Tavira, Portugal (2)

More highlights from Tavira. 

We went to the public market on Saturday to see the flea market.  It had great things, but we don’t have room for anything more in our suitcases, so we didn’t buy anything.  We did have a huge glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice at the market however.  It was so sweet that it tasted like honey...evidently special oranges from this part of Portugal.  Then we took off on a walk to the nearby colleague of Santa Luzia, octopus capital of the world.  We had driven through this area on our way home from the Olhão tour and our guide recommended the best restaurant for octopus.  We found it and settled in for a long lunch.  Roger, of course, had octopus draped over a potato and Kathy had sea bass. Here’s a picture of her eating a piece of Roger’s octopus.  Oh, yes.  We also had sangria. It’s the best to wash down octopus.

Kathy trying octopus

Ferry ride to Ayamonte, Spain

Plaza in Ayamonte

Typical Tavira house

A couple of days later, we returned by train to Vila Real (on the Spanish border) and took the ferry across the Rio Guadiana to Ayamonte.  Spanish Ayamonte was quite lively in its historic downtown, but it seemed a little less prosperous and less secure (bars on windows) than Vila Real on the Portuguese side.  But we were there too briefly to really form an opinion.  We did take in a special exhibition of paintings (local artists) on loan from the Prado.  

Our last full day in Tavira, we washed and dried clothes, packed up our things, straightened the apartment and then went out for a lovely cataplana dinner.  Cataplana is a dish of sea food and vegetables cooked together in a copper pan (like a wok).  We loved Tavira.  It is a place we would like to return.