Another little town not far from where we are staying in Monchique. It is in the mountains, with a totally different look and feel.
The town itself is rather charming. One of the main attractions is a 17th century monastery about a 15 minute walk from town. We did not do it as our day in the mountains was so much colder than any day since we arrived in Portugal and we were not dressed properly.
At the top left in the picture you can see the monastery. It was reduced to a shell by the earthquake of 1755 and not restored.
As you can see, it is a long way down before you start the long climb up.
The other big attractions are the two churches.
This church is rather plain in comparison to so many others we have seen. It is supposed to have lovely 17th century art work rescued from the destroyed monastery. We did not go inside the church as there seemed to be a wake taking place.
The other church, Igreja Matriz, is from the 16th century and is beautifully preserved.
Even the doorway is a work of art.
Apart from the churches and the hilly cobblestoned streets, my main take away from Monchique is the impressive public art.
Even the streets have steps. Luckily enough the sun was shining when we walked up this street.
We also had to try the locally made “hooch”. It had a bit of a bite, can be up to 48% alcohol. Very sweet though.
The shopkeeper told us Strawberry Tree is a made up name for the guide books, the red fruit “kind of” resembles a strawberry from a distance.
And in case you are wondering, no he does not dye his hair, he said so.
Another cool little town that we have been fortunate enough to visit.
Cheers
Ruth
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