Faro - a capital place
As I've written before, Faro is often overlooked as an Algarve venue, despite being the region's capital. It's probably the view from the landing plane that shapes one's first impressions of a dusty commercial town with high-rise apartment blocks. Which is a shame, because I find that it has ever more to offer the visitor every time I return there... Which is when the Moto Club Faro had their 25th Anniversary meet. Omigosh - that's a lot of motorcycles for one town to contain! I wouldn't like to hazard a guess at how many thousands of motorcycles - from huge Harleys and Honda Gold Wings down - were cruising the city's streets and byways for the duration... ... But, here's a shop-window poster advertising the event.
We found it quite amusing to see the locals, many of whom buzz around the place on little 'pop-pop' motorcycles, going about their business side by side with the rather more 'vroom-vroom' visitors. Oh, and here's a pic of a trainee biker chick, hangin' with the dudes down by Faro harbour. You may have observed that I don't yet have any suitable clothing, but I'm working on it.
It was fun to watch the bikers moving around town in small and in large groups. They must spend an absolute fortune in and around Faro during the event. Every café, hotel, bar and residencial seemed to have a row of bikes parked outside, so I'm guessing the town's commercial enterprises were more than pleased with how things went. Speaking of which, I saw nothing except good, friendly behaviour, with the exception of a few daft on-road stunts pulled by the foolhardy minority. Although there were vans parked about the place containing contingents of police, I saw no need for them to deploy. The Other FaroMeanwhile, back on the Faro tourist trail, Nev and I made for the back alleys and streets, where Faro's best surprises are to be found. Once you're away from the expensive shopping concourses, a greater diversity of commerce opens up - and there's much more chance of a bargain. In one small back-street shop, I found two huge beach towels in some gorgeous colourways on offer for surprisingly few Euros. I paid and scarpered before the shopkeeper could change her mind! Elsewhere, we stumbled across the yet-to-be-inaugurated Faro Atrium. This will boast some 30 shops, a three-screen cinema (I hesitate to call it a complex?) and a variety of restaurants. Next time I visit, perhaps it will be open and I can file a report on what it's like. It is hoped that the Atrium will revive the downtown Faro shopping experience (it's in Rua de Santo António). Alongside the new (and soon to be new) aspects of Faro, there are the delights of the city 'as was'. There's something splendid about a faded building that still suggests how fine it must have been, probably at the turn of the century before last. We found one such in a lovely sun-drenched little largo. Its frontage was completely tiled to repel the mid-day sun. It had its small balcony on which to while away a warm family evening. Even its ruined doors suggested a time when the building was lavished with more love (and investment) than it has received recently.
Faro CultureBeing the capital, Faro prides itself on its cultural events. Certainly, the monolithic Municipal Theatre with its extensive inclined approach and manicured parking areas speaks of a subject that is meant to be taken seriously. Events are staged there throughout the year, most of them things that I'd like to see. The last was a 'Dance World Cup', which unfortunately took place during the two weeks rest and recuperation I took in UK, when things with the new house were bringing me down! Oh well, there'll be something else happening soon. The next one's something about Latin dance, and it's happening in late July/early August, so I should be able to make it. In fact, now that I'm a resident and Faro's only a short drive away, I'm expecting to catch a lot more of Faro's cultural events. Some such are even held in the Largo de Se, the large square that serves the city's splendid cathedral, of which I've written elsewhere. Faro SightsMeanwhile, along the marina frontage, there is a multitude of small, white commercial booths. They seem to open immediately there's any sort of event staged in the capital. On sale are all sorts of ethnic goods and decorations. As with most market arrangements, there are good and bad, interesting and not-so interesting things on show. The African drums with plastic drum heads made Nev smile. (Though he did admit that the goat that got to keep its skin as a result probably was quite pleased). Also on show were some colourful batik-style decorative cloths (even clothing - but you'd have to look good in garish hues). It's fun to stroll around the booths and see what's on offer. Occasionally, I even hear a little bartering going on - most un-British (and therefore probably fun). Just across the main roundabout near the marina, there's a commercial building that houses a bank on the ground level, a hotel in the middle floors and a restaurant on the top floor. This is a great place to have a drink and a rest, because it offers panoramic views of the Ria Formosa (and of the specially-constructed Euro 2004 football (soccer) stadium as Nev pointed out). And of course, there are the storks. Just about every tall chimney, mast or spire boasts one or more storks' nests. The distinctive clacking sound they make with their bills when welcoming each other is something to experience.
And the Faro people seem to live in harmony with their lofty visitors, since the stork has been adopted as the city's motif. To demonstrate which fact, here I am, posing next to a rather abstract representation of a young (and hungry?) Ciconia ciconia.
PostscriptWe did try to make it down to Ilha de Faro to see the massed ranks of bikes at their main meeting spot (well, any cub reporter worth her salt would, wouldn't she?). But we were defeated by the sheer volume of traffic, most of it at a complete standstill for most of the time. And to prove it, here's a shot of the view from our (stationary) car, as we queued to reach the next roundabout and head away from the crush. Perhaps we should have hired a boat to take us there from the harbour (but I only thought of that idea rather later!)
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