We have previously blogged about the delights of Faro, with its many churches, museums, monuments and shops – which you can read about here – Don’t rush away from Faro This time, after dropping off a friend at the airport, we thought we’d take a leisurely stroll around the old town area, and just enjoy the sights. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the guide book and feel like you have to visit every church listed in the book – with our cameras in hand we often just enjoy wandering and exploring the back streets and corners of Faro … and apart from the obligatory coffee and cake, our afternoon was completely free – and totally wonderful!

There are so many iconic views of Faro, particularly the old 9th century Roman walls, although it is still possible to find a different angle if you explore a little – spot the White Stork nesting on the top!

Some of the buildings in Faro have been beautifully restored – yet still retain the charm of the old alongside the modern 

Other buildings are unashamedly old – and yet hold a certain charm of their own – the colours on this wall and door are fabulous:

 The cathedral is one of the most visited buildings – and yet a free scamper around the outside can yield some great shots – like this beautiful window captured in the sunlight:

I love spotting a winding old street with crumbling walls and old windows – it must be the artist in me!

And yet – another corner unveils a restored street – so similar to the one above that you can begin to imagine what a renovation project can do:

Love the tiled waiter – he makes me smile every time I see him in all his Elizabethan-style finery!

You can pay to visit the Cathedral – which if you haven’t been before – is worth a visit – but once you have been there – next time you can just wander round the square and admire the buildings – and if you sneak a peek through the railings – you can see so much more!

 A close-up will also reveal the local residents basking in the afternoon sunshine beside their private pool!!

The smell of the orange blossom from the trees lining the square of the Cathedral at this time of year is so heady – and the orange trees are laden too:

But if you walk past too quickly – sometimes you miss the most bizarre sights – like these oranges speared onto the street lamp:

If you need a rest from walking round – head down to the harbour – find a bench – and watch the boats bobbing in the sun – I love the symmetry of these three benches mirroring the steps down to the water:

 The locals are quite friendly too – and happy to pose for a shot:

Until they spot some dinner that is!

 And if watching them eat is making you a little peckish – well no self-respecting camera trip is complete without ‘uma bica’ and a ‘pastel-de-nata’

And then it’s back to more exploring – there are so many intriguing streets and corners to explore:

And sometimes the light is just perfect on the cobbles:

Every time we visit Faro, we find another archway to entice us – or name to investigate – who was or is Professor Norberto da Silva? Good old Google gave me a link to this site  – he was both a Sergeant in the Army and a prestigious schoolmaster – but if anyone knows anything else about him – do let us know.

We usually pop into the Galeria Trem near the Cathedral and see what they have on display – often they have very unusual exhibitions by local modern artists – this time it’s a series of installations called ‘Mapland’ by Mariana Medeira:

The room has been turned into a series of table-top cities based on the four elements of water, earth, air and fire. Machines are linked to maps on the wall:

It’s a bit weird, but intriguing at the same time and the dark interior of the room seems to set it all off really well – it’s worth a look – and free entry too. The inscription on the wall is quite thought-provoking:

Next time we visit Faro we have decided that we are going to have a meal at this little restaurant near the back of the Cathedral – we stopped for a drink and the waitress was very attentive and the food inside looked great!

Then we just had time for a few more shots before the sun disappeared – we love the raking light of this shot:

 And to end – a favourite of mine – one of the fabulous old doors that can be found throughout the old town – and the inspiration for a whole new series of paintings that I am working on at the moment:

If you are interested in finding out more about my art, and our upcoming exhibition over Easter in Carvoeiro – then head over to my website via the link here:

Hope that you have enjoyed exploring a little of Faro with us.