, we learned that the church was closed due to it being badly in need of repairs. Locked up tight, this 15th century neo-classical church has been robbed so frequently that it’s now unsafe for visitors to be allowed entrance. Obviously a gossip by nature, this proprietor told us the story of a man who fell from the roof, while stealing from the church....and....the “thief” lost one of his arms while doing so!
Due to its closure, we had to cross a visit to the church off our list - but consoled ourselves by sitting at a café at the foot of the steps leading up to it. Along with just a few other customers - and a lovely dog who came to rest in the shade by our feet - we sat under an umbrella and enjoyed our cold beers while soaking up the surrounding atmosphere.
We were fortunate enough to be able to visit the other two items on our list - first was the Palácio de Estói, which we reached by climbing up one of the flights of the village's steps. In ruins until a few years ago, the "Palace" is now a Posada - a luxury hotel, with history. One of the finest examples of 19th century “Rococo” style “houses” in the Algarve, it is - surprisingly - open for anyone to walk around the “common” areas and gardens. Although versions of the history of the Palace are varied - it was built in the early 19th century - falling into disrepair when the last member of the of owning family of Carvalhal e Vasconcelos died.......and......It was bought and restored by José Francisco de Silva, who became the Viscount of Estoi at the beginning of the 20th century. From here, there are a couple of versions of what he used the house for - one of which describes it as a place he entertained his friends when they had their secret rendezvous!
Once inside and past the reception area there's a small bar and a couple of lovely lounges. These rooms are “Rocco” style in decor, with ornate ceilings and chandeliers, carved wood-panelled walls and some elaborate furniture along with some more modern looking chairs and comfy couches. The dining room is modern, with a lovely outdoor terrace leading off it. The hotel also has a spa and an outdoor pool.
A double staircase leads down from this beautiful building into the gardens, which are just as lovely - with their French style layout they’re in-keeping the “Pink Palace” as it’s known locally. With a gorgeous centre fountain, the formal garden is laid out with bushes and flowers plus there are many other areas to explore - including romantic pathways and grottos. Unfortunately the lower gardens have not yet received city funds sufficient for their renovation - but the view over them from this high view-point, gives a feeling of really being a “pampered guest” away from it all - and perhaps wish that on this day, we were not budget travellers!
We reluctantly left the Palácio de Estói as we really did want to see the Roman ruins - knowing that if we missed the next “scheduled" bus it would be either a 4 hour wait for the next one or call a taxi! We walked back down and through the village and out to the ruins of Milreu.
The archaeological site of the Roman villa has some of the best preserved remains ever found from this period. Sometime between the 2nd and 3rd century, the luxury villa of Milreu was built on the former site of an agricultural settlement. Excavated areas include a large temple and a bathing complex with a lot of mosaics.....even more of them are still being uncovered as the "dig" continues.......spreading out beyond the roped-off areas it seems a “crime” that they are being walked on.....although when we were there, we were alone except for a staff member out at the “dig,” plus the brief appearance of another couple of visitors. Also on the site is a 13th century house which has been rebuilt........when it was originally being excavated it was discovered that a section of the Roman villa had been used for its foundations. We felt a combination of perfect quiet and an eerie atmosphere here at Milreu - difficult to describe, but perhaps easier to imagine the life lived here almost 2,000 years ago.
There’s a small museum at the entrance/exit which among other artifacts has 3 busts that were discovered amongst the ruins.....one is of Julia Agripina (15-59 AD), wife of the Emperor Claudius and mother of the Emperor Nero. Another bust is of an unknown woman and the other is of the Emperor Hadrian - who seems to turn up everywhere! Also in the museum is a small model of how the villa would have looked, along with some pieces of its brick and plasterwork.
We left the ruins of Milreu in good time for the return bus to Faro, which was, of course, late ......according to the one other person at the village bus stop (a young local woman) it usually is!
After our day of being intrepid travellers - and with even hotter than usual temperatures predicted - we spent 3 of our last few days in Tavira enjoying its gorgeous beaches. Fully sun-screened and armed with our chairs, umbrellas and cooler, we took the ferry over and back to Ilha de Tavira - joining the rest of the late-summer crowds that make the regular journey. Each day, upon arrival, we made our way through the large number of restaurants - which are always packed! - and out the other end of this area to the long wooden boardwalk along the beach......discovering that if we walked just a little further, we could find a quieter spot. This gorgeous beach stretches for miles and the ocean although not warm, is lovely......and well worth the effort to get there!
The remainder of our time in Tavira we spent visiting another couple of churches, shopping at the market and sitting by our favourite riverside cafés for pastries and/or drinks. We even found (thanks to a tip from our friend, Linda), a French bakery/café whose owner told us the closest other French bakery was in Lisbon......his baked goods are delicious! In the evenings we watched a variety of performers when we either sat on the Roman Bridge or passed through the main square on our nightly strolls........on one occasion we saw a traditional female story teller who was accompanied on stage by other women musicians, plus children who helped tell her story. Another night a rock band was playing - unusual for Tavira, but well received judging by audience reaction. On a couple of occasions we left the centre of town and enjoyed a quiet drink at “our” roof-top bar.
Always learning as we travel - while in Tavira we’ve learned that in a culture where shops are open very late - and people are eating dinner close to midnight - everything will close on a religious holiday. We learned, once again, that the Portuguese handle their garbage better than anywhere else we’ve ever been......and they seem to be happy in their work! After hours of watching the tides of the river Gilào - wondering if it ever overflows - we learned one day that it does......just enough to send a little water into the closest street - which seemed to bother no-one! At the Mercado we learned that lemons are often green in the summer and the merchants are always ready to let you “taste”..........they also have the best prices on basket work and the best Pasteis de Nata outside of Bélem!
The main thing we learned about Tavira is that It’s easy to fall in love with this town and its people, who have found a way to blend tourism and tradition. They warmly welcome people of any age, from any nation, and they treat them well.......the visitors (thankfully) reciprocate with respectful behaviour - towards both the town and its residents.....I believe....like us - they must really want to be welcomed back!