Photographic Friday – a weekly peek at our travels

the motoroamers

Photographic Friday – a weekly peek at our travels

This week’s Photographic Friday gives you a peek at our travels along the Algarve coastline and more inland. Despite some biblical weather where I thought I might not have enough to show you, in the windows of great weather, there are some corkers. From wildlife to festivals, small mountain towns and hidden convents that had a ghostly past. It’s all in here today, so why not hop on in.

Insights into Monchique

I wrote an intimate blog about our visit to Monchique this week. We loved this mountain town just 20 minutes from the Algarve coastline. With artwork, quintessential Portuguese buildings and historical secrets, Monchique was a photographer’s paradise. Here are just a few of the images that I loved the most. For more, you can check out our blog here.

The cobbled streets of this characterful town were amazing with stone houses perched on the hilltops clearly offering hundred’s of years worth of comings and goings of the locals, before the tourists came.

The artwork and sculptures give the town a modern edge, despite its 16th century structure, much of which was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake.

Bob, a fellow photographer spotted this fabulous shot, which I copied. His eye was spot on. The way the sinking sun caught the statue’s face was just lovely, leaving everything else in shadow. Well done Bob.

The trek up to the crumbling Convent was a real experience, especially when we realised that the ‘caretaker’ has made this home for over 50 years. The Convent became a refuge for the homeless, a place he and his parents called home and he has never left. The light was really difficult to really capture his life here, although a couple of shots really struck me about the life of this fellow nomad.

Querença’s Sǎo Luiz Festival

Up in the mountains above the Algarve’s Loulé is the small village community of Querença. Back in 2019 we stayed here by chance when we were exploring the N2 route. Although we had a peaceful sleep here, we never did take time to explore this tiny community. And in a way I am quite glad, as their Festival on the third weekend in January gave us a chance to feel an authentic and local vibe that brought the place alive. With bands, parades and the cooking of their traditional sausages, that they ask to be blessed by their patron saint, the whole village buzzed with atmosphere. Here are a few shots that caught my attention.

Vale do Lobo bird watching

I love a bit of bird watching, especially with species that are less common in the UK. So when we took a short walk along the Boardwalks of the Quinta de Lago in between Quarteira and Faro, it was fabulous to observe this magnificent Spoonbill. I have never been so close to one and taken time to watch their behaviours. To see how he sifted through the water with his long legs and massive bill was fascinating. I could have stayed all day. I couldn’t get a very close zoom on him, and there are a couple of shots that are not 100% in focus, although I love how they capture his fishing behaviour. So I hope you’ll forgive a bit of blurriness.

Tomato Beach – Falesia

Whilst I have many pictures from past weeks highlighting the joys of Tomato and Falesia Beach, each visit brings with it a different perspective. Whether it is the context I create, the different lives that play out on them or of course the lighting. They all bring a new feel to the same place. So I have captured a couple of shots that I hope appeal. This first one caught my eye just because of the unreal colours. And I will add that there are no post edits to this at all. We are taught in photography that there needs to be a context or a subject. Well I have used Myles in this one and whilst far too small to be seen as a decent photograph, I loved that it would make you look. Search out Myles in amidst this fantastic cliff scenery.

People, whether posing or not, make for great shots. I love smiles, stories and simply just wondering what their worlds are like.

So the storms might have had us ‘house bound’ for a few days, although it’s surprising what you can still capture in the days you do get a chance to get out and about. I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s peek at our travels, through my camera lens. Until next week! Kx

Published: January 24, 2025

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