Heading down from Lisbon to the Algarve, we had a two night stop in a Unesco heritage town called Évora. Évora is a 14th century walled town most famous for the ruins of a Roman Temple (Temple of Diana) which was an interesting spot, but what we will remember most is the Chapel of Bones (Will’s choice). This is a small chapel lined with thousands of people’s bones – voluntarily donated by the villagers over many years. Columns lined with skulls and walls thick with femurs and tibias was quite a ghoulish sight – and the insignia of ‘we bones here – for yours await’ had us all (particularly Will) heading back out into the sunshine quick as can be. We finished the day in the square with the locals enjoying a beer in the sunshine (and using the free wifi).

On to the famous Algarve – where we planned for some good old fashioned holiday time (hence the lack of blogs….). Driving toward Silves with sunshine and the scent of orange blossom streaming into the van, and on to the golden sands and glistening blue seas of the Southern Coast, it was easy to see why the world flocks to the Algarve for winter sun. We stayed the first couple of nights in Luz, a lovely white village overlooking a dramatic beach. We had first-hand experience of the winds that create the steep jagged cliffs and sea grottoes with the sand whipping our legs as we walked the wild coast. It definitely wasn’t a day to get the beach towels out! We decided against an Irish bar and opted for a BBQ back at camp – Bron is starting to sort the daily menus out and Deane is getting rather accomplished at fitting it all onto the small grill and timing it to end up on our plates together!!

Bustling Albufeira was next on our itinerary, with one reason – Dolphin Day. Zoomarine is one of the few places in Europe (and the only one on our route) where you can swim with Dolphins, and this very special treat was William’s early birthday present. The whole experience was very thrilling for him – checking in at a special desk, changing into wetsuits (and being given a towel and flip flops to keep!), the educational pre-talk and then the big moment – swimming with these gorgeous creatures. In a group of six, Will was introduced to Uga the dolphin and spent 45 mins learning about, stroking, dancing with and then being taken for a ride holding on to Uga and Apollo’s side fins. It was all extremely well managed with the dolphin’s welfare very evident. I, like many others, have serious reservations about marine parks, but I have to say, the relationship between all the trainers and the animals was incredibly positive and the emphasis on the health and well-being of the animals very apparent. William has not stopped buzzing about the experience since. Happy Dolphin Day Will!

Day two in Albufeira was spent on the golden sands and wandering the tacky beach shops. William made some friends and they almost dug their way to New Zealand while we enjoyed a couple of hours catching the afternoon rays. It’s a shame Albufeira has been overtaken by tourism as it has a lovely beach and the old town looks to have nice bones, but I guess, if the crowds get concentrated in these central beaches, it grants the quieter stretches of the coast line a modicum of peace.

Our final stop in the Algarve was the lovely Tavira – to the far east of the Algarve on the Gilão. After the hustle of Albufeira, the laid back charm of this fishing village was a welcome return. After getting slightly lost (what again I hear you say) and asking a rather scrummy policeman for directions, we settled into the surprisingly pleasant municipal campsite (a bargain at €9.90 a night). We got our bikes off the back and headed down to town to watch the first of the Semana Santa (Holy Week) parades. Semana Santa is a big thing here (and particularly in Andalucia) which is one of the key reasons we are there this week and we’ll write more about it as the week progresses. We watched this first parade from a bridge strewn with lavender and lined with palms, and watching the men struggle with the heavy wooden shoulder borne floats laden with flowers and depictions of Jesus in various stages of life and death were a poignant reminder of how important this time of year is to the people of this region.

The following day (ummm…which day of the week was that??) we rode down past salt pans to catch a small ferry across to Ilha de Tavira, a pedestrian only island within the Rio Formosa nature reserve. Ilha de Tavira has an endless white sand beach to rival many of the world’s best – with a few restaurants to provide an ice cream or snack, but not much else – so very different from the busy beaches of Albufeira. The sun shone down and while the sea looked rather inviting, a dip of the toes quickly reminded us that it is still very early in the season (hence the contrast between the enduring woolly cardies of the locals versus the bikini clad tourists). It was a very chilled day which we all enjoyed – these down days are proving as important as the busy days for all of us.

Tavira was also the last stop in Portugal and as we crossed the border (in the middle of a bridge) to Spain, we all agreed that the relaxed atmosphere of Portugal, as varied as it was from rural north to the busy southern coast, was an ideal way to find our feet on this journey. Obrigada / Obrigado Portugal