Arrived in Santa Luzia around lunchtime Wednesday 6th August with friends Don and Lynda. The midday sun was blazing hot but the village was nonetheless abuzz with preparations for the annual Festival Dos Pescadores (Fisherman's Festival).
Preparations for the festival in full swing despite the searing heat. The festival this year was organised on similar lines to last year with all the main action occurring in the west of the village on the newly developed section of Avenida Enginero Duarte Pacheco which I always refer to as the promenade.
The street leading up to the stage area where various artistes will perform throughout the four days of the festival is lined with stalls selling local and international craft work and each evening the transformation is unbelievable. Visitors flock in from far and wide and the sleepy promenade becomes akin to the thronged streets of Albufiera, Pria Da Rocha or Monte Gordo.
The acts which were free to watch once again this year included Viviano, on the Friday, a young Portuguese vocalist. The Saturday featured Brazilian band Edna Pimenta & Bambiana, whilst Sunday was as ever Noite De Fados starring four different celebrated Fado singers.
This is for me the best night of the festival and is very well attended by the inhabitants of Santa Luzia who in my opinion seem to still regard this very much as "their night".
The concluding night this year featured a Brazilian Hip Hop band Irmados Verdades which, being the original grumpy old man, I listened to from the comfort of a table outside Bar Mundo a very acceptable 500 meters or so from the stage.
Entertainment commenced each evening around 11pm and concluded around 1am with the usual massive fireworks display on the final night.
This year as well as the land based fireworks a magnificent display was mounted from boats moored out on the Ria Formosa.Our friends Don and Lynda have accompanied us to Santa Luzia before, indeed Don assisted in the replacement of the roof (see Hard Slog November 2007)
We were determined that this time we would show them more of Portugal and during our seven day stay we visited Mertola, Alcoutim, Cabanas, Tavira, Monte Gordo and a day trip across the border to Ayamonte in Spain enabled our guests to purchase their copious supply of tobacco at half Portuguese prices.
For me the highlight of our trips was the visit to Mertola. We have visited this Alantejoan gem on many occasions but each time I am amazed at the feeling of peace, safety and tranquility experienced standing atop the Castelo Dos Mouros surveying the vast wild emptiness of the Alentajo.
You really do get the feeling that nothing can touch you here and it would surely be a safe place to be come even Armageddon.
Alcoutim nestled on the banks of The Guardiana river somehow manages to be tranquil and vibrant at the same time and whilst you can take in all it's attractions in 45 minutes or so this little hamlet has the ability to steal three or four hours of your time.
The main square of the little border town of Alcoutim.
Despite our trips out I still managed one morning and two afternoon fishing sessions and by carefully watching and emulating the methods and techniques of the locals my rate of catch is increasing in both frequency and size.
My freezer is now stocked with sufficient fish to provide a handsome barbecue for the first person I can convince my catch is edible.
There is still no sign of work commencing on the new harbour facility but as can be seen in the photo above the new pontoon is in full swing and the water taxis were doing a roaring trade ferrying visitors back and forth to the magnificent sandy beaches of the Isle de Tavira.As I predicted in my last post there were many more foreign tourists evident in the village this year though I am informed by Jorge Hermann of Ria beach apartment rentals that the majority of his units were occupied by Portuguese visitors with Brits making up the bulk of his bookings for October onwards when the temperature is a more comfortable 75 to 80 ish.
Throughout our stay we kept track of the great British summer via the pages of the Daily express and sure enough on our return to Leeds and Bradford airport on the 14th of August we were greeted by grey skies,cold wind and drizzling rain.
The Sunday following our return Stephen and Julie (Joan's ex-partner's brother and wife) flew out for their first visit to Santa Luzia. I am pleased to report that they were totally captivated by the place.
We often worry when sending friends and family to our little Portuguese paradise that it will not be to their taste and they will not experience the magic we do each time we visit and it is enormously satisfying when they do.
Almost as good as going yourself....................but not quite.
