The Faro Castle

The Castle in Faro has a beautiful courtyard.  We had just finished dinner at the restaurant in the courtyard when we saw this beautiful sunset.

The original castle walls are behind this newer facade.  This section of town is by far the oldest part of Faro.  It houses the civic offices and restaurants and a church.
As you enter this archway, you  can see the original castle walls.

Take from the inside of the "Castle"  you can see the original walls and the curvy streets.
  Storks make their nests everywhere.

The courtyard and restaurant.

In the Doctor's office

Elder Fernandez and Elder Da Veiga, both from Cabo Verde.  These two are like Chip and Dale when they see each other.  They have such a great friendship.  It is fun to hear them laugh.

Elder Harris from Utah and Elder Barnhardt from Vermont. 

 

We had a nice long wait in a doctor's office this week so I took some pictures of our great missionaries from the Algarve.  And even though they had various health problems they still had big smiles on their faces.

My Primary Children

I teach Primary music.  We have two adorable children in Primary, Luis and Maura.  My twenty minutes with them is a highlight of my week.  "Sou Um Filho De Deus" is beginning to sound pretty good.

                 We have a lot of fun and, of course,

                                everyone knows that Primary music is the best job in the church.

Some Doors and Knob Pictures

                                 Various doors and doorknobs.  I love the wonderful variety.

              Below is one of the first pictures that I took in Portugal...the mission home doorknobs.

Door knobs from the Estoi palace hallway.

From a home in Lagos.

I have more of these kinds of pictures, but I won't bore you.

Cork

Portugal, Spain and north Africa are the only places on earth where cork is produced.  Cork trees are a normal part of the landscape here.  We see hundreds as we drive the main highway between Olhao and Lisbon.  

Cork bark is harvested only every 10 years.  Each tree is numbered and records are kept so as to not destroy the tree with premature harvesting.

American Rhythm Folk Dancers

The American Rythmn Folk Dancers from Rexburg, Idaho toured Portugal this summer.  We were so happy that they danced in Faro, our neighboring town.  They had many shows all over the city and they even did one for us.  The Faro Branch served the bar-b-que and the Americans danced.  So much fun!

  These are the directors, Gary and Mindy Larsen.  He teaches dance at BYUI.  They knew Lark from her BYU folk dance days.  The branch loved the show.

This venue is the motorcycle club of Faro.  They did a small show here for the members of the club who rolled in on their Harleys, Hondas and other wheels.  This club was a sponsor/donor organization for the Faro Folk Dance Festival.  Other countries were represented at Faro this week.  The American dancers were the favorite because of the great variety of dances they performed.  Everything from the Virginia Reel to the Swing.  The music made me homesick.

Estoi, Portugal

We have been reading about Estoi which is a very small town just off the main freeway about 20k from our town.  We have been checking out places to take people when they come and   I think that we found a winner in Estoi. 

This palace has been turned into a hotel.  This room serves as a lounge for guests.  

The Palace at Estoi, grand room.

Ceiling details

Original mirrors and furniture imported from Italy.  This palace dates from the late 18 century, but is made to look roccoco.

Beyond the columns is a view of the ocean.