Beja: We arrived at Beja early enough to walk into town for the afternoon. We had our guide book and list of things to see. But everything was closed...it was Monday and we had forgotten that most things are closed! However we poked our heads into the local church and were waved in by three old women sitting at a table at the entrance. Here we had a treat. The walls were lined with not the usual overwrought baroque decoration but by huge panels of blue ...

Up the Coast and Inland Our coastal stop in the Alentejo province was a little white and blue town called Porto Covo. In high summer this would be a great spot but with the wind and the rain, the Atlantic waves were rough and the beaches looked less than inviting. But we walked around the town, along the beach front and down to the little fishing harbour. The rough weather meant that not one boat was left in the water, having been all pulled up out of the ...

The Algarve: We were looking forward to seeing the Algarve coast, having seen so many beautiful photos and read so much about it as a holiday destination. There are three 'coasts' on the Algarve: the so-called 'leeward coast' east of Faro, the 'windward coast' west of Faro and the 'Atlantic coast' on the western side of the province. East of Faro the beaches are long and often on sandy islands just off the land. West of Faro are the beautiful beaches pu...