PEOPLE Hank & Carina

THEN OLHÃO FOUND US...

... and we weren't even looking! Hank and Carina's story of how they came to love and live in Olhão

Welcome to our monthly column celebrating Olhão. After exploring Portugal top to bottom from Braga to Tavira enjoying so many coastal and inland locations in our RV, we decided Olhão was the place to buy our home to celebrate our “golden years”. Olhão was not on our radar at first. In fact, the discovery of Eastern Algarve was a pleasant surprise with the scale of development so much less than areas to the west. A chance winter rental introduced us to Olhão, a place we quickly found attractive for many reasons. “Walkability” is, above all, a main highlight and each month I will introduce you to places only steps away from our front door. Questions, Comments or Suggestions for new columns? Email us at hankryan2003@yahoo.com We hope you will enjoy our column!

SHADY INTENTIONS….

As was demonstrated so clearly these past few sweltering months, seeking cooler ways to enjoy local walking during the summer is a high priority.. Olhão fortunately figured out the best way to deliver that cool reward long ago when the early settlers here upgraded their fishing huts to create what is now called the “Fishermans Village”. Olhão refers to itself as “the city of cubes”. This representative artwork hangs on the wall of the Olhão Municipal Auditorium. The square shaped whitewashed houses with Moorish terraces and mouldings are located just behind the main “Restaurant Row” fronting the Ria Formosa. They combine narrow walkways between buildings with

rooftop spaces that offer a night time escape from the heat. These shady streets offer more than just a respite from the summer sun. History lives here. We cannot claim the expertise to offer original informed evidence demonstrating that. Fortunately others have done much of that work already. Just google Caminho das Lendas, (The Path of Legends) and you will discover a wealth of information (provided by www.viajecomigo. com), about a pedestrian path that crosses Olhão. The historic path connects five squares where you will find statues or artistic installations – and all of them are linked to local legends. The map they provide helps show how to wander to each of these sites.

Here above is one of them. The “Little Boy’ is obviously enjoying his cool spot along the path, despite the youngster’s legendary less than pleased demeanor. Enjoy your walking journey along these quiet back street pathways. Today new local developments seemed aimed to thrust Olhão into the fast paced tourist economy so characteristic of Algarve locations to the west. We’ve witnessed many of those high profile hot spots becoming ghost towns during the off season with empty apartment buildings and closed businesses awaiting the return of tourists. Not so here. In Olhão, local small businesses in these narrow streets serve as the beating heart of this place. The proof of that premise is demonstrated by the continued lively activity in Olhão after the summer high season ends and cooler months carry into winter. While establishments along the Olhão waterfront offer fair prices, even better deals in the back streets behind the main strip means locals enjoy ways to combine meeting their needs while supporting local businesses year round. Before we introduce you to one of those local favorites, I need to admit we are behind learning the Portuguese language. My excuse is only to mention we travel a lot so buckling down seems always to be scheduled “as soon as we get back”. Sad but true. I do, however, enjoy one aspect of this ignorance. One of the back street establishments I love going to is a local barber. While there, the loud, non-stop rapid fire conversations among everyone in the shop prevail and I have not a clue what anyone is saying. Somehow this is a relaxing experience. I love it. To top that, neither my barber or I have ever uttered a word to each other. Not once. Yet Carina loves the result every time I return home. Go figure.

PADARIA ALGARVIA

One place almost always sporting a morning line outside is this small bakery just to the left around the bend looking north from the Olhão Mercado buildings. Don’t bother looking for the name outside.There is no other identification on the exterior unless the enticing aroma of fresh bread can be counted. I wish I could tell you the name of the friendly woman seemingly always behind the counter but I have yet to chance interrupting her busy customer service duties. Suffice to say this small establishment is very popular, offering yet another reason why the community of Olhão remains vibrant for locals and visitors alike no matter what time of year it is. Go early!

Fine Print – For our full introduction, see our first column online in the December 2021 issue. (https://www.eastalgarvemag.com/) We choose to focus on businesses here in Olhao where we have actually been customers first. Any future advertising from these businesses that supports Eastern Algarve Magazine is purely coincidental :-)