Day #7 in Portugal was a great one due to who we shared it with. Eighteen years ago, our family spent almost a month at a campground on the Algarve. While there we met some wonderful people, but only two remained our friends after all these years, Jean and her husband, Malc. We lost Malc before we could reconnect, but thankfully we still have Jean, and now her partner, Vitor.

After a tour of their apartment, we headed out for an explore of their town- Fuseta. Jean likes it because it is very Portuguese and I had to agree. It dates back to 1572, when the area was just a collection of small shacks used by fishermen to store tools for their fishing boats. Gradually, it developed into a small settlement.
Besides finding a Portuguese George Clooney, we also learned about the local fishing. One of the biggest catches is the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris). Here the octopus fishery has considerable social and economic value, with small-scale fishing being increasingly economically dependent on this resource.
The tools used to catch this delicacy are the alcatruz and the covo. The alcatruz (above) is a shelter-pot traditionally made of clay, with an amphora shape. As it turns out, the octopus can't turn around so once in the pot, they are trapped.
The covo are rather interesting contraptions. We learned so much about this ancient, local craft. I'm still not eating it, but I appreciate the technique anyway.

We had the most incredible lunch here at O Tacho. It was the best chicken I have ever had. Yum.

Though the weather wasn't conducive to big explores, we delighted in meandering about in Tavira, an ancient Moorish town that has retained its unique character and heritage to become one of the finest resort towns of the Algarve.

The town extends along the banks of the Gilão River and is a delightful mix of traditional Portuguese architecture with deep-rooted Moorish influences. Tavira is a joy to explore with its plethora of historic buildings and decorative churches, all of which are set around charming plazas and pretty cobbled streets. I happen to be in love with their rooftops and the unique weather vanes adorning each chimney. Spectacular to see!





We then took a stroll on the Ponte Antigua, adorned with locks, symbolizing unbreakable love. It isn’t as popular for this as the Pont de l’Archevêché in Paris, but still dozens of locks were there with one dating back to 1980. Wild.
On Thursday, Jean and Vitor will visit us in our little town so we can be their tour guides. We can't wait.