Barao de Sao Joao marked my introduction to the touristy side of the Algarve. After a week going through countryside and villages that seemed to have changed little in years, the sight of aging hippies in dreadlocks busking outside cafes was a bit of a shock. But discovering the communal village laundry on the way out of the village, still clearly in use, lifted my mood.
After yesterday’s exertions, today was a fairly easy day – not too long and not too hilly. With time to spare, I took a fairly easy pace.
The landscape had a lush feel to it. The whole route has been green, but the countryside here doesn’t have the parched, arid feel that I saw during the first few days. There’s also the feel of sea air, the knowledge that there’s water just over the horizon, and occasional glimpses of the ocean. The day reminded me of approaching Dover through Kent – there is the same sense of land running out.
When I arrived at Vila do Bispo, I did so with a sense that Cape St Vincent was close ….
Day 9 Route: Barao de Sao Joao to Vila do Bispo. Terrain: tracks and minor roads. Weather: sunny and warm. Daily distance: 25.1 km/15.6 miles. Cumulative distance: 217.5 km/134.9 miles. Accommodation: Casa Mestre, Vila do Bispo.
Come Wind, Come Weather 