Alferce

We set off this morning earlier than normal, heading for an aire inland, that would be the last free aire before we reached the Algarve coast. After this stop, it may be difficult for us to obtain free water for a couple of days.

Our drive took us high up in to the mountains of the Sierra de Barranco does Pisoes, the road nice and wide, but winding and climbing, with fantastic views, not for the driver, "just watch the road!".

The fir trees clung to the sheer slopes, around which tracks had been carved into the red ochre soil. We thought of the persons who'd had to cut these paths, what brave souls they must have been, the angles sharp and steep, scary stuff. The whole climb was a bit of a shock for poor Marge, who thought she'd been spared this type of terrain.

Arriving safely at the aire, Marge gasping a little, we thanked her for delivering us safely to the Algarve, which was our destination when we left home, she had achieved the objected. It wasn't a case of 'the eagle has landed', more 'Marge had landed', was the Algarve ready?

The little town of Alferce was a gem amongst the rolling green mounds that surrounded it.

The aire, had all the usual facilities plus a place to handwash clothes, complete with washing lines. Obviously, we took advantage of the 'mod cons', of a proper handwashing sink and clothes line.

We know this all sounds very mundane to our readers, but to us it was positively luxury, and to top it all, a brisk wind was blowing, so tumble dryer thrown in as a bonus. Talking of modern day appliances, another Englishman, offered to wash his neighbouring English ladies bed sheets and towels in his portable washing machine. We kid you, not! He dragged the appliance from his van and did a quick wash for her. He looked like Jeremy Clarkson, irrelevant, we know, and appeared to be travelling alone. The portable washing machine obviously his 'babe magnet'!

With Marge settled next to a small vegetable plot, with red peppers left to go over, criminal to us, knowing how much they cost in the supermarket. Further away, was a small plot of land guarded by a large, excitable dog, who appeared to be minding a pen of chickens, and an, oh dear, cockerel!

We set off past the lemon and olive trees, which two men had come to gather a large bucket of olives from, in to the small town. Everyone seemed very friendly. As we walked through one narrow passage, a lady was sat outside her single storey house on a dining chair, with a towel draped around her shoulders. Stood in front of her, a little girl aged around ten, holding a bottle of hair dye in one hand and foils in the other. No hairdressing training required here, the little girl looked more than confident. The highest point in the town was at the small sports stadium. So we walked up to the top of the seating terraces, knowing we would have a fantastic view from up there. And we were not disappointed. Sadly, we could also see the blackened trees that came right up to the town, stopping a mere few feet from the dwellings. How frightening must that day had been? Walking back to Marge, the town which was quiet and desolate when we first arrived, had been invaded. About six white Landrover Defenders were parked at varying angles, with TUI stickers inside their windscreens. They were what is known as a Portugal safari tour. The occupants of the Landrovers, scurried about, photographing everything and anything, including the inside of the toilets at the small outside swimming pool. How bizarre is that? Well, not as bizarre as then moving on to photograph the washing, and our washing at that, at the aire. John was so taken aback by their activities, he photographed them, photographing the washing.

Fame at last perhaps. Perhaps our laundry will appear in a future TUI brochure!

Around six thirty in the evening, after the town had returned to normality, a sundog appeared in the sky directly in front of the van.

A sundog, is an optical phenomenon, a bright spot to one or both sides of the sun, a little like a small rainbow. Not long after this beautiful sight, we noticed the outside air cooling a little. We were in the mountains, and we were made aware of it. Never mind, tomorrow we will head down to the coast to Albuferia, where it is guaranteed to be warm and sunny.