Silves to Tavira . . .

Silves joins Aljezur and Tavira as favourite towns in Portugal . . . so far . . . beautiful and slightly frayed at the edges . . . if it was a UNESCO world heritage site, like Evora, some of the dilapidated houses in the historic centre might find new life . . . maybe property prices killed them off . . . and if green tourism really takes hold here and the water supply to the golf courses is cut off, a little attention to the walking route to the train station, two km outside town, would not go amiss . . .

Yesterday, disenchanted with the Via Algarviana, I thought about taking the train to Tavira and skipping three or four stages.

This morning the idea was still strong, so I wandered the town, enjoying the ambience and a coffee, when a crowd of bright young cyclists, in bright, tight lycra, landed, spurring the cafe woman into action and making the next door one miserable in her empty establishment . . . hearing the bright, tight vowels of Oxbridge English, I asked who they were . . . Tri-Training Harder, English triathlon company, on six month work stint in Vilamoura, are in the red company colours, the rest are customers. The day's cycle route is 100 miles via Monchique . . . still working in miles . . . that's Vilamoura for ya!

A brief, warm and informative encounter with Sara in the tourist info, then to the train for the hour and a half trip to Tavira, skirting awful Albufeira, though the station bears the name, despite being more than five km away . . .

And so home to the Pousade de Juventude and a warm welcome from Diana . . . and Silvia . . . a new French room mate, Franck, 64, sometime yacht skipper, so well travelled, fluent in English, retired, spending winter in Portugal, off to Portimao to see Guy soon . . . and Rene, retired Frenchwoman, who sold her apartment and lives free . . . off to Georgia next (not USA, the one near Russia) . . .

Victoria messages from the Quinta de Alvorada do Ouro . . . to say she will pick me up after she has worked the market tomorrow . . . maybe five days there before going to Jane's for dog walking . . .