Thank you Jon & Gill for a lovely day out on the boat. It was a blast and completely unexpected. We had a fantastic holiday and will be looking forward to seeing you both next year.
Sarah John & family
Sarah John & family
Here are the most recent photos of Casa Bedrock.                   Here is the new addition to Casa Bedrock. It looks amazing!!  Here are a few PDF brochures for your holiday research.... 
Loulé, capital of the Algarvian carnival, is also celebrating during the summer a great nocturnal street party, where visitors from near and far come dressed in white, and the city centre is decorated in white as well. Check out the video's below; http://www.algarve-portal.com/en/cities/loule/noite-branca/ http://www.algarve-portal.com/en/cities/loule/video-carnival/ 
 Culteral centre of Sao Lourenco  The beginnings of Loulé are uncertain, some historians putting it as far back as 400BC, but others say it's origins are Roman. It is a fact that when the Arabs invaded the Algarve in 715, Loulé was already an important town. It has been a part of Portugal since 1249 after the Algarve was recaptured from the Moors and in 1291 King Dom Dinis established the Algarve's only medieval fair in Loulé, a sign of the wealth of the region. Loulé is an interesting town some 16km to the north of Faro. The landmark church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade - a modern dome shaped building reminiscent of a space ship - can easily be seen on a hill, just to the west of the town, from the A22 motorway. It is a large town with all the usual amenities you would expect to find - a great selection of shops, numerous banks, art galleries, swimming pools and sports pavilion to name but a few! Loulé is famous for it's Saturday morning gipsy market (at the end of Rua da nossa Senhora da Piedade) and there are trips available from most resorts in the Algarve if you don't have a car. It also has a really good daily market in the new Arabian style market hall on Praça da República (open every morning except Sunday). Although it is quite a big town, all the areas that visitors will probably want to see are in a relatively compact area. It is a good idea to use a map as on a first visit (from personal experience!) it is easy to turn down the wrong street and walk a lot further than you may want to! Entering Loulé from the south west there is a roundabout with a statue of 2 cyclists - turn to the left and the road will go past a Modelo supermarket and on towards the Nossa Senhora da Piedade Church. The road to the right leads to the centre and as it goes up the hill, just before traffic lights at the top, there is an archway through the old walls on the left which leads through to Largo da Matriz. In the middle of this small square is the main church of Loulé, Igreja de S.Clemente and to the left of the square is a small, peaceful garden, Jardim dos Amuados (Garden of Sulks), which is an ancient Arab cemetery From the back of the church follow Rua Matriz, turn left and you will arrive at the market building - you can't miss it! Make sure you get here in a morning, while it's open as the selection of produce is excellent - there are all sorts of treats to tempt you apart from all the fresh fruit and veg! Loulé castle (13th/14th century) built on an area previously settled by the Romans, is just a short distance down the road from the market on the left hand side. From this approach it isn't very obvious that it is the castle as, through the arched gateway, you see the whitewashed walls of the 'alcaidaria' ( which was the living quarters for the castle commander and his garrison) surrounding a small courtyard and no visible signs of the castle walls. Across the courtyard lies the municipal museum, next door to which are some steps leading up to the remaining section of the castle walls. The three remaining grey stone towers and short walkway between them are well preserved and apart from getting a great view of Loulé does also give a taste of the historical heritage of the Algarve. (There is a small charge for visiting the castle which in October 2007 was 1.04 euros). A little further along the street from the castle is the Convent of Espírito Santo which also houses the municipal art gallery. Apart from the historical points of interest, there are also lots of cafés and shops in the criss-crossing network of cobbled alleys and streets and plenty of places to sit in the sunshine and watch the world go by! The main avenida (José da Costa Mealha) is a bustle of cars and people going about their daily business on either side of the central gardens with benches under the trees and kiosks for refreshments along it's length. Loulé is well known for its carnival in February (it takes place over 3 days, the 3rd day being Shrove Tuesday) which is a very colourful affair with music and dancing and general partying, reminiscent of Brasilian carnivals, when people come from all over the Algarve to watch the processions and join in with the party as everyone takes to the streets. The centre of Loulé (Avenida José da Costa Mealha) is shut off for the carnival and it costs 2 euros for entrance (2007). It is worth arriving early- the procession starts at 3.00pm- to find parking, especially if you haven't been to the town before. If you decide to leave the enclosed area you will have to pay again to get back in, so if you want to explore the rest of Loulé, do it first! It is also traditional at carnival time across the Algarve for people to throw 'water bombs' and eggs- so be warned! At Easter time there is a religious 'Festival of the Sovereign Mother', patron saint of Loulé, which again attracts people from all over the country.   The date of the city's foundation is uncertain, although most Certainly it dates back to the distant past. There are, However, clear traces of the area's occupation by the Romans, with the fishing and fish-salting center of Cerro da Vila in Vilamoura Being the best example, and it is known That When the Moors arrived in Loulé in 715, It Was Already an important town. Was Loulé reconquered by the Christians in 1249, in the reign of Dom Afonso III, HAVING Been Awarded a charter in 1266. Remaining from the Middle Ages is the Castle, Whose towers still Can Be seen amidst the houses, as well as some sections of ITS walls. In 1291, the King Dom Dinis set up the fair in Loulé, making it the region's main trading center. The Loulé Was an inland town, it did not directly benefit from the wealth of the period "of the Discoveries as much as Several other places along the coast, although it is nonetheless Possible to find here a number of Manueline decorative features in the city's houses and monuments, such as the Church of St. Clement or The Church of Mercy. The region's Economic Development ITS resulted from farming activity, especially from ITS products dry fruit (almonds and figs), and the handicraft articles That Have Continued to Be produced over many centuries. Loulé Was raised to the status of the city in 1988. Nowadays, Loulé is The Economic center of Portugal's largest municipality, the coastal towns WHERE live from tourism and the inland areas depend on trade and agriculture. On the city's outskirts are some of the best-known tourist areas in the Algarve, such as Vilamoura Quarteira or on the coast or Salir and Alte inland. Very close to the city, nature lovers Will Be Pleasantly surprised by the Protected Areas of Benémola and Rocha da Pena, Which help to preserve a different Algarve, one that is filled with native vegetation and Where It Is Possible To enjoy some Organised walking tours. Loulé's carnival celebrations are amongst the most famous in Portugal. There are many towns and fishing villages waiting for the visitor. In addition, there is also a range of attractions built mainly for the tourist. Water Parks and Adventure Playgrounds Etc. These are located in the centre of the Algarve and are all fairly close to, or on, the EN125 main road (this goes the whole length of the Algarve). There are several water parks with chutes of various sorts, pools and water rides. There is also a park with a range of animals providing shows for the visitor. These attractions provide regular 'free' coaches to and from the attraction. Visitors can also travel by car as there is extensive parking in most locations. You will be able to find details in your resort, either at reception, or, from your tour rep. Information is also available in many shops and car rental places. Do note that prices for food and drink can be very high at these parks. Aquashow On the main EN125 to Quarteira road and with the largest wave pool in Europe or so they say. Atlantic Park (was called Wet and Wild) - 1996 At Almancil on the EN125 which is between Faro and Quarteira. To quote a recent young visitor in summer 1996 - "tame, timid, naff". Krazyworld "A combination of small zoo with crazy golf that started life as a restaurant! We went after lunch, and went 'oh no' when we arrived because it didn't look like much. By the time we left - some time after the official closing time - we wished we'd had the whole day there. If we'd been in the area for two weeks, we'd have gone for the 'annual pass' (less than two single visits) and returned on another day". Krazyworld is situated some 10km NNW (as the crow flies) from Albufiera near Algoz (Map) Slide and Splash - 1997 At Estombar which is between Lagoa and Portimão. It is nearer Lagoa and can be seen from miles away. Generally this is rated higher that the Big One. The Big One (Aqualand) - 2002 A few kilometres to the west of Alcantarilha and some 10km west of Albufeira. This is said to be Europe's largest open air water park. To quote a young visitor in summer 1996 - "Fantastic". More recently, (1997) visitors have reported that this park is showing its age resulting in scrapes and abrasions on several of the rides due to poor repairs though the gardens are very good. Generally not rated as high as the others by people who have tried more than one. In 2002 a visitor commented "I'm not sure about the prices, but it's a really good park. Lots of rides which are extreemly fun, and the queues are generally very short too. The park itself is nicely laid out with lots of attractions which are better than the average tubes or slides you get at most. Fun for all the family, although there are some height restricitions. The wave pool is also a lot of fun. However, I do believe food prices were quite high". Zoo Marine - 1999 Between Albufeira and Porches on a very bad bend. The car park is often packed solid at peak times (1996) for the shows of seals, dolphins (Photo 65k) and parrots. There is also a mini funfair on this site plus swimming pools and a picnic area (Photo 265k). Out of the main season there are less repeat shows per day but also less people. In or out of season it is worth traveling by car and arriving early before all the coaches then have a high speed walk around and plan your itinerary. All in all, good value with well thought out shows. It is however not in the same league as the major USA water shows. If you have to miss a show then in 1998 the one to miss was the Seal show - mainly Sea Lions with a brief explanation of the difference between the two animal groups. In 1999 however this is reported to have greatly improved and to be well worth watching. In 2002 a visitor commented "Zoo marine is a park which specializes in shows with marine animals such as seals, sealions, dolphins etc. The shows are roughly half an hour each, and there's enough of them to last you a day. The shows are very entertaining and original, which makes it good value. There are also a few other attractions such as Ferris wheels and a section where you can see animals in their tanks. A recommended day out". Beaches The Algarve's main attraction is its beaches. Among the most famous are the Praia da Dona Ana, Praia de Ilha de Tavira, Praia dos Barcos, Prai do Armado and Praia da Rocha. There are also many opportunities to practice water sports. The Praia de Figueira, located near to the village of Salema, is popular with windsurfers and divers. Meia Praia in Lagos is the longest beach in the Algarve region. There are facilities for windsurfing, jet skiing and other water sports on site. Praia da Marinha in Benagil is suitable for snorkelling. There are different beaches to suit different needs, quiet coves, family beaches with activities and games or nudist beaches. As this stretch of coast is so developed the beaches tend to be well maintained and are regularly cleaned with bars and restaurants close by. Most of the big hotels are close to the beaches in the tourist centres. The blue flag is an internationally recognised award given to beaches and marinas that fulfil certain criteria including; facilities, water quality, environmental issues and public access and safety.
Alison | |||||||
