Rained overnight, good to depart muddy grounds. Tried to drive into Slave Market Museum but gardener waved "No", gesturing road too narrow /no turning, plus museum still closed! Drove past rest of harbour sights - Vasco de Gama Man-o-War replica, Governor’s Palace, small Castle, Monument to São Goncales de Lagos, and mini forte de Bandeira. Stopped at viewpoint over harbor. Looks like Portugal's most southerly point.
Left Lagos for Sagres National Park, but refused to pay €20pp to look inside fort on top of cliff, esp since it was being restored and rendered and no longer looked its age. Superb views of Atlantic Ocean from cliff though, and we examined hardy plants up there instead.
Drove along short coast road past a picturesque yellow monastery perched on cliffs, and on to a red lighthouse at Cape St Vincent. Ann finally got her beach dress from a stall there.
Had a quick look at pottery shop - would have liked to take some party dishes /platters/trays home, but these very heavy ceramics wouldn't have arrived in one piece...
Back on coast road, through adobe whitewashed towns. Quince trees heavy with fruit, cork trees, stripped of dead outer bark. Eucalyptus trees prolific - we feel so home-y and comfortable here. Stopped for lunch overlooking Monte Clerigo beach, couldn't identify the smaller black birds travelling with the Herring and Black-Backed Gulls above cliffs. Gorgeous beach, surf school below.
Ended in outdoor pub for drinks and "entries" - local
soft cheese, wafer-thin chorizo sausage and dried ham, which turned out to be
dinner, before we walked back at dusk to camp. Air actually cooled through
evening (enough for blanket again) now we have reached Atlantic Ocean, and
starting to go north. Blessed relief from heat!
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