Johnny Cash may have sung, “I’ve been everywhere, Man,,,but I think the Romans got there first!

Isabel was here at 10 AM, right on time.  We left Lagos and headed out of the city to a pottery that has been in business for at least 50 years making the bowls, dishes, and tiles that the Algarve area is known for. On the way Isabel pulled over to show us a nesting place for storks. They mate for life and their children fly back each year to nest nearby.

Porches Pottery produces hundreds of beautiful handmade items. Keeping in mind, our trek back to Bloomington, we were cautious but did not leave empty handed.

From the pottery workshop we headed to Silves, one of the oldest cities in Portugal.  The Romans called it home from about 400 BC to 400 AD, next came the Moors when it became a capital city. The castle at the top of the hill overlooks the river, still spanned by a Roman bridge and the newer part of the town.

From the castle we walked slowly and carefully down the cobblestones, through the still standing old city wall, past a pillory and square, down, down to a restaurant for lunch accompanied by—come on now, after all these blogs, I don’t really have to spell it out, do I?
We sat outside and enjoyed the banter of our waitress.

After lunch, we continued going down, finally getting to the Roman bridge, crossing it and finding Isabel.

Next we went up, up, up to the top of Monchique at 902 meters or about 2,500 feet. May not seem tall if you’re from the Rocky Mountain states but it made our ears pop.  Amazing views and vegetation, including pink heather and daisy like flowers of brilliant hues—orange, pink, purple, white but of popping rich colors.  

On our way further down the mountain is Monchique water bottling plant and spa with many restored hotels and spas. A beautiful place for pampering.

The Gospel According to Dennis:

Cindy has already written about our day at the pottery shop, the small town of Silves, and our trip to the mountains so I’ll confine my comments to dinner last night at our local restaurant.  We feel we’ve become part of the owner’s family. The restaurant is about 50 yards downhill from our doorstep.  It’s part of a small neighborhood outside of the old walled city of Lagos.

In the two weeks we’ve been here, I think I’ve eaten there on at least ten occasions.  As mentioned earlier, the food is all home cooked, everything tastes wonderful (especially the puréed/mashed potatoes and gravy). The owner, staff and fellow customers are as welcoming as the people at Sam Malone’s bar, when Norm comes down the stairs at “Cheers.”  Yep—we feel just like Norm...Last night Jim told our hostess and owner, “I’m 84 years old and eaten in many restaurants throughout the world but your restaurant and food are the best.  Your restaurant is my favorite!”  With a broad smile and sparkle in her eye, she took both of Jim’s hands and kissed him on both cheeks.  Wish I could have gotten a picture of that. That’s the best part of traveling—meeting people who are different than us, yet willing to extend a hand or just a smile. Something we all need sometimes.

Happy Valentine’s Day!  

P.S. Before we left, another man claimed that our new best friend was his, not ours. 😂